REVIEW:Haynes Computer Manual - Review

Telecomworldwire, Nov 5, 2001

TELECOMWORLDWIRE-5 November 2001-REVIEW:Haynes Computer Manual (C)1994-2001 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

Haynes are probably best known for their very large range of car workshop manuals. Generations of people have treasured oily-fingered Haynes workshop manuals which provide inspiration and advice for getting their old banger back on the road. Now Haynes has introduced a similar book but for the humble personal computer.

Billed as 'the step-by-step guide to upgrading and repairing your PC', the company adopts a very simple, 'assume nothing' attitude to its readers with this slim, A4 tome. This works well even though, at first, there is a temptation for the more knowledgeable user to sneer at it for its rather simplistic appearance.

Covering the bare essentials such as getting to know your PC (rather essential before you dig under the hood), boosting the PC's performance, expanding the PC and troubleshooting you get an essentially superficial, yet helpful, overview for the PC upgrade process. The book cannot give you the confidence required to make the actual upgrade but it certainly does its own bit to help soothe those anguished feelings that you will get from time to time. A lot of no-nonsense, common-sense guidance is given in the hope that you won't fry yourself or your computer in the process.

Very simple graphics are used to great effect here and the whole book just doesn't look like a typical 'how to' computer book. Perhaps this is a bonus under the circumstances. In some ways I can liken the text to that of a kindly old grandfather who is carefully and patiently explaining to his grandchild about how they will place a new tyre on a bicycle. Nothing is assumed. Nothing is presumed. Yet the job gets done.

CONCLUSION:A rather interesting approach which sets this book aside from many of the other 'how to upgrade your computer' books. You will either know too much for this book's simple approach (and thus won't need it) or you'll find it a godsend if you are wishing to tinker with your computer's innards one day. It is certainly worth a look.

Title:Haynes Computer Manual Author:Kyle MacRae Published by:Haynes Publishing ISBN:1-85960-805-1 Price:GBP14.99 Reviewer:Darren Ingram

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.PUB 430 >PD NOVEMBER 5, 2001 >JN TELECOMWORLDWIRE .PRICEDATE NOT APPLICABLE .DAY