Books about Compatible from Amazon.com

"...perhaps the most comprehensive book on the subject we've ever seen. It's incredibly well researched, well written, and jam packed with useful information "
--Josh Norem, Reviews Editor, Maximum PC
 
Upgrading and Repairing PCs is the definitive guide to the inner workings of your PC. Whether you're adding a faster processor or bigger hard drive, tracking down a problem, or just want to understand how the components of your computer work together, this book explains everything you need to know. Trust the one book that has become the de facto standard among PC professionals and enthusiasts around the world.
 
World-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller has taught thousands in his week-long seminars and millions through his books, videos, and magazine articles. Major changes in the PC hardware industry--including coverage of new Core 2 processors from Intel, Socket AM2 processors from AMD, and significant advances in motherboard chipsets, Blu-ray, and HD-DVD--make Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 18th Edition, an indispensable addition to every serious computer user's bookshelf...that is, if it ever leaves their desks. Readers from around the world trust their computers to Scott. Upgrading and Repairing PCs is found on the desks of teachers, students, hobbyists, repair technicians, and even law enforcement agencies that use this book to aid them in tracking criminals.
 
New in This Book

• Deep coverage of the new Core 2 (8th gen or "886") processors, featuring the new "Core Microarchitecture"
• Cutting edge coverage of quad-core desktop (Kentsfield) processor versions
• Detailed coverage of AMD’s Socket AM2 processors
• Coverage of evolutionary changes in chipsets, including new versions of Intel's 9xx series chipsets and new 3x series Intel chipsets; coverage of new chipsets from Nvidia, VIA, and SiS has also been added
• Coverage of the new DTX and Mini-DTX motherboard form factors from the newly formed alliance between AMD and ATI
• Beefed-up coverage of Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives/players
• Extensive coverage of new GPUs in addition to heavy-duty coverage of SLI and Crossfire
• Building a PC from scratch--from assembling the hardware to BIOS setup and installing Microsoft Windows XP or Vista

 
On the DVD
DVD contains 2 hours of all new, studio-quality video--playable in your set-top DVD player and your computer! Scott digs deep into networking, showing all the components needed to build a SOHO (Small Office Home Office) network. Coverage includes network adapters, routers, switches, access points, cable/DSL modems, and cabling. Upgrading an existing network to gigabit speeds is also covered, as well as the latest wireless network technology. The DVD also contains a previously published edition of the book as well as technical reference material, a glossary, and an acronym index. Whether you’re building a hot new PC for home or work, or nursing an aging and ailing PC back to health, these materials prove to be worth their weight in gold to the serious PC technician or hobbyist.
 
www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com
If you don’t have a DVD player or only have a set-top DVD, visit www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com to download all the video from the DVD in Windows Media Player format as well as the PDFs and other materials on the DVD! Plus, check out monthly articles, FAQs, and video from earlier editions you might have missed!
 
Introduction 1
1    Development of the PC 7
2    PC Components, Features and System Design 25
3    Microprocessor Types and Specifications 39
4    Motherboards and Buses 235
5    BIOS 441
6    Memory 509
7    The ATA/IDE Interface 581
8    Magnetic Storage Principles 637
9    Hard Disk Storage 663
10    Removable Storage 707
11    Optical Storage 747
12    Physical Drive Installation and Configuration 851
13    Video Hardware 885
14    Audio Hardware 987
15    I/O Interfaces from Serial and Parallel to IEEE-1394 and USB 1025
16    Input Devices 1059
17    Internet Connectivity 1103
18    Local Area Networking 1151
19    Power Supplies 1207
20    Building or Upgrading Systems 1295
21    PC Mods: Overclocking and Cooling 1335
22    PC Diagnostics, Testing and Maintenance 1367
 
ON THE DVD:
A    Glossary
B    List of Acronyms and Abbreviations


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Price: $32.12 [Notify me when price goes down.]

