System Of A Down Book:

		List Price: $34.99		Publisher: Que Salesrank: 13153
		Our Price: $21.27
		Used Price: $15.75
		Media: Paperback

Editorial Review:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

•    How BitTorrent technology enables anyone to share information with everyone

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

Category: General Computing

Covers:    PCs/Hardware

User Level:    Beginning–Intermediate

Description of How Computers Work (9th Edition) (How It Works):
Updated to include all the recent developments to the PC and complete with a CD-ROM, the third edition of How Computers Work is like a cool science museum in a book. But make no mistake--this is not a book for children. How Computers Work aims to teach readers about all the intricacies held within the machine, and it's a daunting task. The author, Ron White, doesn't dumb down his material; instead he provides thorough and substantive definitions. The pages of fun and colorful graphics ease the tension, though, and bring the abstract concepts--the difference between RAM and ROM, for example--into real life.

The book has incredible depth, explaining everything you could want to know about your computer, with each piece of hardware being given full treatment over two to five pages. (Macintosh and UNIX users should be aware, though, that the book's model is the "Wintel," a Windows PC with an Intel microprocessor.) The book is well-structured and can easily be used as a reference resource beyond the first reading. --Jennifer Buckendorff

How Computers Work (9th Edition) (How It Works) Reviews:
Make your own call
2008-05-04 - Rather than add to endless "This sucks!" "No it doesn't!" arguments, my review is simple - if you need an understanding of how computers work, give this book a try. THEN, and only then, make your own decision. Other people's opinions are great, but only you can determine a book's worth to you.


Rife with typos, but helpful for a general understanding
2008-04-07 - (My copy did not come with a CD, so I can only comment on the book itself.)

My edition (Ninth Edition) was clearly assembled and edited in a hurry. A couple of quick examples: the diagram on p. 12 shows a computer with numbered parts, and the accompanying text refers to the numbers and describes the respective parts. The diagram in my book has no #6 -- the text is there, but unless you already know where the part is, it's not helpful. Other little typos include the following text from p. 26: "See how a transistor works, p. XXX" (They forgot to replace the XXX with the actual page number).

Neither of these errors is a deal-breaker, of course, but it makes me wonder if I am unwittingly being misinformed by other typos. Much of the book, though -- because of the illustrations and simply worded text -- is quite helpful to a beginner.

Having said that, I would not pay full price for this. As I write this review, there is a used edition for $6.99, and that sounds about right.

How Computers Work Book Review
2008-03-31 - If you want to know the ins and outs of how computers work, beginning with the foundation, this is the book for you!

Less for more...
2008-03-25 - This is my third purchase of "How Computers Work." The first editions included an excellent CD that worked with Windows 3.11 and later with Windows95 and 98. The CD was excellent and an wonderful teaching tool. (I teach an A+ Computer Repair-type class at the high school level.)

My second purchase included a CD that was somewhat useful -- sort of a lame interactive presentation.

This edition no longer includes the CD, which is why I made this purchase. The lesson here is not to order something on-line late at night when one is not paying attention -- my fault.

On a positive note, I had our high school librarian order several copies for my students to check out.

The book has good, up-to-date info, great illustrations, but I miss the original CD.

Alvin Kroon

How Computers Work Review
2008-02-10 - Great book for information concerning the computer and the technology connected to it. However, it is not for a beginner or novice individual just starting out with a computer.