I find that end of the world stories tend to fall into two basic categories in which there’s some overlap.  Fast and fun reads, and books worthy of reading.  A book like The Road is not a fast and fun read, but it is certainly worth reading.  We’re forced to watch as a man and his son wander through a wasteland making choices no person should be faced with.  We’re reminded sentence by sentence that our moral compass can be compromised by so many outside forces and we’re forced to look deep within ourselves after reading the Road.

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse is not that kind of book.  It is fast paced, entertaining and full of twists, paced well enough to keep me coming back and light enough that I could read it easily in a few sittings.  Quick and fun with enough of a deeper meaning to make you think about what you’ve just read.  It’s irreverent enough that I was chuckling to myself while reading and good enough that I didn’t want to stop.

We follow Mortimer, who’s escaped his almost ex-wife’s desire for signatures on divorce papers by holing up in a mountain cabin just as the end of the world arrives.    After 9 years of isolation Mort re-enters society, pairs up with a cowboy emulating Buffalo Bill and finds out that civilization is all but dead, with only a series of strip clubs holding the meager threads together.

That sets us up for a wild ride where the Armageddon dollar is supreme, Joey Armageddon’s Sassy A-Go-Go clubs are holding things together between wild stretches of wasteland run by gangs and cannibals and the Red Czar, holed up in the fabled city of Atlanta wants to end it all so he can corner the market on booze.

Victor Gischler has given us a novel that’s full of guns, sex, adventure and the end of the world and still pulls off an entertaining read as we watch Mort adjust from a solitary survivor to an active, gun toting, platinum club Joey Armageddon’s card wielding member of society.  The action is non-stop and at times the plot feels a bit surreal but then in a world where strip clubs offer salvation surreal is pretty much the norm.

The Pros

Fun, fast paced and easy to read.  The plot throws heavy objects at you and changes rapidly in unexpected ways which is a good thing.  The characters are likable and human. The end of the world hasn’t been so much fun since Good Omens.

The Cons

The book could have been a bit meatier.  There is a good deal of graphic sex and violence, which while not necessarily a con, should be considered if you don’t want that sort of thing in your apocalypse.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an end of the world novel that combines the fast paced elements of an action flick with the survival sensibilities of a modern western with a dusting of black humor you’ll do well by Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse.

The Stats

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Touchstone (July 8, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416552251
ISBN-13: 978-1416552253
Price: $14.00 retail ($11.20 at Amazon.com)

Technorati Tags: book, review, go-go girls, apocalypse, end of the world

The new book by Nick Sagan (son of Carl Sagan), You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised, is characterized by explanations of some of the fascinating technologies envisioned in classic science fiction along with explorations of the progress modern science has made towards achieving those visions. Classic science fiction references appear side-by-side with summaries of state of the art scientific research.

The book is divided into 5 broad chapters, each covering 10 technologies that we have made progress towards realizing. The chapters are Travel and Transportation, Computers, Cyborgs, and Robots, Communications, Weapons and Security, and Life, Health, and Sex.

The Pros

This book is very well written. Each technology is described with multiple fictional appearances as well as detailed accounts of modern advances involving that technology. I was also surprised at how realistic many of the concepts once considered impossible have become. There were also detailed diagrams and high-quality images for all of the sections, which made the content much more engaging.

The Cons

Some of the technologies in the book were much less interesting than others. In a desire to have the same number of sections in each chapter, some sections were added that probably could have been left out - language translators, watch toys, and sex toys, for example.

I definitely recommend this book. It was a quick read, and each section was engaging and interesting. The price is very reasonable, as well.

The Stats

Title: You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised
Author(s): Nick Sagan, Mark Frary, and Andy Walker
ISBN10: 1556526857
ISBN13: 978-1556526855
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Cost: $11.21 (from Amazon)
Format: Paperback, 160 pages
Published: April 1, 2008

Technorati Tags: Carl Sagan, Nick Sagan, Mark Frary, Andy Walker, science fiction, technology, books, book reviews, You Call This the Future?: The Greatest Inventions Sci-Fi Imagined and Science Promised

In the second of three Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition core rulebook reviews I am covering the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Earlier this week I took an in-depth look at the Player’s Handbook, and you can expect a short review of the Monster Manual soon. The Player’s Handbook review discussed game mechanics and playability as well as the general presentation of Fourth Edition, and in the DMG I intend to take a critical look at the tools Fourth Edition gives the dungeon master.

Player Management and Game Basics

The first several chapters of the new DMG are a sort of “Dungeon Mastering for Dummies” guidebook, covering basics of the Dungeon Master’s role, and providing tips on how to engage players. It opens with a Bartle-style breakdown of player personality types, discussing what motivates them, what they find rewarding and what bores and angers them. The knee-jerk reaction might be to call this stereotyping, but I’ve been using Bartle-inspired pop-psychology on players in tabletop and online games for over a decade now and I find it very effective in creating a good game environment that addresses the interests of all my players. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised that the authors chose to include it.

The rest of the first section covers basic conflict resolution and gives some tips on how to deal with common problems. There’s a great section on building improvisational aids, as well as a brief introduction on the theory behind Fourth Edition’s three-tiered 30 level character progression. I’m still not completely sold on the idea but they make a good argument.

Encounters

The next three chapters discuss the DM’s role in creating and managing challenges and encounters. I found the guidelines for creating skill challenges somewhat obtuse, in that they refer frequently to tables and guidelines laid out in an earlier chapter; I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth on the first read. Fortunately the system is simple enough that with a little bit of practice you’ll have it all memorized. Combat encounters are very streamlined in Fourth Edition and the DMG doesn’t spend much time on elaborating rules. As you’ll see in the forthcoming Monster Manual review, Fourth Edition’s monsters have very clearly defined combat roles, and most of the chapter on combat addresses NPC tactics. Although somewhat arbitrary in nature, the roles they define and the tactics they suggest are a good jumping-off point for encounter design, especially considering the highly strategic nature of the combat system. They provide outlines of a few encounter templates for quick plug-and-play action when you’re short on time, but the system is robust enough to allow for plenty of tweaking and creativity.

Game Design

Most of the latter half of the book is devoted to campaign and adventure design. I found this section somewhat disappointing. Dungeons and Dragons has always tried to walk the middle road between providing a generic game system and a full-fledged campaign setting, and they continue that trend in Fourth Edition with the typically bland outcome. The DMG presumes you want to comply with the defaults provided in the Player’s Handbook and don’t even touch on the theory behind class, race or cosmology design. This is fine for DMs who just want to run a light and simple Tolkienesque game, but it leaves those of us who enjoy creating rich and unique campaign settings out in the cold. If you intend to create your own races, classes, powers, or invent your own religion and cosmology you are on your own.

Once you get past that issue they do give you a good breakdown on creating adventures or customizing them from packaged adventure books, as well as tips on campaign design. They don’t give you a full campaign setting so you’re expected to come up with geography, social and political schemes (beyond the basics described in the race entries in the Player’s Handbook) and all the other things that flesh out a world, but they do give you some good advice to help get it done.

DM’s Toolbox and Fallcrest

Last but not least is a chapter devoted to monster and NPC design, a small entry on house rules and a system for generating random dungeons and encounters, and then another chapter detailing a sample starting area called Fallcrest. This is pretty standard stuff, so I won’t get into it here. I’ve used random generators for fun on-the-fly games before to kill an afternoon or a long road trip, but for serious games I don’t recommend them.

Fallcrest is everything you would expect in a generic starting adventure: a small, remote village with a few notable characters and a low-level monster problem awaiting destruction by a band of inexperienced heroes. It contains a great selection of maps and a few solid encounters in an easily readable format with plenty of tips and advice for new DMs. I doubt an experienced gaming group will get much out of Fallcrest, but they’re not the target audience.

Conclusion

The first half of the DMG is a great read for anyone interested in running a roleplaying game, with solid advice from experienced DMs and plenty of effective techniques for game management. I would suggest at least browsing through it even if you’re not planning to run a Fourth Edition game.
I could take or leave the rest of the book. It leaves me wanting either a fully fleshed out campaign setting or a thorough and detailed guide to world building. It’s clear that WotC wants to reach a broader audience with Fourth Edition, and they may have hit on the right combination of depth and open-endedness for newbie game designers. I just can’t help feeling they could have done more.

Technorati Tags: dungeons and dragons, dnd, d&d, fourth edition, dungeon master’s guide, dmg, review

WotC’s Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition introduces a slew of changes to the venerable franchise, from a new modern look and feel to streamlined gameplay rules and a completely redesigned class and skill system. Today I take a look at the Player’s Handbook, and I will review the Dungeon Master’s Guide and Monster Manual in upcoming articles. After running a couple sessions, I’ll follow up with play impressions.

Fourth Edition has taken quite a lot of criticism, both because of the radical changes it’s undergone since Third Edition and because of the nature of the changes made - toward a simpler and more broadly appealing game. The first thing I heard about it from friends and fellow gamers is that looked like World of Warcraft on the tabletop. As a WoW burnout myself, and a vocal critic of Third Edition’s many shortcomings, I went in with a healthy amount of skepticism. To my surprise I was really impressed with the game’s focus and direction.

In this review I’m taking the approach that Fourth Edition is a complete game deserving to stand or fall on its own merits, so if you’re looking for a detailed comparison with previous incarnations of Dungeons and Dragons you’ll have to look elsewhere. At its heart it’s still a d20 system game, but beyond that it’s all apples and oranges.

Presentation

The new edition eschews the leather-bound tome look in favor of a more modern layout, with clean lines and simple decorative elements. It’s not quite as captivating as some of the really well-designed gaming manuals we’ve seen in recent years (here’s looking at you, Exalted 2nd Edition), but it delivers on the most important aspect: usability. Full color page-and-a-half paintings mark the beginning of each chapter with high fantasy action scenes, and smaller illustrations are scattered liberally throughout the book. The authors made great use of color and iconography in identifying important blocks, such as character powers and tables. Information is well organized and easy to access with an informative table of contents and extensive index.

Tables or lists of class powers by level would have been nice, as would an organized collection of important tables in a central area. As a PDF user with a hyperlinked table of contents and a bookmarks sidebar I don’t worry too much about these issues myself, but if you’re paging through a hard copy your mileage may vary.

