CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, 8th Edition Author: Michael Meyers | Language: English | ISBN:
007179512X | Format: EPUB
CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, 8th Edition Description
The bestselling CompTIA A+ reference and test preparation guide--fully revised for the new 2012 exam topics
Written by the leading authority on CompTIA A+ certification and training, the new edition of this trusted resource offers complete, up-to-date coverage of CompTIA A+ exams 220-801 and 220-802. You’ll find learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter, exam tips, practice exam questions, and in-depth explanations. Prepare for the exams with confidence! McGraw-Hill is a Gold-Level CompTIA Authorized Partner offering Authorized CompTIA Approved Quality Content to give you the competitive edge on exam day. This comprehensive guide also serves as an essential on-the-job reference after certification.
Covers all exam objectives, including how to:
- Work with CPUs, RAM, BIOS settings, motherboards, power supplies, and other PC components
- Install, configure, and troubleshoot hard drives
- Manage input devices and removable media
- Install, upgrade, and troubleshoot Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
- Troubleshoot all common PC problems
- Install video and multimedia cards
- Work with smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices
- Install and configure wired and wireless networks
- Connect to the Internet
- Protect your PC and your network
- Install, configure, and manage printers
- Work with virtualization technologies
- Understand safety and environmental issues
Electronic content includes:
- Practice exams for 801 & 802 with hundreds of questions
- More than one hour of free video training from Mike Meyers
- A collection of Mike’s latest favorite shareware and freeware PC tools and utilities
- Adobe Digital Edition eBook—free download (subject to Adobe's system requirements)
- Series: All-in-One
- Hardcover: 1200 pages
- Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 8 edition (August 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 007179512X
- ISBN-13: 978-0071795128
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 2.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I may not represent the "typical" target for this book as I purchased it strictly to review CompTIA's Windows troubleshooting protocols; I'm sure my mindset of "let's nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure" when a computer encounters any moderately complex problem is probably not the most conventional (at my job I've found it more practical to keep a backup image on the network). Despite that, I've ended up reading it (mostly) cover to cover; no small feat considering it clocks in at 1150+ pages, and I think I've walked away with more than I expected.
Mike Meyers takes a "let's start at the bottom" approach that I find ideal since I think it's easier to understand a complex subject when I get the building blocks first. I'd say the first quarter to third of the book is focused on the overview of the PC, its basic technology, and the evolution that brought us to the present day. Every chapter begins with a section titled "Historical/Conceptual" in which he will review the basic concepts of how the technology works, then become more concrete. For example, over the course of a few chapters the book covers the basis of computer language (the binary system) and how the processor physically communicates with the rest of the computer. He then applies this to describe the Intel 8088 processor, an old and very influential design, then explains how that design evolved over time to incorporate new innovations and discoveries to bring the reader to the present day's Intel Core series. The middle of the book moves into bringing the fundamentals together, and towards the end circles back to advanced/esoteric hardware implementation and networking.
A couple of months ago, I decided to take the steps necessary to become A+ certified. Since I already had good hands on experience, I knew that I didn't want to pay an outrageous price for a class. So, I opted for home study based on the good reviews I'd read that were posted on earlier Mike Meyer's books. I bought his latest A+ exam guide to prepare for tests 220-801 and 220-802. Using this book, I was able to pass both tests, just barely.
Do I blame the book ? Nope. In fact the book is quite good. Yes, it's a back breaking 1400+ pages. But it does a very thorough job explaining the basics of what a PC Technician might encounter in their first 1-3 years on the job. Mike Meyer's wrote the book based on the current Comp TIA A+ exam objectives. So, don't be surprized if certain topics do seem to have better explanations in the previous edition. The new edition is all about presenting the current exam objectives which emphasize topics like portable computers, smart phones, networking and security.
The problem with working with computers is that the hardware and software are constantly changing. In order to keep up with the Joneses, a technician has to know a lot of small details. And that's what the Comp TIA A+ exams test you on i.e. your knowledge of those really small details. Mike Meyer's made sure that no detail was too small to be ignored from those objectives. Read and study the exam tips. They are great bullet points.
The book does cover all the objectives set out by Comp TIA. Here's the catch 22, because all the A+ prep books were written before the new tests even went live, there just are not enough "free" supplemental materials posted on the internet that a person can use to help them study. The exams are just too new.
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