Product Description

This book focuses on upgrades and add-ons that any consumer level user can make with their PC. It uses the highly visual layout of the the incredibly successful How it Works series to make upgrading a snap. It goes beyond most hardware books by addressing more than just the nuts, bolts, and techie connections of hardware. Each chapter looks at: *Determining the type of upgrade you need *Tools, requirements, and physical installation *Windows and application setup for your new hardware *Using the hardware once you have it installed *Tips and tricks for getting the most from your investment This unique approach brings together all of the pre-purchase, installation, and usage issues a user will face.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2006654 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 250 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
How to Expand & Upgrade PCs will come as a breath of fresh air to anyone who has previously attempted to read up on the subject. Upgrading and repairing personal computers isn't hard, since most of the pieces comply with standard specifications and can be made to fit together with a little fiddling. Reading books on the subject, however, can be mightily confusing. That's because hardware books usually have grainy, dark, amateur photographs that show whatever specific component models the authors have on hand, which can make understanding your own components difficult.

How to Expand & Upgrade PCs is different in that it uses high-quality, full-colour perspective drawings to show how the pieces of an IBM-compatible personal computer fit together. The drawings illustrate the parts in a generic way, so you're not tripped up by the details of any particular product. Preston Gralla--an accomplished and respected author--backs them up with labels and text. In the case of spreads that explain procedures (like how to change out a hard disk) the text is numbered, step by step.

Some of the drawings show ridiculously simple operations--plugging in a keyboard, for example--but most of the illustrations are really valuable. Operations that most people will want to do--such as how to install a DVD drive and adding memory--are emphasised. Make sure you use the Internet to find out about your specific components. --David Wall

Topics covered: Replacing and supplementing the components that make up an IBM-compatible personal computer, how to add memory, add or replace a hard drive, add a DVD drive, do basic troubleshooting and lots more.

Review
"Simple illustrations are used to good effect and the title also includes tutorial pages explaining how things work."What PC?, July 2001

From the Back Cover

This book focuses on upgrades and add-ons that any consumer level user can make with their PC. It uses the highly visual layout of the the incredibly successful How it Works series to make upgrading a snap. It goes beyond most hardware books by addressing more than just the nuts, bolts, and techie connections of hardware. Each chapter looks at: *Determining the type of upgrade you need *Tools, requirements, and physical installation *Windows and application setup for your new hardware *Using the hardware once you have it installed *Tips and tricks for getting the most from your investment This unique approach brings together all of the pre-purchase, installation, and usage issues a user will face.

Customer Reviews

The most useful computing book I have ever read
I have a small collection of computing books. It would probably be larger if it were not for the fact that I find many of them to be daunting, and difficult to understand. The lack of easily decipherable illustrations also puts me off. However "How to Upgrade and Repair PCs" has taken pride of place in my collection due to it's easy to understand, step-by-step guides and excellent illustrations. While it is certainly not for the experienced user and I can see myself growing out of it at some point, it provides an excellent introduction into the insides of your PC and gives great advice on almost every aspect of improving your PC's spec. It also advices when it is time to upgrade and what to upgrade first, which is indispensible to the upgrader on the tight budget. Personally I don't have neither time nor money to burn, but today I installed new RAM into my old computer without any hassle. The best part was knowing what to buy in the first place, as there is an excellent guide on "Determining what memory you need". All in all, a book which I have found I couldn't afford to miss.