Game Mechanics

The core mechanic is a simple roll a die, add numeric modifiers system familiar to almost any gamer. I’ve always been a fan of dice-pool systems for their smoother advancement and statistical spread, but the designers seem to have put in a lot of effort to ensure the difficulty of tasks keeps pace with character advancement. Characters gain their abilities almost strictly according to class selections, which is locked in at the time of character creation, and advance by level. This leads to a lack of character variety, but the selection of powers and feats available let players give their characters at least a little flavor.

Dungeons and Dragons has always been a combat heavy game and Fourth Edition continues that trend, with a reinvigorated focus on strategy. The game requires the use of a grid and a system to keep track of positioning and movement, and many character powers incorporate tactical movement into their effects. They’re not shy about pushing their miniatures products, but they do offer advice on simpler alternatives for players short on cash or shelf space. You may have heard this about 3rd Edition and other roleplaying games, but this time they really mean it: you are not going to get much out of Fourth Edition without a battle grid.

Non-combat activities have been streamlined and the skill system is incredibly simple - a character chooses a handful of trained skills which provide a flat bonus to his rolls. Fourth Edition introduces a few new mechanics to spice up non-combat encounters called skill challenges and rituals. In a skill challenge the Dungeon Master introduces a complicated scenario such as infiltrating a palace or discovering the location of a hidden temple, and players take turns using any relevant skills to advance the party toward the goal. The object is to accumulate a number of successful rolls before exceeding a maximum number of failures, and each participating character must act on his turn.

Rituals are sorcerous ceremonies conducted by any character with the appropriate instructions, though the magic-oriented classes excel at obtaining and performing them. They involve large investments of time and money and produce powerful effects from raising the dead to useful abilities for all participants, like underwater breathing. You’ll find most of the group utility-oriented and non-combat magic in rituals, a two-edged sword that allows a non-standard party to overcome common game-stopping obstacles but also reduces dependence and demand for traditional spellcasters.

Playability

Fourth Edition adheres to the philosophy that the rules should be simple, streamlined and easy to remember. Every rule has many exceptions, but the exceptions are encapsulated in powers and other abilities. When a power violates a gameplay rule it spells out the exception explicitly, so there is no need to memorize a complicated list of exceptions or special mechanics that may apply in odd circumstances. In this sense it reminds me of collectible card games with their extremely simple core rules and myriad special mechanics introduced by individual cards. Character creation is straightforward - allocate points to the six primary stats, choose a class, pick a few powers and a handful of skills and you’re ready to roll. We’ll see how well this all plays out in the upcoming game play article.

The game provides little to no mechanical support for theatrics or roleplaying, character personality traits and quirks. A few small concessions are made for creative problem solving, but for the most part the parameters are laid out and don’t allow for exceptions. Both the PHB and the Dungeon Master’s Guide (more on that in the next article) talk a lot about how lively description and interaction make the game more fun and engaging, but the words seem to ring hollow. As a long time GM I know better than to think roleplaying is enough of a reward in itself to keep players enthusiastic.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a roleplaying game mixing the best aspects of tactical turn-based strategy, collectible card games, and the heroic action of a typical MMO, Fourth Edition is right up your alley. The strategic elements of the game are strong enough to keep the intellect stimulated without taxing capacity for rules memorization, and the emphasis on movement and position should appeal to wargamers and tactical RPG fans.

On the other hand if you prefer your games gritty and political with a heavy emphasis on character development and roleplaying you’re likely to be disappointed. It’s a step up from a miniatures game, and wont’ suffer from the problem of anonymity that plagues the modern MMO, but it really doesn’t supply the carrot or the stick to draw out shy players or reward the enthusiastic for their efforts. The good news is that there are plenty of great games out there that do; in an upcoming review I’ll tell you all about the Burning Wheel, a system on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Technorati Tags: dungeons and dragons, fourth edition, fourth, 4th, review, roleplaying, role playing, role, play, player’s handbook, PHB, D&D

The Way Toys Work is a book that explores the origins and inner workings of 50 popular toys.  A guide on how to recreate simple versions of each toy is also included, as well as various science experiments that can be performed with them.

The book is divided into 50 chapters - one for each toy.  Each chapter includes sections on history, function, dismantlement, and duplication.

My opinion of this book oscillated between excitement and disappointment.  But as I eventually recognized the goal of the authors and who their target audience was, I became very satisfied with the book.

The Pros

What the book does especially well is describe the origins of each toy.  I was a little shocked to discover how many popular toys were created by people with no toy-making experience.  I found the histories genuinely interesting.  I also enjoyed the in-depth explanations of how many of the toys worked, especially ones that involved scientific principles more complex than gravity and aerodynamics (the Dunking Bird is powered by methylene chloride vapor, for example).

The Cons

It is difficult to tell who would best benefit from reading this book.  The brief histories and simple related crafts would best benefit school children, but the in-depth scientific analyses would frequently be over their heads and better suited for older geeks.  Also, each chapter is disconnected and it is sometimes difficult to read the book for more than a few chapters.  I found it best to leave the book sitting out and read a chapter or two when I was bored.

I eventually decided that this book has a place both in the classroom and at home.  Children can benefit from the brief explanations of how their favorite toys work, and adults can benefit from the interesting backgrounds and inner workings of their childhood playthings.

I would certainly recommend this book to geeks of all ages.

The Stats

Title: The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More
Author(s): Ed and Woody Sobey
ISBN10: 1556527454
ISBN13: 978-1556527456
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Cost: $10.17 (from Amazon)
Format: Paperback, 178 pages
Published: May 1, 2008

Technorati Tags: books, book reviews, The Way Toys Work, The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More, Ed Sobey, Woody Sobey

The revamped Tor website includes a new shortstory by Mr. Scalzi, After the Coup. Set in the same universe as Old Man’s War, its a short, fun romp that details a ‘diplomatic’ adventure by one of the bit characters in his main series. A very fun read.

Technorati Tags: scifi, fantasy, tor, books, entertainment, cavtroop

That’s the premise behind Day by Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne.  The book follows the first person narrative of our protagonist as he learns of a growing threat to humanity and keeps an almost daily journal of the rise of a huge zombie population and the fall of humanity.  This book has been out for a bit but I’ve just recently gotten my hands on a copy.

I should say before continuing on with this review that I’m a big fan of Zombies.  I love a good zombie movie but it’s rare that I find a decent book about the subject I can sit down and enjoy.  To be a decent book about zombies, it can’t just be a smattering of gore and horror – it’s got to be fun, interesting, though provoking and like the presence of the undead themselves, should hold a mirror up to our society.  A previous exception would be World War Z.

Day by Day Armageddon does a decent job of hitting my high points and it’s an enjoyable and fairly quick read.  Bourne’s protagonist is likable and I found him taking actions that I approved of, rather than the horror norm of hear-a-noise-in-dark-basement-go-investigate-in-swimsuit.  This guy’s a survivor, who makes smart choices when he can.  We meet a few other survivors as well, some we cheer for and some form antagonists to both the narrator and the undead.

The author draws from the ‘traditional’ modern zombie lore.  Slow moving undead with little intelligence bent only on finding and devouring living folk like you and me.  Bourne does throw in a few twists when it comes to the undead but you won’t find it a huge departure from the shambling horde.

There are a few sticking points – mainly the images included in the book and the large number of typos encountered by the reader.  The images are grainy at best and in my opinion serve to detract focus from the story.  I’d find myself constantly glancing at them when they appeared, to my annoyance.  They typos were another niggling annoyance.  There are quite a lot of them which would jump off the page just when things were heating up.  These are however just annoyances and really didn’t detract too much from my overall experience of the book.  The story is tight and fast paced.  I found myself staying up a bit later than I normally would to finish the book, which took me perhaps four hours to read.

The ending isn’t really an ending, as this is supposed to be the first of several books.  You are left hanging.  I do hope that another novel is forthcoming as I’d be glad to find out what happens to our Navy man and his small band of survivors though I understand that Bourne is currently on active duty in the real world military so we may have to wait a bit for this to happen.

If you’re a fan of horror fiction, particularly that features zombies, the folks who fight to keep their lives and a good bit of detail about how they do this, then you’ll enjoy Day by Day Armageddon.  At $15 I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read.

Technorati Tags: zombies, armageddon, braaaaaains, books, self published, reviews

Here is a concise, step by step guide to creating virtual honeypots. Honeypots are sweetened servers or services made available to the public where those seeking to compromise systems (either bots, malware or actual human beings taking a gander) can find vulnerabilities and then exploit them. Honeypots serve to either track and collect information about such attacks or serve as literal traps, netting the bad guys and tracing back to their origins.

Topics in the book range from full fledged virtual OS instances to attract malware and wrongdoers, creating low interaction honeypots to simulate single instances of vulnerabilities (rather than an entire system to compromise) to using various pre-packed tools to attract and trap malware, bots and hackers.

Virtual Honeypots is divided into 12 chapters, and includes a bibliography and index.

Chapter 1 is an introduction to networking concepts and honeypot concepts. Chapter 2 focuses on high-interaction honeypots – traps that appear like entire open systems just begging to be messed with. Chapter 3 deals with low-interaction honeypots, which are designed to mirror services such as apache or samba which are available over the net. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on honeyd, a prepackaged honeypot service. Chapter 6 deals with collecting malware with honeypots. Chapter 7 looks into hybrid systems such as Collapsar, Potemkin and RolePlayer. Chapter 8 looks at client honeypots. Chapter 9 shows you how to detect other honeypots. Chapters 10 through 12 cover some real life case studies, tracking botnets and analyzing malware you may collect.

Virtual Honeypots opens in the preface with a quick time line of an actual attack on a honeypot, in which a remote user breaks into a virtual machine, downloads several scanning and password guessing tools and then begins to scan other networks, also downloading a movie in the process.

From there the book is full of step by step, practical information for setting up just about any type of honeypot or honeynet (a network of, in this case, virtual honeypots emulating different server or client installs). Further, it can be used as a practical field guide for analyzing the data collected through the use of honeypots. Not only will this book guide you in setting up traps and analysis about the bad guy’s behavior, but it will teach you how to follow their tracks on your systems and take steps to prevent further intrusions on production computers.

Another extremely useful area covered in this book is the ability to actively seek out sites which will cause harm. Using client honeypots you can set virtual client installs to probing the web for sites which contain malware and other bad things and then note them, allowing you to take appropriate action.

Virtual Honeypots is an authoritative guide to intelligence gathering, analyzing and deterring many different kinds of online threats, from simple malware outbreaks to determined and skilled hackers this book can guide you through watching, catching and stopping them all.