A unique visual approach to troubleshooting PC hardware problems. Morris Rosenthal creates a visual expert system for diagnosing component failure and identifying conflicts. The seventeen diagnostic flowcharts at the core of this book are intended for the intermediate to advanced hobbyist, or the beginning technician. Following a structured approach to troubleshooting hardware reduces the false diagnoses and parts wastage typical of the "swap 'till you drop" school of thought. Flowcharts include: Power Supply Failure, Video Failure, Video Performance, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Failure, Motherboard, CPU, RAM Performance, IDE Drive Failure, Hard Drive Boot and Performance, CD or DVD Playback, CD or DVD Recording Problem, Modem Failure, Modem Performance, Sound Failure, Sound and Game Controller Performance, Network Failure, Peripheral Failure, SCSI Failure and Conflict Resolution..
Price: $13.45 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Having sold more than 2 million copies over its lifetime, How Computers Work is the definitive illustrated guide to the world of PCs and technology In this new edition, you’ll find detailed information not just about every last component of hardware found inside your PC, but also in-depth explanations about home networking, the Internet, PC security, and even how cell phone networks operate. Whether you’re interested in how the latest graphics cards power today’s most demanding games or how a digital camera turns light into data, you’ll find your answers right here.

 

Ron White is a former executive editor and columnist for PC Computing, where he developed the visual concept behind How Computers Work. Founder of one of the

earliest PC user groups, he has been writing about computers for 25 years and is known for building wildly extreme computers.

 

Timothy Edward Downs is an award-winning magazine designer, illustrator, and photographer. He has directed and designed several national consumer, business, technology, and

lifestyle magazines, always infusing a sense of “how it works” into every project.

 

A full-color, illustrated adventure into the wonders of TECHNOLOOGY

 

This full-color, fully illustrated guide to the world of technology assumes nothing and explains everything. Only the accomplished Ron White and award-winning Tim Downs have the unique ability to meld descriptive text with one-of-a-kind visuals to fully explain how the electronic gear we depend on every day is made possible. In addition to all the content you’ve come to expect from prior editions, this newly revised edition includes all-new coverage of topics such as:

 

•    How tablet PCs put the power of a PC quite literally in your hands

•    How Windows Vista makes your Windows desktop translucent and makes your PC more secure

•    How advances in optical disc technology such as dual-layer DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray discs continue to push the envelope

•    How Apple’s new iPhone is revolutionizing what cell phones can do

•    How BitTorrent technology enables anyone to share information with everyone

 

For a decade, How Computers Work has helped newbies understand new technology, while at the same time hackers and IT pros have treasured it for the depth of knowledge it contains. This is the perfect book about computing to capture your imagination, delight your eyes, and expand your mind, no matter what your technical level!

 

Category: General Computing

Covers:    PCs/Hardware

User Level:    Beginning–Intermediate

 

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Price: $20.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Free at last! Finally, someone has come along to free you from your keyboard With Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the miraculous voice-recognition software in your computer, you can browse the Web, control your applications, control your desktop, write documents, and more without ever once laying finger to plastic. But don’t run out and get yourself fitted for that Star Fleet uniform just yet, cadet. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is the most accurate voice recognition software on the market, and while it really does deliver on all its claims, it can be very finicky, and getting top results can be tricky.

The complete guide to the care of feeding or your Dragon, Dragon NaturallySpeaking For Dummies is a must-have companion for voice-recognition trailblazers who are ready to:

• Kiss that keyboard goodbye and say hello to hands-free computing
• Verbally control your Windows desktop and most applications
• Dictate, edit, format and proofread documents in Word and WordPerfect
• Browse the Web and compose and send email by voice
• Use a pocket digital recorder on the run

Here’s all you need to fire up your Dragon and get it dancing to your tune. Your total guide to installing, configuring, fine-tuning and getting the most out of that amazing voice recognition software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking For Dummies covers all the bases, including:

• Installing, configuring, and launching your Dragon
• Dictating, editing, proofreading, and formatting documents in NaturallySpeaking
• Recording speech onto the NaturallySpeaking recorder and transcribing recorded speech
• Dictating into other applications
• Controlling your desktop and windows by voice
• Using NaturalWord for Word and WordPerfect
• Browsing the Web, emailing and faxing by voice
• Managing databases hands-free
• Maximizing voice recognition accuracy
• Having multiple users and vocabularies
• Adding specialized items and verbal shortcuts to Dragon’s vocabulary

With the introduction of Dragon NaturallySpeaking the old dream of hands-free computing has finally become reality. Now let Dragon NaturallySpeaking For Dummies show you how to give your Dragon wings and make it soar..
Price: $22.02 [Notify me when price goes down.]

