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Summary: Great Windows 2000 Server Reference
Review: I strongly recommend this book to anyone using Windows 2000. This book appeals to both Network Admins and Network Newbies like me. I have also found that the author (Mark Minasi) is very responsive to questions from readers. I e-mailed him a question late one night and I had a response waiting for me when I woke up the next morning!
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Summary: Cannot say enough about this book!
Review: I am an NT administrator and technical trainer trying to quickly get up to speed with Windows 2000 Server. Mark's book is just the ticket. Let's face it- the guy not only knows the product backwards, forwards, and diagonally, but he knows how to TEACH the relevant concepts.This book is serving the dual purpose of helping me prepare for the Windows 2000 MCSE exams as well as gain the necessary skills to do meaningful consulting with Windows 2000. In summary, the book is purposely structured to be of maximum benefit to people with or without prior knowledge of Windows NT. Current Windows NT experts will doubtless learn some new pointers about NT as they learn brand new stuff about Windows 2000. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: Just an awesome author. Excellent book as a tool in my daily administration of my NT servers at work, and furthermore, an excellent reference book as well.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent reference book
Review: Mark Minasi's Mastering Windows 2000 Server is proving itself to be an invaluable resource -- a first-rate reference book that is informative, thorough, and most importantly, clear. If you're looking for a theoretical and detailed technical discussion about concepts and technologies, this is NOT the book for you. You'd be better off reading some of Microsoft's relevant whitepapers, many of which are freely available to download from their website. But if you're looking for a comprehensive resource that tells you how to use or implement a specific technology or concept, you'll find none better than this masterpiece by Minasi.
Rating:
Summary: Mastering Windows 2000 Server
Review: Before I bought this book, I had on my book shelf "Inside Windows 2000 Server" by Boswell. I tried to comprehend the contents of the book, and I was I would say somewhat successful. But always at the end of the reading of a chapter or two, I wasn't quite satisfied with the book. However, I think it's still a good book, to be conservative in my judgment. I think "Mastering Windows 2000 Server" is at least just as good as "Inside Windows 2000 Server," if not significantly better. One thing I like better about this book is that, unlike Boswell's book, it's less theoretical and more direct and practical. I am a beginner with an ambitiion to be proficient in using and administering Windows 2000 Server. If this book is comprehensible and interesting to a beginner like me, I would say this book might be so to most people, because as for me, I used to abhor any technical books because I could hardly understand them. Unlike the same author's "Mastering Windows NT Server," it's $20 less expensive. But it should be a good investment on condition you make use of it to its maximum potential.
Rating: 
Summary: book is Not that good
Review: Mark Minasi jumps around different subjects to much for me. This book does not have a good flow to it and he is trying to address too many levels of NT professionals. I am a veteran mcse and you will have to chart you own course in this book. I have relegated this book for reference and not training. Microsoft just released there training manuals with labs and is much better.
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Summary: Another Bible
Review: Mark Minasi has produced another gem. When I received it I was a little dissapointed that it didn't have the CD (far easier to carry around when travelling).As usual Mark has covered almost everything and I'm sure he will cover anything that is different from RC2 in following editions.There are valuable tips through the book which I found very useful.It's good to know that authors like Mark are around to do the hard yards for us mere mortals.This book is a must have and is a valuable tool in my collection.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT on the released version
Review: Heads up, folks. This book is on RC 2 and if you want a book based on the actual product, you better wait for the final code edition -- out next month sometime.
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Summary: $$ Value to ME
Review: I took and struggled with NT 3.51/4.0 now Windows 2000. I have been and looks like I will be doing W2K in the future and yes Mark says this was not intended as a study guide but it helps me study for the exams anyway. Like all his books on NT they have been immensely useful just on how features work, for ME anyway I am using his book(s) RC2 or not to study for the beta exams, real exams, and MCT exams. Also doing or teaching the Microsoft courses as well. Hey I do this teaching thing parttime and any spare time left goes toward preping for Microsoft's beta and real Windows 2000 exams. For those NT 4/new folks, ie 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217, and 70-240. Now I don't expect Mark's one/two books to do it all, but for ME anyway it all HELPS. If I could I would give him more stars. Hey I am grateful he and the other authors came out with this. No Mark Minasi did not pay me to write this though I have seen him at two evening presentations on NT in Silver Spring, Maryland for NT 4. For now VERY happy with his books.
Rating: 
Summary: Based on RC2, yes, but that's been repeatedly explained
Review: As the lead author of Mastering Windows 2000 Server, let methank all of my readers for their support over the years. Yourconfidence in me has kept my NT books at the top of the sales list. I appreciate that, and try to keep the books as useful as possible. I wanted to comment on the concerns about the fact that the Advance Edition, which was printed and shipped in November of 1999, was based on RC2 and not the final code. First of all, we put the Advance Edition out early, based on RC2, because we wanted the book available for the early adopters. The book's cover says "Advance Edition / Based on Release Candidate 2." That information is repeated on the book's spine and then again on the back cover. And, while I as the author have no control whatsoever over how Amazon markets the book, I note that the Editorial Review mentions the book's RC2 genesis in its first sentence. Second, I have made a commitment to my readers to keep them up to date. As it says in the Introduction, I have launched a FREE e-newsletter where I am collecting errata and updates, which I then e-mail, roughly monthly, to my subscribers. This free newsletter is available to anyone who'd like to sign up. Third, why did we base the book on RC2 rather than the final shrink-wrap version? As I write this note, on 30 January 2000, the final shrink-wrap version isn't yet available. As Amazon notes, this book was published in November 1999, when only RC2 was available. To the best of my knowledge, there IS no book out based on the shrink-wrap version of Windows 2000 and of course cannot be until 17 February 2000, W2K's release date. Also please bear in mind that there are publishing delays with ANY publishing project; between getting text in, editing it, checking galleys, printing, binding, and distribution to warehouses, it's nearly impossible to put a technical book out with less than two month's advance time. Fourth, the differences between RC2 and the final code are mostly cosmetic. A few Wizard panels have changed as Microsoft made last-minute changes. Fifth, there will be a Second Edition available on 17 February, based on what Microsoft has told us will be the final code. I want to stress to my readers that we had only about two weeks between the time we got the final code and the 17 February publishing deadline, and so the only differences that you'll see in the Second Edition will mostly be updated screen shots; all screen shots should now match the product. So if you've got the Advance Edition, there's probably no reason to buy the Second Edition; hey, I'd like the sales, but I don't want to rip anyone off. Yes, there will be a Third Edition as we learn more, but that's months and months away. Finally, I can't speak to what exactly troubled the reviewers who felt swindled by Amazon, but I'd remind them that Amazon's got a pretty good (in my experience) return policy; if ANYONE ever feels that he/she got a raw deal, just return the book. I thank you for your time reading this and hope you'll continue to enjoy my books -- and DO come by and sign up for the newsletter. Thanks! Sincerely, Mark Minasi END
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