Technorati Tags: review, book, honeypot, virtual, honeynet

Once again I am impressed with a No Starch Press book. Practical Packet Analysis is a wonderful, simple to use and well laid out guide to getting useful information out of captured packets. Wireshark is the tool used to capture and analyze the data. What this book does is open up the world of the packet, showing what information can be gleaned from them and how to apply this to solve problems you’ll encounter in the real world. This is a great book for someone just diving into network administration or someone who’s going to be responsible for basic network troubleshooting.

While not a huge book, PPA covers a lot of information. It is composed of 11 chapters, an index, a forward and afterward.

Chapter 1, Packet Analysis and Network Basics is just that – an introduction to the basics (including the dreaded 7 layer OSI cake).

Chapter 2 – Tapping into the Wire discusses where a packet capture program or device should sit to maximize benefits.

Chapter 3 – Introducing Wireshark and Chapter 4 – Working with Captured Packets covers the basics of Wireshark, a packet capture and analysis suite which is free to download and use.

Chapter 5 – Advanced Wireshark Features covers just that – from diving into network protocols to input/output graphing.

Chapter 6 – Common Protocols is an introduction to such things as ARP, DHCP, TCP/IP, and the various ways they talk to network nodes.

Chapter 7 through 10 cover basic packet analysis as used to troubleshoot common problems. From dropped connections, slow networks, hijacked browsers, unreachable ports, determining when the issues actually isn’t a network issue (and may in fact occur somewhere between the chair and the keyboard) and plenty of other scenarios.

Chapter 11 – Further Reading is the shortest chapter in the book, just a few pages long, but has a ton of interesting links that can further understanding of networks, packet analysis and diagnosing problems.

Along with the book itself, No Starch has resources available online (which are detailed in the book as well) at http://www.nostarch.com/packet.htm in the form of captured packets. These packets form the examples in the book and it’s helpful to be able to download and view them as you’re learning to work with them.

As an open source enthusiast who’s used Wireshark before, I’m glad that Sanders has chosen it as his tool. It’s quite robust, relatively easy to use and best of all it’s free. With this book and Wireshark you’re well on your way to troubleshooting networking problems as a hobby or professionally.
Sanders writes with a clear, laid-back style that’s easy to follow. The book is designed to introduce networking concepts to the reader first using diagrams and pictures where possible and then move seamlessly into capturing, viewing and analyzing real network traffic. It’s not a hard read (I finished it in one night) and read once allows for easy access to network analysis. Sitting down with PPA for an hour on my home network allowed me to find all sorts of interesting bits of information simply by following the examples. After investing about 4 hours total using examples and techniques in PPA I was able to diagnose an existing malware infection on my XP machine and watch the effects of turning on and off ports via my firewall.

Don’t mistake PPA as a be all, end all guide to monitoring your networks and solving every problem down the line. Do know that it’s a great introduction to the world of networks, protocols and the individual packets that make up all of the network traffic we come across. If you’re interesting in dipping your toes into packet analysis and putting yourself in a position where you can learn a bunch and keep on learning on your own once you’ve built up your foundation, then this is a great book for you.

Technorati Tags: ppa, practical packet analysis, no starch press, packets, network troubleshooting, wireshark

Ubuntu for Non-Geeks is a pain-free, project-based, get-things-done guidebook. It even says so right on the cover. As with all of the No Starch Press books I’ve encountered before, Ubuntu for Non-Geeks is a clearly written and easily read book, packed with lots of information for the first time or novice Ubuntu user. It’s timely, covering Ubuntu 7.04 and has plenty of information to get the new Ubuntu initiate up and running without drowning them in Linux trivia.

The book consists of 18 chapters, The first three chapters introduce the reader to some basic Linux concepts and walk them through installing and first starting up Ubuntu, including a look at the live CD and a desktop walk through.

Chapters four through seven cover getting connected, downloading and installing new programs, files and disks and your system’s look and feel.

In chapter 8 we dip briefly into the command line, followed up by four more chapters concerned with customization and peripheral installs, including printers and customizing fonts and a discussion of Automatix and Wine for Windows emulation.

Chapters thirteen through seventeen are concerned with the most used and more productive aspects of Ubuntu, including the office suite, Gimp, using multimedia and transferring it to your iPod, Picasa and other tools.

Chapter eighteen, the final chapter in the book is concerned with security, including firewalls and anti-virus for Linux.

Author Grant has a great, friendly style of writing which clearly shows his enjoyment both in the subjects of Ubuntu and computers and in teaching those subjects to others. You can pick up this book at any point and dive right in without feeling like you have to back track to cover previous topics without which you’d be lost. Equally good is the ability to pick up this book and be engaged from the introduction, no mean feat when writing a technical book.

Grant’s book sports plenty of step by step examples of how to get things done, which is essential in keeping a new Ubuntu user happy with their system. To be able to pick up a book, spend a few minutes with your machine and be able to accomplish a task that was previously a mystery, utterly frustrating or often times both is a godsend to the user.

If you’re new to the world of Ubuntu and are thinking of taking the plunge, or if you’re a seasoned Linux user who’s looking for just the right book to encourage your friends and family to give it a try you would do very well in getting a copy of Ubuntu for Non-Geeks. It has everything you’ll need from the CD on up. The book is highly accessible and will do a lot to dispel the new user’s fear of the unknown and reduce frustration levels when trying to accomplish a once familiar task in a very new environment.

Technorati Tags: ubuntu, non-geek, no starch press, linux, book review

ASP.net AJAX in Action contains just about anything and everything you’d ever want to know about developing AJAX enabled web services. Despite the title sounding a bit complex, the book itself is accessible and easy to read.

The book is divided into four parts consisting of 13 chapters which bring the reader through the first steps of developing with ASP.net through mastering AJAX techniques.

Part 1, ASP.NET AJAX Basics introduces the concept of AJAX (Asychronous JavaScript and XML), walks through Microsoft’s Ajax library, touches on JavaScript as used by AJAX developers, and introduces the beginnings of making dynamically changing web pages.

Part 2, Advanced Techniques, delves further into developing dynamic pages with Microsoft Ajax components, controls and using the control toolkit.

Part 3, ASP.NET AJAX Futures looks specifically at XML-script and Drag and Drop techniques.

Part 4, Mastering ASP.NET AJAX takes a look at extending the Microsoft Ajax library.

ASP.NET AJAX in Action dives right into the procedures and code that allow developers to leverage AJAX for dynamic web content. The authors have a straight forward approach to developing skills by learning and using them. In the first few chapters the reader will find themselves working with AJAX and understanding the development of dynamic content.

There are plenty of examples throughout the book which will guide the reader from simple development through much more complicated tasks. I’ve always been a fan of learning by doing and this book certainly doesn’t shirk from putting code into the readers hands to work with. There are plenty of examples which will help an AJAX and ASP.NET developer work through common problems.

This book is best suited for someone with at least moderate programming ability. It’s not designed to teach JavaScript or XML formats but it is designed to teach someone with some knowledge of the former how to leverage ASP.NET to create effective, cutting edge AJAX powered content.

Alter Ego is a book I was genuinely excited to read. It’s about about Avatars – our extensions into the virtual worlds that act as ambassadors, representations and alter egos for our selves. I’ve been interested in the concept of the avatar and in virtual worlds since as long as I’ve been using computers. Unfortunately I’ve just reached 25years of consistent computer use. Since that time I’ve had many avatars, ranging from text based MUD presences through halfings and high elves in Everquest.

This book is an interesting survey of avatars and their creators, placing them side by side for our viewing pleasure. When I first cracked the cover I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect and I was gratified to see it wasn’t simply an online game love fest. In this book you’ll meet the originator of the MUD, people who work in gold farms in Asia, gamers who devote between 10 to 40 hours a week with their love and happily married couples who game together.

While I found the whole book incredibly interesting I was particularly keen on reading about gold farmers and the like. Here we have people who are being at the least worked hard and at the worst exploited for a virtual commodity. I think this makes irrelevant the arguments that virtual property is not real – the surest measure of the reality of a commodity is when it is measured by those exploited in the name of that commodity.

One account from a power leveler (someone who levels up other’s characters) based in China, who works 12 hour shifts was particularly poignant: After work I go to the internet cafe to play my character. He is a level-60 night elf hunter. I don’t do anything else – I don’t really have any other hobbies or anything. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in a few years. I don’t really care. I don’t think about the future and it doesn’t bother me. It doesn’t matter. The way I see it, you have to keep going and not think too much.

Another side of the coin is the casual gamer and those who enjoy their hobbies without going overboard. For some gaming and the creation of an alter ego is a freeing experience allowing them a creative outlet in which they can have fun, be themselves (or perhaps their self that they’re not allowed to express in the real world) and generally have a good time.

Alter Ego is a great overview of the world wide gaming community, from the casual player to those who seem to dedicated their entire existence to a virtual world. It’s at times fun, at times sad and always informative. That’s a lot to say about a book I first thought would be a table top exposition of computer graphics. While it may not have the broadest appeal, anyone interested in the culture of online communities – the good and the bad; would do well to read this book.

Technorati Tags: alter ego, avatar, book review, mmorpg, virtual worlds

Thomas should have called this book Everything You’ll Ever Want To Know About Using Ubuntu. Not only is this a great guide to getting started with Ubuntu specifically and Linux in general but it contains just about anything anyone would ever need to become completely functional and productive with their new OS.

The book is comprised of 8 parts, 33 chapters and four appendixes. The divisions are well thought out and guide the reader from the concept of Linux as an OS and as a philosophy to the appendices with information about BASH, a Linux glossary and more.

Part 1, Introducing the World of Linux gives a brief history of Linux along with a realistic look at what it’s like to run Linux every day, with the obligatory quote of Linus’ Usenet post.

Part 2, Installing Ubuntu covers the whole gamut of installs; from the pre-install checklist through the various ways to use Ubuntu (liveCD, dual boot, single boot, virtualization) to troubleshooting post install issues.

Part 3, The No-Nonsense Getting Started Guide is one of two areas where this book truly shines. Starting with your first boot into Ubuntu, getting all of your necessary programs up and running, securing your computer, getting everything personalized to your specifications, a comparison of preloaded OSS software versus Windows software and the basics of file management via nautilus. Phew! That’s a whole bunch of stuff to cover but Thomas does so elegantly and in a way that will make sense to a new Ubuntu initiate.

Part 4, The Shell and Beyond introduces the BASH shell and takes a closer look at files and users. Working with text files, controlling the system through watching and killing processes and lastly, “Cool Shell Tricks” like autocomplete and others.