BUILD IT. FIX it. OWN IT.

A Beginner’s Guide to Building and Upgrading a PC

 

Build It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate beginner’s guide to building and fixing your own PC. With a friendly, knowledgeable tone, this book shows the beginning PC builder everything he or she needs to know to build a computer or upgrade an existing one.

We step you through the parts that lurk inside a PC, from the motherboard and power supply to the CPU, memory, hard drive, video card, sound card, and networking hardware. In each case, you will learn how the hardware works, what it does, what types of hardware are available, and what to look for when buying the hardware.

Then we walk you step-by-step though a series of PC building projects. We show you how to build five different types of PC: a basic business PC, a home theater PC, a high-performance PC, a killer gaming PC, and a budget PC. And if building a new PC from scratch isn’t in your budget, we show you how to resurrect  an old PC by swapping out a few key components.

When you have your PC built and running, we show you how to set up a wireless network and the BIOS and maintain your new rig.

 

Build It. Fix It. Own It. is the ultimate PC builder’s guide, even if you’ve never ventured inside a PC case before!

 

Author Bio

Paul McFedries is one of the industry’s most well known and respected technical writers and is a passionate computer tinkerer. He is the author of more than 70 computer books that have sold more than three million copies worldwide. His recent titles include the Sams Publishing books Windows Vista Unleashed and Windows Home Server Unleashed and the Que Publishing books Networking with Microsoft Windows Vista, Formulas and Functions with Microsoft Excel 2007, Tricks of the Microsoft Office 2007 Gurus, and Microsoft Access 2007 Forms, Reports, and Queries. Paul also is the proprietor of Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), a website devoted to tracking new words and phrases as they enter the English language.

 

Category     Hardware

Covers         PC Hardware

User Level    Beginner—Intermediate

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Price: $18.69 [Notify me when price goes down.]

From buying and selling PC hardware to product development and selling services, this book offers a realistic picture of making it on one's own. The book mixes practical advice and cautions with real-world anecdotes of successes and failures.
Price: $13.45 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Asustek has introduced a single line of ultra-portable computers that could surpass all of Apple's Macintosh sales. Of that total, about 1.6 million units will be equipped not with Windows, but Xandros Linux. The Eee is designed to open up new market segments: In the U.S and other developed nations, it will be targeted largely at school students. Equipped with both "learning" programs as well as office and internet applications, the Eee will provide everything that students need regardless of their grade level. Because it is an ultra-light, highly mobile, yet fully capable computer, it will also appeal to business users and first-time computer buyers. This book will cover everything, from turning the machine on and connecting it to the internet, to how to upgrade, update, and generally get the most from these tiny computers..
Price: $15.13 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Covers upgrades for gaming, digital video, and entertainment!

Transform your PC into a glitch-free, turbocharged, multimedia machine

Want to add punch to your PC? This handy reference helps add power to your old computer Easy steps show you how to add memory, update your virus protection, get your PC ready for Windows Vista or rev it up as a cool entertainment center capable of recording TV shows or hearing DVDs in surround sound.

• Move files from an old PC to a new one
• Upgrade to Windows Vista
• Get rid of computer viruses
• Configure a wireless network
• Add a TV tuner and DVD burner

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Price: $1.77 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Formerly a publication of The Brain Store

Want to add some spice to your lesson plans? This revised edition of Brain-Compatible Strategies is full of creative, ready-to-use ideas to motivate, inspire, and encourage your students

If you are a novice just getting started with brain-compatible teaching, or a practiced veteran looking for ready-to-implement ideas, this book is for you. It's 90% action steps and 10% background and theory. With its plain-language instructions and easy-to-implement activities, this resource will be one of your most thumbed-through references.

(20070820).
Price: $17.66 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Everything you need to expertly install car PCs

This is a heavily-illustrated, step-by-step guide to installing and controlling a car PC -- using commonly-available, off-the-shelf components. Numerous how-to photos and product shots allow you to easily navigate each step even if you have little "do it yourself" experience.

• Includes parts and required tool lists, troubleshooting tips, and a list of manufacturers where you can purchase the parts best suited for your customized system
• Companion website offers free software and demo versions of products to use with your car PC

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Price: $14.39 [Notify me when price goes down.]