Rating: 
Summary: Good for Review
Review: If you already have some experience and understanding of computers this is a good book for review. However, if, like me, your knowledge is spotty you'll need more in-depth explanations.Its strong points are the concise, direct, to-the-point explanations of just the subjects covered in the exam. Combined with practice exams and a more detailed book you should be able to pass with no problem. But as one previous reviewer mentioned, some of the book's practice problems ask questions which the text doesn't address. Let that be a warning. It's an example of how no single book can prepare you for every question you might encounter. Thus I would say this book is best used in conjunction with a more in-depth book as well as taking plenty of practice exams.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent prep book before taking A+ exam
Review: If you frequent any of the IT forums on the net, you will find that the name of Mike Meyers is often mentioned in the matter of A+. There is a reason why folks and his A+ Passport lends credence to his already impressive line of books. I found the A+ Passport to be an excellent primer before taking the A+ exams. Included with the book is ExamWeb's A+ testing software on a CD. I found the questions to be on the easier side of things so reader's may want to look into finding online testing resources. In A+ Passport, Meyers covers everything you'll need to know for the exams from printers to connector types and IRQs to SCSI. You will be increasing your chances of successfully becoming A+ certified by reading this book. For those breaking into the IT field, also consider picking up Meyer's meatier text, the A+ All-in-One.
Rating:
Summary: It's All There.
Review: If you know what's in this book, you should easily pass both tests. I did. You might have to study another book first, depending on what you know when you start your study, but the material in this book is all you need to pass both A+ tests. I used Sybex's A+ at first, but then A+ Passport to bone up on everything. A+ Passort is written in a way that all test objectives are covered completely. It's easy to read. I'm using it now as a reference book. Get this book. You won't be sorry. But I can't say the same for all the Passport Series books.
Rating:
Summary: Superb book!
Review: If you know your way around computers more than your friends, or you've been called "techie", "tech", "computer geek", or "1337"; then this book is for you. If you know only a few things about computers (like how to turn it on and off, and which way to hold the mouse), you should consider reading the longer and more descriptive version. Personally, I love this book! I'm on my second reading - as I really want to know what I'm talking about when I take the test.
Rating:
Summary: Also a great reference guide!
Review: If you're going for your A+ Certification, and have a good working knowledge about PC hardware and software but want to brush up a bit before you shell out the $280 for the A+, then buy this book! It is written for those with some experience in IBM PC hardware and software so if you don't have any experience then you may want to get another book. HOWEVER: The book is wonderful! It is easy to read, highlights important collections of facts (such as what devices are associated with which IRQ's) so they are easy to find, and Mr. Meyers gives you a huge pic warning you that the next topic that he covers is virtually guaranteed to be on your A+ exam (and he's right). The enclosed CD-ROM is also a very nice addition that comes with several practice questions. For $20, you can purchase an upgrade, which gives you access to more questions, plus an array of tools which go over your tests with a finetooth comb showing you exactly what you need to work on. I purchased this upgrade and I'm really happy I did as it showed me exactly what areas I needed to review and which ones I did not thus saving me a lot of time. So if this book is so great then why the 4 stars instead of 5? Unfortunately, Mr. Meyers also leaves out a couple of minor topics in his book that you may be quizzed on (like loopback tests). The questions on the CD-ROM mentions these tests but nowhere in his book does he ever mention it thus I had to go elsewhere for the info. Be that as it may the 1 or 2 topics he failed to cover are entirely overshadowed by the clear, consise and easy to read writing style as well as the usefulness of this book as an excellent reference guide even after you attain your A+ Certification. If you have a decent working knowledge of IBM PC soft/hardware and want your A+ then BUY THIS BOOK!
Rating: 
Summary: Voice of dissention...
Review: In reading other reviews filled with praise for this book, one question comes to my mind: "Did we all read the same book?" How the others come up with such glowing reviews is beyond me. The vast majority of my technical expterise comes from the Win95 and later OS models. I was well versed in DOS once upon a time, but wanted to shore up any gaps with regards to the venerable OS and maybe learn a few nuggets about Win9x and Win2K before taking the A+ exam. I fully expected to tackle tough DOS questions regarding IRQ's, I/O addresses, and memory addresses, all of which, the author stresses. I also kept my guard up during the test for questions about Windows Registry keys--the book made sure to tell us that we'd need this vital information. Exactly how much of this stuff did I need for the test? Absolutely none. Not one question on DOS memory, not one question on Windows' Registry structure, not one question on networking. What DID the test ask? Questions about keyboard shortcuts for Windows! Did I drop the ball? Did CompTIA? Did Meyers? I honestly don't know. What I DO know is that this book, while helpful for personal enrichment, was woefully inadequate in preparing for the A+. caveat emptor
Rating:
Summary: Voice of dissention...
Review: In reading other reviews filled with praise for this book, one question comes to my mind: "Did we all read the same book?" How the others come up with such glowing reviews is beyond me. The vast majority of my technical expterise comes from the Win95 and later OS models. I was well versed in DOS once upon a time, but wanted to shore up any gaps with regards to the venerable OS and maybe learn a few nuggets about Win9x and Win2K before taking the A+ exam. I fully expected to tackle tough DOS questions regarding IRQ's, I/O addresses, and memory addresses, all of which, the author stresses. I also kept my guard up during the test for questions about Windows Registry keys--the book made sure to tell us that we'd need this vital information. Exactly how much of this stuff did I need for the test? Absolutely none. Not one question on DOS memory, not one question on Windows' Registry structure, not one question on networking. What DID the test ask? Questions about keyboard shortcuts for Windows! Did I drop the ball? Did CompTIA? Did Meyers? I honestly don't know. What I DO know is that this book, while helpful for personal enrichment, was woefully inadequate in preparing for the A+. caveat emptor
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: It is true this book is smaller and dosen't cover as much but it tells you what you need to know and dosen't put you to sleep. I was reading a 1200 page book with large chapters and it was puting me to sleep. I bought this book scheduled the core test and read the first part which deals with the core test. I took all the practice questions i could find and I passed the core test. I don't think I could have done it without this book it is a great refresher and you can take it anywhere. I only hope the OS exam is as easy.
Rating: 
Summary: Full of dumb mistakes and contradictions.
Review: It starts in the very first chapter, It contradicts itself when it asks a question about USB in the end of chapter review, and what's worse, it gives the wrong answer to the question, saying a type B USB connection plugs into the back of the computer. WRONG. There is no excuse for this kind of error in a book that's supposed to be training IT Technicians. The errors continue throughout the book, and it's not very thorough either. Another horrible example is the books tests continually confuse POP3 and SMTP protocals. Anyone who has set up an e-mail address knows that POP3 recieves e-mail, and SMTP sends e-mail. Obviously Mr. Meyers has never set up any e-mail accounts (nor have his editors) because he gets it backwords time and time again. Very annoying. Don't waste your money on this book.
Rating:
Summary: Good but not complete
Review: Just finished reading Meyers' new A+ certificate book and thought I would test my knowledge with the included practice tests. Oops, unfortunately some of the practice test questions assume knowledge not presented in the book. I know because after missing a couple I scoured the text but was unable to find the missing information. That aside the book was informative and easy to read. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the A+ certification.
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