Part 5, Multimedia is a guide to digital audio, video and images. This includes installing 3rd party codecs to watch or listen to what you’d like too.

Part 6, Office Tasks is the second shining section of this book. Here you will find an introduction to OpenOffice.org followed by in depth looks at Writer, Calc, Impress, Base and Evolution. I know many an Ubuntu convert (or other flavors of Linux for that matter) who would benefit greatly from this chapter.

Part 7, Keeping Your System Running includes guides to installing and removing software, managing users, system optimization (with some useful tips), backing up your data, scheduling tasks and remote access.

Part 8, Appendixes contains a glossary, BASH reference, additional sites and resources for more Ubuntu information and an overview of what’s on the DVD (Ubuntu 6.06.1 LTS and 6.10).

Beginning Ubuntu Linux is one of those technical books that manages to tackle a broad range of subjects – everything you’ll need to work and play in Ubuntu; and still remain readable. New Linux and Ubuntu users will find this book accessible and often referenced. Readers can choose to sit down and read through it or return to certain chapters or sections as needed. Thomas manages to do all of this without being long-winded or overly technical, great pluses for any author wishing to reach an audience who may not have ever read a technical guide before.

I’m impressed that there’s everything from a close look at OpenOffice.org through BASH shell usage, installation, troubleshooting, software installation and removal, watching DVDs and listening to music and basic system administration in this book. It may be a bit longer than others but the compartmentalization of topics and easy language make it a breeze to read in its entirety or simply reference what you’ll need at any specific time.

Frankly, it’s about time an author found a way to cram this much useful information into the pages of one book without being overbearing or preachy. I’ve read lots of good books about Ubuntu and Linux in the past few months. This is the first great book I’ve read on those subjects. Anyone wishing to try out Ubuntu, enhance their knowledge of the operating system and all that it comes with or switch completely to an open source solution should buy an dread this book before getting any others.

Technorati Tags: ubuntu, linux, book review, beginning ubuntu, keir thomas, apress

Windows PowerShell in Action is an encyclopedic tome of PowerShell scripting bringing the reader through the basics with simple shell scripts through powerful and flexible scripts any Windows systems administrator will find immediately useful.

The book is divided into 13 chapters and three appendices with an index. Payette sorts these chapters into two parts, Learning PowerShell and Using PowerShell. The first focuses on syntax, language and objects and operators, the second focuses on manipulating files and data.

Part 1, Learning PowerShell consists of chapters one through nine and includes an introduction to PowerShell, the basic structure of the language, types, operators and expressions, flow control, functions objects and debugging.

Part 2, Using PowerShell brings the reader through such practical uses such as processing text files, XML, .NET tie-ins, Windows objects (COM and WMI) and creating secure scripts.

Every book has areas where they shine and the appendices of Windows PowerShell in Action is what shines for this book. Appendix A compares PowerShell to other languages, a useful read for those already familiar with programming.

Appendix B, “Admin Examples” is in my opinion the most immediately useful section of the book. It contains a number of PowerShell scripts that will be instantly beneficial to any Windows Sysadmin – not only because these scripts are sure to be immediately useful but because they illustrate how to do immediately useful things. With the knowledge gained from reading this book these scripts serve as a wonderful basis for further understanding just how powerful and useful PowerShell can be.

Appendix C is a grammar reference for PowerShell containing notes and references to just how PowerShell statements are constructed. A handy reference for quick answers on how to write portions of a script.

Windows PowerShell in Action is a straight forward programming book which wastes no time in getting into the nitty gritty of writing PowerShell scripts. Within the first chapter the reader will find themselves immersed in the language and creating scripts on their own. Payette has a straight forward approach to learning and a good sense of humor which helps to keep the reader going.

The book is full of useful examples in the form of code snippets and full blown scripts which guide the reader through the concepts of PowerShell by example. To me this is one of the more useful ways to learn a language particularly if you’re not overly familiar with programming when you pick up this book. The appendices and more advanced examples are well suited for veteran code writers.

This book is well suited for both the novice and experienced programmer looking to learn PowerShell. It will also serve as a great reference for the Admins who will occasionally dip into shell scripting while maintaining their Windows servers and domains.

Technorati Tags: powershell, windows, review, book review, scripting

Webbots, Spiders, and Screen Scrapers contains everything you would need to start writing your own internet agents to perform a variety of tasks. Data aggregation, image capture, link verification and a number of other applications. Very helpful sample code from which a reader could build off of is provided along with some real world experience and advice.

The book is divided into four parts comprised of 28 chapters, three appendices and an index.

The first part, Fundamental Concepts and Techniques is a guide to just what, exactly these scripts are set to accomplish and the basics behind making successful scripts. A rational for creating them and techniques for handling such things as authentication and management of large amounts of data that can be aggregated by them.

Part two, Projects, covers a number of interesting real world projects from basic concepts through code snippets which when put together can create a usable webbot. Some projects include price monitoring scripts, link-verification, search ranking and email reading bots.

Part three, Advanced Technical Considerations brings us into the world of spiders as well as the handling of such things as procurement and sniper bots, handling authentication, cookie management and scheduling your bots and spiders to run optimally (that is to mimic a human browser as closely as possible).

Part Four, Larger Considerations addresses some of the issues that surround writing and using these various bots, spiders and scrapers. Stealth, fault tolerance, the creation of websites that are friendly to webbots, killing spiders (yours or others) and keeping yourself and your creations out of trouble.

There’s a lot of practical knowledge included in this book by way of experience, example and actual code. Knowing the basics, at least of PHP and CURL will allow you to get the most out of it. There’s another practical reason for reading this book which has not as much to do with creating these tools and that’s giving you an understanding of how they work and what they’re actually doing. As a webmaster who’s site is constantly being crawled, spidered and aggregated by various bots this book was fascinating.

It’s important to note that a portion of this book is given over to the discussion of usability and legality. Not everything you could do with this knowledge is legally acceptable or morally right. Of course, the same holds true for any book that imparts knowledge about writing code that can manipulate other people’s data – the onus is on the individual to do the right thing. Schrenk provides a number of real life examples about why this is important including one embarrassing incident involving being banned from sites by the government for overzealous use of a bot. While the story is amusing (and told well) it also serves as a warning to always consider what you’re doing with your creations and how they are affecting other people.

There’s lots of practical code to be found here which is worth it to anyone wanting to learn more about how to construct these scripts. Even if you’re familiar with PHP but haven’t developed many webbots or spiders, a reading of the code will give you some new insight and certainly provide some new and useful techniques.

It’s clear that many useful things can come out of developing your own bots. Even if you or your employer haven’t seriously considered these as useful tools in the past it’s time to take a look at them now. They’re relatively lightweight yet can be very powerful tools for monitoring the web and gathering data which would otherwise take hundreds or thousands of man hours – or may not have even been available to you prior to using them.

Webbots, Spiders and Screen Scrapers will give you a different view of the Internet, and we all know that looking at a tried and true technology in a new light often leads to incredibly useful innovations. This book is a great tool to get your mind wrapped around the sheer amount of data that exists out there and how to best aggregate, manipulate and parse that data for your needs. Sound interesting? Then what are you waiting for?

Technorati Tags: webbot, web bots, bot, spider, spiders, screen scrapers, no starch press, linux, php, curl

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration, part of SAMS Unleashed series is a comprehensive overview of installing, configuring, maintaining and securing RHEL5 servers. This book covers everything from the various install methods in the first chapters through the appendix on virtualization using Xen.

The book is divided into six parts consisting of 25 chapters followed by four appendices and an index.

Part 1, Installation and configuration covers installation and updating, through various install methods to using YUM and other tools to keep your install up to date.

Part 2, Operating System Core Concepts details how Linux works as a kernel, fundemental structure, RPMs, analyzing hardware, storage and using 64-bit, multi-core and HT processors.

Part 3, System Administration is a guide to users, groups, backups and recovery and basic shell scripting with a touch on other scripting methods as well.

Part 4, Network Services covers a wide range of topics from the host ID of the server through common network services. These include NFS, DHCP, Apache’s HTTP server, BIND, Sendmail and remote access.

Part 5, Monitoring and Tuning walk the administrator through tweaking kernels, gathering and parsing logs and auditing processes.

Part 6, Security focuses on SELinux with touches on other firewall utilities and a more in depth look at system auditing.

The appendices feature management of proprietary kernel modules, virtual machines, ExecShield and it’s roll in preventing automated attacks and basic troubleshooting of your RHEL5 system.

Many budding System Administrators or seasoned pros switching operating systems are looking for that one book that will rest not on their bookshelf but on the shelf in the server room or open on their desk. If you’re using Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 this book may well be it.

Using this book a person with passing Linux knowledge would find the means to install multiple RHEL5 servers and clients, configure them, keep them updated, enable network services, ensure basic security and frant access to their users of the resources they would need.

Fox opts for the straight forward method of teaching and the result is a tight, concise text that seldom strays from the subject at hand. This book is for the working IT person who wishes to have the most information at their fingertips. If unsure how to accomplish one of the many tasks put before a Linux SysAdmin, this book through it’s index is a valuable guide. If unsure how to install and maintain a single instance of RHEL5 or a network of machines this guide will walk you through the process.

There are three areas where this book shines. The first is in the coverage of SELinux. There’s enough information here not just to get started but to really understand what Security Enhanced Linux is and how it is vital to any enterprise installation of Linux.

The second is the section concerning monitoring and tweaking your Kernel and other system processes. This is a great resource for any SysAdmin looking to track down a particularly meddlesome problem and also vital to securing your install.

The last (and my personal favorite) is the appendix concerning virtualization at the Kernel level using Xen. Here you’ll find a very complete guide to getting multiple virtual instances of RHEL5 up and running on the same hardware with multiple processors or cores.

If your enterprise is using or will use Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 you’ll want to have this book as a resource. If you’re serious about honing your Linux skills and have chosen this OS to work with you’ll find this book a great start.

Here’s a book that I’ve been waiting to review for some time now. The folks at No Starch Press were kind enough to offer me an advanced copy and I eagerly dug into it.

This is not your typical Lego book, as if there were anything as a typical Lego book. Here’s a well illustrated and funny guide to building five projects that actively break a number of Lego rules (such as involving parts that aren’t manufactured by Lego, launching projectiles and modifying Lego bricks by cutting or gluing).

Not only do the authors go far beyond the design scopes of your typical Lego project but they are themselves former Lego designers and builders who worked at the sacred facility in Denmark. Pilegaard and Dooley have a unique and fascinating insight when it comes to designing Lego projects and they’ve brought this to us in the form of this book.

The book contains an Introduction where we meet the authors and learn a bit about them and their Lego experiences. Next comes How to Build Great Things, a chapter devoted to describing the process of designing a project at Lego from start to finish. I found this chapter fascinating as I’d not had a ton of exposure to just how Lego engineers create their version of the Millennium Falcon or a new Technics set. Fans of Lego in general will enjoy this chapter for it’s descriptions of the build process and the tantalizing tidbits given about the Lego facilities themselves.

Following the Introduction and How to Build Great Things we get into the meat of the book. Five forbidden Lego projects. Each project is laid out in an easy to understand manner with an introduction to what it is that’s about to be built and a short history on how the idea came about. When we reach the instructions for building the project the authors have given us a gorgeous full color image of the finished project along with schematics showing how the contraption itself works. Following this is a well organized full color list of all the parts, Lego and otherwise that will need to be obtained to build the project.

Next come the instructions for building. They’re very well laid out, easy to follow and look much like a standard instruction booklet that comes with any new Lego set purchased, with the obvious exception of showing where the occasional part needs to be glued or modified.

The Paper Plane Launcher (PPL) is the first project in the book. Here is an amazing contraption used for launching paper airplanes at great speed which is sure to impress your friends and overawe any children you may have. Elegant in appearance and not terribly hard to construct, the PPL can be made in 47 steps with no modifications to any parts and no parts foreign to Lego (with the exception of the paper airplane). Plus you’ve got a gun-like contraption that can send your paper creations soaring into the sky. How cool is that?

Next we have the Candy Coated Catapult. A unique piece of artillery designed to launch edible bliss into your lap from a good distance that would be sure to make any good Roman cry with delight. With the inception of a plastic spoon (or in a pinch a spork) and a piece of cardboard as the non Lego parts in this build, the CCC resembles nothing so much as a geometrical tank from Battlezone stripped of it’s locomotion. Perhaps a touch more complex than the PPL and driven by a 9v battery powered engine, the CCC can be build in 65 steps. Alternately for those of us concerned more with the environment and less with hurling candy via batteries, there’s an alternate hand crank design provided by the authors.

The Ping Pong Canon looks to break just as many Lego rules and is also something that I would classify under “intensely cool”. Ping pong balls are the only non Lego part used in this project, which ends up looking like some sort of mildly intimidating home defense system. The firing system is quite ingenious and will have 5 ping pong balls bouncing around the place in no time. This is a 70 step project.

Project #4 is the All Terrain Lego. A chassis system that will require you to modify some of the Lego parts and also get more power out of your dual 9v engines by ramping them up to 18v each. Here you’ll find a chassis that can handle your shag carpet with ease, and plow through a Lego wall like an angry Hulk. It will take you 56 steps to complete this build.

The last project is undoubtedly my favorite (although the PPL comes in a close second). Meet the High Velocity Automatic Lego Plate Dispenser or HVALPD! Looking like a cross between a high tech pistol and a very fancy water faucet the HVALPD can dispense 14 Lego roof plates in 8 seconds. Using two motors and taking some 93 steps to complete this is certainly the most advanced project in the book and also certainly the most likely to be built. Who wouldn’t want a fully automatic Lego gun?

Of course, no book about making projectile shooters out of Lego would be complete without a warning. While the authors bring up the point that probably the most harmful thing you could do with this book is throw it at someone, caution should be used whenever you’re making a project that involves projectiles. Don’t shoot them at yourself, your friends, your pets, the authors, this reviewer or anyone else.

This book will not go on my bookshelf. No, this book will go on a specially constructed (out of Lego, of course) pedestal at the center of my living room. I love the design, I love the subject matter and I know that my friends and family will pick it up and thumb through it before even saying hello. It’s that much fun. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself and be sure to have a bunch of Lego bricks hanging around because you’ll want to dive right in.

Technorati Tags: Lego, forbidden Lego, projectile, shooter, book review

Linux Appliance Design may be the only book around right now that deals exclusively with building a true Linux appliance – that is an embedded computer running Linux and built to perform a specific primary purpose. We’ve all seen Linux appliances in the forms of TiVo, Linux powered phones and such. This is the guidebook that will assist people familiar with Linux and programming in building their own Linux Appliances. As a guide, the authors have created an event triggered alarm system called Laddie which they use as an example in how to build Linux appliances.

Linux Appliance Design is divided into an introduction, 15 chapters, 5 appendices and an index.

The first four chapters are dedicated to a high level overview of Linux appliances, from basic architecture through daemons that control the system, run time access and actually constructing secure daemons.

Chapters 5 through 15 use Laddie as an example to walk the reader through the actual building of a Linux based alarm system. With an introduction to Laddie, through event handling, designing various User Interfaces (UI) including web based, CLI, front panel (LCD) and frame buffer (think tiny screen) UI. The use of infrared remote controls, and SNMP to poll and control your appliance are also covered.

The five appendices include a real time access reference guide, a review of SNMP, guides to installing a frame buffer device, a DBI-to-file utility and a guide to the CD. The CD itself is a bootable instance of Linux which contains everything about Laddie, including the source code and a compiled version of the appliance’s software.

While certainly not for everyone, if you’ve ever had the desire to construct a Linux appliance of your own, whether it’s for your own personal use to as a device you’re going to market, this book is a must have.

You’ll need to have a solid understanding of Linux and coding (C, PHP, HTML) and at least a basic understanding of MySQL before you get very far but if you’ve got the knowledge and the desire this book is a great high level overview of appliance design along with a hands on tutorial which will bring you through the process from start to finish.

The authors have access to a great amount of experience, including successes and mistakes from which they offer the reader a comprehensive overview along with insight as to why they’ve opted to design Laddie (or other appliances) as they’ve done. They’ve covered everything from planning the architecture of a Linux appliance through coordinating the daemons used to run, control and log and the various choices of UI available.

Scattered throughout the book are other useful tips as well. For instance, did you know that an Infrared remote, if tested in front of most camera phones will display (on the camera phone’s screen) a visible beam of light? This can be incredibly helpful in troubleshooting IR issues. It’s also lots of fun to show people.

The code examples that are provided along with the basic electronic schema and the hands on guides to the physical construction of Laddie will certainly prove invaluable to anyone who’s not yet constructed their own appliance. This is learning through doing at it’s best. The authors guide the readers through the process which will result not just in a functioning device but also in the reader gaining both broad and practical understanding of Linux powered devices. There’s a lot of time spent on the process of interacting with daemons through various UI for very good reason as this is where the authors have made many of their previous mistakes and have learned from them. They’re attempting to spare the reader this pain and the knowledge gained here can be applied to any project featuring multiple means of users control with ease.

If you’re truly curious about what’s under the hood of your TiVo or have been engaged in the process of building embedded computers or other Linux devices this book will be a great resource for you. If you’re moderately curious you’ll pick up both a high level and a low level understanding of what goes into designing and building an appliance.

Technorati Tags: linux, linux appliance, no starch press, book review

This is the second such news of WotC not renewing licenses - you may remember the earlier story of Dungeon and Dragon magazines not having their licenses renewed with Piazo Publishing.

I wonder what is going on at WotC?

If you are new to Ubuntu Linux and are thinking about installing it on your computer this book will make the process easy and relatively painless for you. It covers all of the basics, from loading the bootable DVD through installing to your hard drive and accessing everything you’ll need to make your computing experience complete.

With 21 chapters, the GNU General Public License and an Index, Moving to Ubuntu Linux covers a wide range of topics and software. Introducing Ubuntu covers some basics about the Linux concept, history and the birth and development of Ubuntu Linux.

Running and Installing the Ubuntu Live DVD walks users through booting onto the DVD and then installing Ubuntu on a hard drive.

Getting your Hands Dirty (Desktop Overview) walks users through everything they’ll first find on the Ubuntu desktop after a new install. Also included in this chapter is an introduction to the command line.

The next several chapters, Navigating Nautilus and Customizing your Desktop introduce users to the default file manger and also to changing such things as wallpapers, resolution, adding and removing shortcuts and folders and other desktop tasks.

Printers and Other Hardware covers adding new printers, configuring modems (even Winmodems).

Connecting to the Internet, Instant Messaging, IRC, Too!, Surfing the Net with Firefox, Evolution: Email and More! and Evolution: Keeping organized walk users through everything they’d ever need to know to get around on both the web and in email.

It’s nice to see that Gagne has four chapters concerned with OpenOffice.org. He deals with the basics for Writer, Calc, Impress and Base offering an overview of each and several examples showing how to get things done.

There’s Digital Art with the GIMP which gives a short but concise tutorial of the GIMP and some basic photo retouching and digital art tips.

If Music Be the Food of Love walks users through the basics of playing, ripping and burning their favorite music in several different applications.

Would You Like to Play a Game walks through all of the prepackaged Gnome games as well as introducing several games users would be interested in downloading, such as Frozen Bubble and PlanetPenguin Racer.

Turning Ubuntu into Kubuntu introduces KDE and guides users through installing to work alongside Gnome.
Taking Command of Ubuntu Linux is a brief but good introduction to some basic command line functionality, including the text editors VI and Gedit, basic permissions of files, manipulating files and aliases.

Marcel Gagne put a lot of thought into Moving to Ubuntu Linux. He’s careful to look at the move from the perspective of someone completely new to Ubuntu and in the process was able to illustrate in concise and friendly language exactly what to expect. He anticipates a new users needs very well (as I can attest to, working with new users on a regular basis) and will have someone new to Ubuntu up and running with all of the functionality they’ll need in a short time.

Gagne achieves a great balance between knowledge and humor, successfully walking the line between too much information and a too casual tone to deliver a book that’s easy and fun to read and is packed full of useful information.

Ubuntu is at the point where just about anyone working with computers has heard about it and typical at home Windows users are beginning to take notice as well. Moving to Ubuntu Linux will be a valuable resource to anyone looking to experiment with Ubuntu Linux or switch to a free operating system entirely. I would have no problem recommending this book to anyone looking to learn more – in fact, I’ve already done so with several users looking to make the switch. Gagne is careful to include a number of very useful links to sites with information outside the scope of this book, which the new user will also find very helpful.

Moving to Ubuntu Linux comes with an Ubuntu 6.06 DVD containing the basic operating system and a number of additional programs covered in the book. 6.06 is the obvious choice to package with the book, however I wish there was a bit of coverage over upgrading from 6.06 to newer versions of Ubuntu. One of the many draws currently bringing old-hat Windows users to Linux are the built in graphics and virtualization capabilities found in Feisty Fawn (Ubuntu 7.04). A chapter on moving to newer versions of Ubuntu would have been nice.

Overall, Moving to Ubuntu Linux is certainly worth the price for anyone who’s not familiar with Ubuntu or Linux and is looking to see what all the fuss is about. After finishing the book you should have a customized Ubuntu install which will allow you to do just about anything you’d need to do to fulfill your computing needs.

Technorati Tags: ubuntu, moving to ubuntu, book review, arsgeek, marcel gagne

Lego. It’s something of a universal toy. How many of us grew up (or continue as adults) playing with these wonderful building blocks that we can turn into anything?

The Unofficial Lego Builder’s Guide is a resource that any Lego fan would enjoy in their library. From a catalog of the most used and useful bricks (some 300) to guides on not only how to make certain objects but how to design any object. This book ranks very high on my list of cools books. That might be saying something about me but I don’t care any more. My inner child is currently swimming in a giant tub of Legos.

The book is divided into 13 chapters with two appendixes. The chapters bring us through a reintroduction of the Lego world, scaling for Lego size, building big with small stuff, designing advanced shapes and patterns, a quick look at Lego Technics, how to put together designs and Legos to come up with a finished project, beyond building to reviewing, sorting, sifting and storing.

The appendixes cover a ‘Brickopia’ and give us some ideas about design grids. The Brickopedia is, quite frankly, the centerpiece of this book for me (even though it’s at the end, allow me my creative license). It was here that I truly reveled in my Lego thrall. Pouring through a brick by brick description of the various types of Legos, from the simple 1×1 to the Pine Tree (Large) this is what kept me up late.

This book also has something of an ‘oh wow!’ factor. I know that if I leave out on my table I can judge who my real (Lego) friends are by how quickly they run for and grab this book. In fact, it’s already on my list to get for several friends who’ll get lots of use out of it.

Bedford’s book is less a how-to guide and more a tribute (bordering perhaps on worship) of the bricks in all of their glory. It’s abundantly clear that the man loves Legos and he shares that love in a way that comes across as a wonderful way to spend time.

This book is really for any level of Lego enthusiast. If you’re only a casual builder you’ll be able to finish some interesting and visually pleasing projects from the book itself. If you’re a hard-core, polish-my-legos type of person then this book will help ou plan for your next exhibit, be it a Lego sphere or a reproduction of Santa Clara as seen from 10,000 feet. You’ll find methods for scaling your projects, tips for sorting your blocks and the most structurally sound ways to connect Legos to make perfect models.

I generally review technical books. Tomes about the latest and greatest operating systems or striped down pocket guides on servers. Books that while they’re good guides on certain subjects, don’t claim to show your around any specific place.

This is why I jumped at the chance to review a guide book. Of course, this is a guide book for people wishing to wander around a virtual haven known as Second Life. It’s a blending of technical and travel, how to and where to. I think it’s the perfect book to slingshot us into reviews of tourist guides and travel books.

The authors, Paul Carr and Graham Pond understand the flexible nature of online worlds and the particularly flexible nature of an online world where all of the content is constructed by the residents! This place – you’ll have to detach yourself from the notion that places only exist where you can walk to them, I am confident that this term will no longer apply only to physical locations; is ever changing and always newly formed in one way or another.

What they’ve given us in this book is a way to go straight through everything you might have heard about Second Life to what it really is. A game? A destination? A lifestyle?

The book is broken out into ten chapters which guide us through the second life experience, from suddenly finding yourself as an avatar in a new world (and the basic designing of that avatar) through the essential sites to see and even a short discussion about the more adult aspects of Second Life and where to purchase genitalia for your avatar.

Right. Now you know you’re in for a slightly different type of travel guide so let’s get too it.

Carr and Pond make it a point to not only highlight where to go and how to get there (walk, fly, teleport, yak, car, parachute and countless other modes of in world transportation) but how many of the sites in Second Life came into existence. This gives them an opening to talk about the history behind the world, as any good guide book should.

It’s interesting to note that this history stretches far into the past, almost five years. In that time there have been revolutions, military actions, protests, capitulations even a virtual tea party to oppose an in world tax system. They briefly touch on all of this and remind me just how much I love human nature and societies, even when these societies exist only on various servers and desktops around the world.

They talk about various wow moments they’ve had, where immersion is achieved and a person is truly experiencing this world through their avatars. Whether its a tour of the planets or a tour of living with schizophrenia, this guide will get you there. It will also allow you to realize that Second Life and other virtual worlds are becoming more than just games, they are becoming in the truest sense of the word destinations. Places where real people spend real money to congregate in.

The Unofficial Tourists’ Guide to Second Life also highlights the economy of Second Life including where to buy neat things and where to learn how to make neat things to sell.

If you’re already a resident in Second Life and have experience in virtual worlds this book won’t be an essential purchase for you but I do recommend you read it. Why? Because it will be available via the Creative Commons license as a free book in world. If you’re already immersed in Second Life then grab yourself a copy!

If you’re interested in finding out what this Second Life thing is all about, visiting and perhaps becoming a resident yourself, conducting research online or (dare I say it?) exploring a corporate presence then you’ll do well to pick this up. It’s a quick, easy and often entertaining read that both treats Second Life and it’s residents with respect and pays homage to the somewhat absurd notion of pretending to be someone pretending to be someone else pretending to do something in a real pretend world.

Technorati Tags: second life, book review, tourist guide

Jon Stokes’ Inside the Machine falls somewhere between Computer Science textbook and Popular Science reading. It’s packed with a lot of information that is very technical, while not quite going to the technical depth of a classroom textbook. It does make heavy use of analogy to render some hard to grasp concepts a bit easier for the non CS major.

Inside the Machine is fairly dense with both content and color. Lots of information is available here with colorful diagrams and illustrations to back it up.  You’ll need a more than basic understanding of computers and at least a bit of programming experience under your belt to get the most out of it. With that, the average computer enthusiast can pick up this book and find themselves in possession of a clear and concise guide to basic processor theory and real processor architecture. if you are interested in how microprocessors really work and why they were developed as they were but not interested in obtaining a CS degree this book is your first, best stop.

The book is divided into 12 chapters, with a bibliography and index following. The first four chapters lead the reader through basic computing concepts, discussing how a program actually executes when it arrives at the processor and brings us through pipelined and superscalar execution, ways to increase speed and throughput of processors.

Once a basic understanding of how the microprocessor works is reached, Stokes then disects a number of popular processors that have existed in the last decade and a half. These chapters cover the Intel’s Pentium and Pentium Pro, the 600. 700 and 7400 Power PC processors, Intel’s P4 vs Motorola’s G4, 64-bit and x86-64 processors, the G5 and IBM’s PowerPC 970 and finally Intel’s Pentium M, Core Duo and Core 2 Duo processors. If you do want to delve deeper into the world of microprocessors the bibliography supplied in the book is a great resource.

If anything in that last paragraph sounded really interesting to you or made you say “Oh I loved that processor!” than this book should go on your to-read list.

I was not a CS major and though I do work in IT I’m not an expert on microprocessor architecture. I knew what I needed to know about the products to do my job. When this book came along it was a real joy for me to read it. I’ve looked at a number of popular text books concerned with microprocessors and while reading this book won’t get you a job with Intel it will certainly be a bit easier to digest and thus offer a lot more to readers like myself.

Don’t expect to breeze through this if you’re going to pick it up though. You should glance through it first if you have a chance. If everything you’re reading in the first four chapters is causing you to say “uh huh” and “oh yeah” then you’re ready for some more advanced material and won’t really need this unless you’re into historical data about microprocessors. If you’re familiar with some of the concepts and would like a solid grounding in current architecture based on understanding popular prior models then this book is certainly for you.

For me a broad understanding of how these things worked and a bit of programming was all I needed to enjoy this book and what it has to offer. While you won’t be up late a few nights glued to the page (well, okay I was up late one night. I was really digging into the differences between the P4 and the G4 and thinking “Finally, that’s what all this meant” when my wife told me in no uncertain terms to shut the light out and go to bed. That’s just me though.) You will find just about every page full of useful theory or practical knowledge that will increase your understanding and prepare you for the next section of the book until you find yourself reading about processors being sold right now.

Technorati Tags: microprocessor, inside the machine, jon stokes, cpu, CS, computer theory

iPod: The Missing Manual covers all the basics of using the various iPod models and the iTunes Music Store, but it might leave advanced users looking for more.

The 11 chapters of this Missing Manual take you from the very basics of what comes in the box with your new iPod to how to put music on your iPod and where to find iPod accessories.

Chapter 1: iPod Basics. What comes in the box with your iPod, using the control buttons on the iPod, getting started with music on your iPod.

Chapter 2: Navigation. Using the controls to get around the different iPod menus, changing settings on your iPod.

Chapter 3: iTunes Basics. Importing music from CDs, navigating your music collection in iTunes, changing information for songs.

Chapter 4: Playlists. Creating playlists, putting playlists on your iPod, burning music CDs.

Chapter 5: The iTunes Music Store. Getting to the store, setting up an account, shopping, authorizing and deauthorizing a computer to play purchased music.

Chapter 6: Videos. Playing videos in iTunes and on your iPod, working with video formats.

Chapter 7: Photos. Transferring photos to your iPod and viewing them.

Chapter 8: Extra Features. Storing addresses, calendars, text files, and other data on your iPod, using your iPod as a stopwatch.

Chapter 9: iPod Accessories. What sort of accessories are available for the iPod and where to buy them.

Chapter 10: Troubleshooting. What to do when your iPod doesn’t work.

Chapter 11: Advanced Tips. More accessories, podcasting, getting the latest iPod news.

iPod: The Missing Manual covers the full-size iPod models (including video iPods), as well as the mini, the nano, and the shuffle. The book is applicable to both Mac OS and Windows users.  iPod owners will learn about the controls on the iPod itself, buying from the iTunes store, putting music, videos, and photos onto the iPod, organizing music collections, and how to troubleshoot common problems.  Chapters 9 and 11 give readers a taste of some of the more advanced things you can do with your iPod such as integrating it with your car audio system and podcasting, but readers who want more detailed instructions for these possibilities will need to look elsewhere.

The overall layout of the book is gorgeous and the generous use of whitespace make the sections easy to read. Screenshots throughout the book clearly illustrate the accompanying text.

This would be a great book to give to a teenager or young adult getting their first iPod since it provides more in-depth information than the documentation that comes in the box with the iPod in a very casual, quick-read style. However, mature readers might find the overly casual writing a bit annoying and even hard to follow at times. Shuffle owners should also probably skip this book — a lot of the book refers to features and options not available on the Shuffle (such as photos and movies) and may leave shuffle owners longing for one of the fuller-featured iPod models.

Pros
- Casual writing, that appeals to the young and hep
- Lots of screenshots
- Covers the essentials of the iPod in detail

Cons
- Casual writing, that gets in the way of the actual info
- Not too many goodies for previous iPod owners or advanced users

Technorati Tags: ipod, book review, missing manual,   music, mp3, yowsa

I’ve walked away from this book with several impressions. The first two that come to mind:

Making things that shoot other things, go bang, produce fire or cause explosions is fun, plain and simple.

William Gurstelle is the guy I want to be around when the world experiences a fiery apocalypse, is overrun by zombie hordes or in any other way causes me to go into super survival mode. With him by my side, I’m confident that my existence in a Mad Maxesque world would be, if not comfortable, at least filled with excitement.

While this book is rife with warnings not to blow yourself up, blow your friends up, shoot them with potatoes or eat dirty marshmallows, it still makes for some exciting projects and a fun read. If I had a garage, I’d be there right now working with PVC tubing. Even though I don’t have a garage, or much of a yard for that matter, there are a few projects here that I’ll be trying.

Usually I look briefly at each chapter in the book I’m reviewing. This time, let’s take a quick look at each project that’s offered. Proceeding the projects themselves are a few chapters on basic safety, the tools required and more safety tips. It should be noted here before we even look at the projects offered that some of these use combustibles, some use air and everything seems to shoot something somewhere. Obviously you’ll want to follow the instructions for manufacture and use some good old common sense.

The first project you will encounter is the Night Lighter 36. This is a potato gun with a serious attitude. It features a high-voltage ignition system courtesy of a stun gun and transparent PVC tubing so you can see your fuel (such as hair spray) ignite in the combustion chamber and propel a hapless potato wedge across a football field.

Next we have the pulse jet in a jar. That’s right, an engine that’s used to propel big heavy things through the air also has a version you can build in a jam jar. It sounds a bit crazy and looks like a whole lot of fun.

The elastic zip cannon is one of the easier featured projects, consisting mostly of some tubing and a balloon. It will allow you to take a normally harmless been and shoot it across a room with decent accuracy.

One of the more oddball projects in this book (and therefore one of the more endearing) is the Mechanical Toe. Think of it as a football punter in miniature done up as PVC tubing and wood.

The Vortex Launcher is a sort of gun that shoots bullets of air. There’s a modification included which can also render these air bullets visible through the use of some smoke or smelly through the use of essential oils.

What do it yourself projectile book would be complete without a Clothespin Snap Shooter? Not this one! This is a quick and easy modification to a couple of clothespins which turns them into a neat way to have some target practice.

A bit more involved is the T-Shirt Cannon. Not a cannon made from T-shirts as I first thought, but a way to launch T-shirts a goodly distance for the purposes of promoting an event. Or simply for the fun of making something as unwieldy as a T-shirt go way, way up in the air. This cannon operates on compressed air.

Not to be outdone by flying T-shirts, there’s the Architronito – a steam cannon first devised by da Vinci himself. This simple cannon fires a stopper through the use of heat and water combining to make. . . steam.

By far my favorite project in the book is the Marshmallow Shooter, a gun that projects mini-marshmallows a goodly distance powered by your breath. Of all the projects in this book, this may be the first I try, as it will be a great hit with my daughter.

The last project in the book is the Yagua Blowgun, a simple projectile shooter also based on your lungs and a projectile. While not terribly fancy, I’ve used blowguns before and can attest to their fun while trying desperately to get some sort of accuracy out of the things.

Projects such as these hold an inherent appeal for me. There’s something very basic about taking an object and pushing it as fast as possible from here to there. Whether it’s a marshmallow, a bullet, a pumpkin or a VW Bug, I enjoy watching them fly and I enjoy watching them hit a target. (Although I have to admit I’m not a big fan of hunting for myself, nor of shooting people with lethal intent. Paintballs however, now that’s fun!)

Each project is highlighted with historical background on the ideas that spawned them and the individuals or societies that came up with the ideas. Some may argue that this background isn’t really necessary but I found it delightful. I’m a sucker for a back story and this book has plenty of them. There’s also some basic physics included, which in my opinion can’t hurt anyone.

In addition to a brief historical outlook, each project is documented from the parts and tools needed right through to the finished project and the operation of your gun, shooter, kicker or air propelling device. What the book lacks however are photos of the completed devices performing.

Pros: If you’re someone who likes to make things that involve the words ‘trajectories’, ‘range’ and ‘cheap stun gun’ then this book definitely belongs on your shelf. Better yet, put it on your workbench held open with some old wrenches. The projects are fun and simple enough that you won’t need an engineering degree to complete them. The tips and historical tidbits are lots of fun and the selection is broad enough to keep you busy for a while.

Cons: I would love to see a few more pictures in this book, especially of the completed projects in action, rather then just the completed projects themselves.

If you enjoy building garage or backyard projects, and enjoy the act of shooting something at something else this book is a definite must have. There are enough projects to keep you busy for a while. I’d recommend this book to any budding engineer, physicist or your average Joe who loves to create.

Technorati Tags: whoosh, boom, splat, projectile shooters, spud gun, book review, pea shooter

When I first opened the package that contained this book, I was absolutely amazed. I knew the book would be fairly big and that it was a hardcover. I knew it was about computers. I didn’t expect it to be so artfully done. The cover is immediately striking and at about 4 lbs., this is a lot of book!

The Computer is an overview of the history of computing, from tabulation sticks which appeared 35,000 years ago straight through to a few years in the future. Mark Frauenfelder has compiled a massive collection of interesting pictures, wonderful historical tidbits and a solid background in what makes computers what they are – from ancient, gear driven devices to the dense microprocessors of today.

The Computer is comprised of a four page introduction and 10 chapters, concluding with an index.

Digital Dawn looks at the rise of computation, from ancient man to the counting machines of the 19th century.

Machines Learn to Remember looks at the genesis of computer memory, from external devices to punch cards.

Sparks of an Idea shows the beginning of vacuum tube technology, IBM and other binary processors.

Computers go to War looks at the Enigma Machine, Turing and others who helped to break codes, guide artillery and eventually track satellites.

Getting Down to Business starts with the invention of the transistor and ends with the first commercial leases of computers to corporations.

Getting Personal, as you might guess, covers the birth of the personal computer. The electronics clubs of the late 60’s and early 70’s give way to Xerox fumbling the ball which Apple and later Microsoft picked up and ran with.

Game On traces the history of computer gaming from the earliest mainframe games to home gaming consoles and persistent, massive multiplayer role playing games.

Jacking In brings us through the birth of the Internet and the World Wide Web with stops for email and cybersex. Also featured are a few other start ups you may have heard about, from Linux to Google.

Let me Entertain You shows us the computer’s effect on the silver screen – for better and for worse, as well as the rise of the digital music player and peer to peer sharing.

The World of Tomorrow looks towards the future, focusing on robotics, personal computing shrinking to wearable levels and of course, nanotech.

This book is the kind of book I love to get my hands on. Give me a good technology book or a good history book and I’m happy. Chock it full of amazing and hard to find pictures, bits of trivia and quotes from the great minds featured in the book and I’m in heaven.

Even though this book is heavy, I took it to bed with me the first night I had gotten it just to finish it. My arms were tired but my mind was happy by the time I finally hit the index, sometime early yesterday morning.

The early mechanical computation devices are fascinating to look at, whether in plans like Davinci’s or constructed like Babbage’s machines, they invoke a sort of post-modern, steam punk feel. Except these were the real deal and not a SciFi author’s fancy. I was fascinated pouring over the pictures and descriptions of differential machines and tabulators.

I really perked up however once the book hit the early 40’s. Seeing over the course of a few hours reading how technology changed so rapidly over such a short amount of time – pretty much from the day my Dad was born until this moment, it’s amazing. In less than one lifetime we’ve gone from clunky, vacuum tube driven behemoths to the razor sharp, tiny computers of today. If you’ve read any of my previous thoughts on where we’re headed, you’ll know I think that this is just the beginning! To see this all in detailed photos and descriptions. To live through the heady days of Apple, Atari, IBM PCs and Microsoft once again is very cool.

It’s easy to tell that Frauenfelder loves this stuff even more than I do. He’s put a lot of time and effort into crafting a book that I’m eagerly putting on my coffee table. I know that my friends and colleagues will head right for it when they come over!

If you’re into big, artsy books about the history of computing, well you won’t find one much better than The Computer. Cover to cover it is a fascinating read full of wonderful pictures. Even if this isn’t your thing, if you know someone who adores the history of computers as much as the computers themselves, this book will be a welcome addition to their collection.

Technorati Tags: book, book review, the computer, computer, history of computers

Title: Windows Vista Pocket Reference
Author(s): Preston Gralla
ISBN10: 0596-52808-6
ISBN13: 978-0-596-52808-9
Publisher: O’Reilly
Cost: $12.99
Format: Paperback, 182 pages
Published: February 2007

Windows Vista Pocket Reference is just that, a small and light book that will easily fit into your pocket or into a laptop bag.

With just five chapters and 182 pages, this is definitely a lightweight guide. It contains a short introduction to Vista, several chapters focusing on the programs that ship with the operating system and the controls for Vista. A short guide to the registry and a listing of all keyboard/mouse shortcuts.

Chapter 1 – A Crash Course in the Basics. A brief introduction to Windows Vista. This covers moving around the operating system, files and disk basics and the hardware requirements.

Chapter 2 – Shortcuts. Here you can find every conceivable combination of keyboard and mouse shortcut. From the Windows key on your keyboard to moving files around with your mouse.

Chapter 3 – Windows Components, Features and Settings. Here’s sixty some odd pages covering many of the programs that ship with Vista, networking, security, user and program management, graphics and multimedia.

Chapter 4 – Registry Tweaks. This is a crash course on the registry and a few useful tweaks.

Chapter 5 – The Command Prompt. Here’s a quick but comprehensive guide to the Windows Vista command prompt.

This guide doesn’t pretend to be a comprehensive look at Windows Vista. It is a great pocket reference. The shortcut guide alone is worth the price of this book.

This book is defiantly going into my laptop bag for the simple reason that it’s much faster too look something up in it than to wander through the OS until I find what I’m looking for.

The crash course in windows is a bit abrupt, it’s good enough if you’re familiar with Windows XP. If you’re new to the game however this short guide will not be enough for you. Better to dig into Vista yourself and skip this chapter.

The guide to components and features is a great reference. Good for looking up quick facts on how to use the various programs and what the various features and wizards are really for.

Pros: Slim, with an great guide to every and any shortcut you could ever want to know. This is a great guide for experienced Windows users.

Cons: While this book is short and to the point, sometimes it’s a bit too short. If you’re a computer beginner or new to Windows, this book is not for you.

Recommend: If you have other, more comprehensive books on Vista then you may not need this guide. If you’re a tech or power user new to Vista, then you’ll find this guide helpful. It doesn’t make for great linear reading but serves as an excellent and small resource for finding quick facts or finding out just what a Vista feature is used for.

Technorati Tags: vista, windows, windows vista, pocket reference, book review

Building the Perfect PC is a great tool for the beginner and intermediate computer enthusiast. This is a hands on guide that covers everything from planning and purchasing through putting the machine together and powering up.

With 8 chapters and six different computer configurations this book covers a range of options which should satisfy just about every user. The authors detail their decisions based on a number of factors, including price, reliability, size, noise level, expandability, processor performance, video performance and disk capacity and performance for each build type. Each factor is assigned between 0 and 5 stars depending on it’s importance to that particular build.

Chapter 1 – Fundamentals. The authors discuss the pros and cons of building your own pc, how they went about determining what should be a priority (in this case reliability is ranked highest for them), what you’ll want to know and what you’ll need before you even start. They also have a brief but well thought out overview of the motherboard and some troubleshooting tips for common problems.

Chapter 2 – Choosing and Buying Components. Here the authors discuss what goes into their decision making process and how best to shop. Basically getting the most bang for your buck. They cover a lot of ground and even as a veteran tech I found this a good read.

Chapter 3 – Building a Mainstream PC. Here they go about detailing their priorities for a mainstream PC. That’s a computer that can serve multiple purposes – workstation, games, storage; all without excelling in any one area.

Chapter 4 – Building a SOHO Server. A Small Office/Home Office server, in case you were wondering what SOHO was. The goal here is storage capacity and reliability.

Chapter 5 – Building a Gaming PC. A great PC that will excel at almost every modern game. SLI capable but not built with SLI for budgeting reasons.

Chapter 6 – Building a Media Center PC. Here the authors examine not only what video cards will work (both HD and analog) but also have a discussion about what operating system to use.

Chapter 7 – Building a Small Form Factor (SFF) PC. I love these little things. The machine they’ve come up with is nearly as powerful as their Mainstream PC from Chapter 3 and will easily fit into small spaces.

Chapter 8 – Building a Budget PC. Certainly not the best option in my opinion but the authors cover how to build an inexpensive desktop that will still get you through your day and even allow a bit of gaming.

First let me say that I tore through this book. It took me perhaps two hours from cover to cover. Not because it was a book full of fluff or because I’m a speed reader but because talking about building computers is a topic I love. If you were to put me in a room with a bunch of parts I’d be happy as can be assembling new computers. Provided of course I get to use them afterwards! Building the Perfect PC made me reminisce about putting together desktops from spare parts and agonizing over what I should purchase to create or upgrade a new system.

This book takes most of the agony out of the process, making it much more enjoyable. The first several chapters make a good case for building your own computer, to which I’d like to add the experience factor. Nothing beats knowing your computer’s hardware than putting it in there yourself.

The technical overview is necessarily brief but with lots of pointers to online references. The authors also cover some basic troubleshooting techniques and the best practices for building a box.

Once the basics are covered they dive right in. From the first computer build to the budget PC they clearly lay out what it is they’re trying to accomplish and how they plan to do it on a moderate budget. I like the fact that they take cost into account and don’t simply jump for the latest and greatest. I also appreciate that when they lay out two or three options they describe why they pick one of them and what you might do if you’d go for another. I found myself nodding along with the large majority of their decisions. Where I disagreed with them it was more a choice of personal preference than pure performance or cost.

I appreciate the fact that this is not a Windows-centric guide. Linux and various programs (such as MythTV) are discussed openly and recommended when they seem to be the right solution. The operating system makes a real difference in cost when building a computer from the ground up. I’m glad Thompson and Thompson took this into consideration.

Unfortunately this book was published prior to Vista being launched. The authors followed all of the then available Vista guidelines and also installed beta versions on their hardware. Having worked with Vista now for a few weeks on several different platforms, I don’t think the user will have much of a problem if they choose to go the Vista route. Care should be taken with drivers however as not everything may work.

The best feature of this book is the clear, step by step instructions coupled with photographs of the actual components used in the builds. You can see where they chose to feed SATA cables and why. They do all of the builds for us first and work out all the kinks like just how to fit everything into a form factor case or which DVD burners can go through a spindle of 25 DVDs one after the other and still produce quality media. If you’re lacking in experience building your own PC this alone is worth the price of the book.

Pros: Clear and concise, this book isn’t lacking in details, suggestions or rational for the choices made. The builds are all good and use quality parts. Even a first timer will find building a computer an enjoyable experience.

Cons: The biggest disadvantage to writing a book like this is that the industry is a moving target. As soon as the last draft of this book was completed, the market moved on. While it’s still 95% relevant (and I wouldn’t hesitate to use most of their suggestions on any build) there are newer and more relevant products available. Vista users beware. Check with manufacturers to ensure your hardware will work.

If your thinking about building your own PC or are committed too it but not sure where to start then this book is a must have for you. I’ve you’ve got some experience and would like to stay current then it’s defiantly worth the read. If your bread and butter is building systems you could probably do without it, finding more up to date information online, although it is interesting to see what components and options are chosen and why.

Technorati Tags: hardware, building a pc, build the perfect pc, builds, gaming, soho, if you build it they will play

Windows Vista: The Missing Manual is 800 plus pages of tips, tricks and knowledge concerning all 5 (or is it 8? Or 16?) versions of Microsoft’s latest offering, Windows Vista. It exhaustively covers every edition, from Home Basic to Ultimate and does so with wit and style.

With 27 chapters, divided into 8 sections and 4 appendices this book delivers in it’s promise of being “The book that should have been in the box.”

Starting with Part One: The Vista Desktop, Pogue and his compatriots examine every aspect of the Desktop, from how to find your way around Vista’s new look and feel, customizing and an examination of just about every menu item in the Start Menu.

Part Two: Vista Software brings us through all of the software offerings that are bundled with Vista from the mundane to the absurd.

Part Three: Vista Online walks users through the basics of getting their new Vista install online and using Internet Explorer 7 and the newly renamed Windows Mail (Outlook Express as most of us know it).

Part Four: Pictures, Movies, and Media Center tells us all about just that. Vista comes loaded with ways to store, organize, view or listen too and perform some basic manipulation of photos, media files, even television.

Part Five: Hardware and Peripherals brings us through printing and faxing and the basics of installing new hardware or attaching gadgets.

Part Six: PC Health is a look at the various tools Microsoft packages into Vista to keep your computer healthy and happy, from your hard disk’s health to Windows Update.

Part Seven: The Visa Network briefly covers some more advanced topics in networking such as local accounts versus domain accounts, workgroups, networks, sharing and collaboration.

Part Eight: Appendixes contains some useful information about the actual install process, a few registry hacks, a comparison of older built in programs (from XP or 2000) and their new and newly named counterparts in Vista and an extremely thorough keyboard shortcut list.

Overall the book reads well. It’s designed as a technical reference that will be useful to both the computer illiterate and the longtime support guru. It’s impossible for a single book to be all things to all people who span these categories and Pogue realizes this. His book is concise if a bit brief on some subjects and a bit wordy on others, perhaps showing a bias towards some features. Yet he still manages to write a book that will be useful to a huge range of readers.

The approach of writing a technical manual that is funny and appealing to the average reader has worked well with other series (most notably the For Dummies books) and it works well here. If your a veteran Microsoft support person you may find yourself skipping whole paragraphs to get to the nitty gritty but you’ll still find the book as a whole very useful.

Even some of the non-technical talk may catch your eye – the book is full of little gems like “The Control Panel continues to be an object of bafflement for Microsoft, not to mention it’s customers; from version to version of Windows, this window undergoes more reorganizations than a bankrupt airline.” This in reference to what Pogue classifies as “Control Panel Terminology Hell”.

Vista isn’t perfect and while the gems are highlited, the rough spots and blunders are also noted with useful tips on how to work with or around them.

Windows Vista: The Missing Manual contains a ton of tips and tricks within its pages that will be very useful for power users and administrators. From keyboard shortcuts to a registry hack that hides all the icons on the Desktop, I found lots of useful information.

I thought it a bit odd at first that the installation of Vista section is contained in the Appendix at the rear of the book but after a little thought it makes more sense. Any veteran of windows installs or (dare I say it?) upgrades will be able to handle a Vista install without problems. Folks newer to windows or computers will most likely not be attempting this at first, if at all.

Pros: Easy to read and chock full of great tips. I’m eager to get into my Vista installs and try out a bunch of new features and tricks that aren’t immediately obvious on install. If you’re not terribly technical then this book is going to be a godsend for you. If you are technical, you’ll still pick up a lot of information. Both the good and the bad in Vista are presented

Cons: Some of the humor is a bit much and probably not necessary. Is it good to laugh while reading about an operating system? Sure but I would have liked to see more effort put into including more neat tricks and less off the cuff humor. I found myself skipping whole paragraphs to get to the meat of the book.

If you’re going to be working with Vista or using it at home, this book will be very helpful too you. I’ve had it in my hands for just under 5 days now and I’ve already completed reading it and implemented several suggestions. Plus I got to play with a neat voice recognition system that comes with Vista. I’d heard about it but this book convinced me to try it.

If your a novice, you’ll find this book an easy read. You’ll soon be much more productive on your computer. If you’re a veteran, you’ll find plenty of tidbits that will make this book worthwhile and increase you’re productivity as well.

Technorati Tags: vista, windows vista, missing manual, review, book review, vista book review, hasta la vista