Rating: 
Summary: Nice on the outside, messy on the inside
Review: Let's get the bottom line here right away: Microsoft made the software but they certainly have NOT got the accompanying books! At least not as far as their OSes are concerned.Admittedly this book seems to be well structured and well written when you first look at it. It is made up of chapters divided into different lessons. Each lesson starts off nicely with an overview of the practical skills you are about to build. Also, at the end of each lesson you will find a summary. The information contained herein provide for "mental hooks" to hang new pieces of knowledge on to. At the end of every chapter you will also find review questions to further enhance your learning. Practical exercises are of course always indispensable, and you will find plenty of these in the book (it's a absolute MUST to have two computers at hand though. These computers also must meet the hardware requirements to run Windows 2000 Professional). The problem is, however, that the main bulk of text is rather poorly written. I find it an outright mess to be frank. Neither is it easy to read nor is it pedagogic. You are rendered with your mind filled only with fragments of knowledge (and a bundle of technical terms for which you don't have a clue). The important and, regrettably, impossible task of putting these fragments together into a meaningful whole (real knowledge, that is) is all yours. As already implied, a further major drawback with this book as I see it, is the fact that Microsoft scatter technical terms all over the place without providing sufficient explanation (just as frequently there is no explanation at all). Completely preposterous concidering the intended audience and the fact that IT-terminology is just overflooded with terms and acronyms (aditionally, new terms and acronyms are piling up from one day to another in this business). I claim this book would serve better as a reference for astute technicians rather as a training kit. It's definitively not written by people with a pedagogic background! To wind things up I would recommend the reader to look for alternatives to this book. (2nd edition of Mark Minasi's book on the subject promises well. Minasi has a superb writing style in which everything is clearly explained in an easy to read manner. Beware: If you're really short of time and have a reasonable degree of proficiency, Minasi's books might appear too wordy).
Rating: 
Summary: carry over from NT 4
Review: Lots of good hands on exercises, but there seems to be some carry over from NT 4 workstation. As an example the section on editing the boot.ini neglects to tell you about the hidden OS files, only the hidden files.
Rating:
Summary: It could be much better
Review: Not very helpful to learn real stuff, too superficial. I found more interesting the concise information of Readiness review of MS Press.
Rating: 
Summary: Preparation for the 70-210
Review: Our small group purchased this book simply because it was the only one available at the time. The first few copies came with out cd's, this hopefully was a distribution error--& was rectified in subsequent orders. This publication is geared more towards seasoned IT engineers, Microsoft has clearly displayed it's intent to weed out the "paper-certs". This is ok, but I do have niggling concerns over a couple of key points. #1--I'd like to see more comparison to NT Workstation. There is some new verbiage & new ways to handle old tasks in Win2K Pro, and I think NT/Win2K comparisons would help readers familiar with the NT4 WS product. #2--Infra red and other wireless devices--coverage is weak. #3--We've found occasional incidents where knowledge of a newly named task is implied not defined. This is confusing at times. With combined usage of this text, help files, daily exchanges with Cramsession & TechNet I've found a more complete knowledge base into this product line then from textbook alone. Good Luck!
Rating:
Summary: MCSE Training Kit Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
Review: the book does cover the material fairly well, but i think the questions at the end of the chapters plain out ****. these were essay style questions, very unlike the multiple choise questions on the test. there needs to also be a cd with test questions included.... oh yah... the book was more $$ than others out there. the ONLY reason i bought this book was because at the time it was the only one avalible. now im going to by a different 2000 pro book to study. after studing this book with its poor questions, im not sure about taking the exam yet. so save some money and buy one of the other books out there :-)
Rating: 
Summary: Get started on the right foot and never look back.
Review: The computer industry is constantly changing and evolving andas such so is operating systems. Microsoft is leading the way withtheir newest release Windows 2000 built on the NT Technology. Microsoft is also leading the way in training software to help you gain the upper hand in the certification process. This training kit is tailored made for the Windows 2000 Installing, Configuring and Administration exam as the kit follows each and every exam objective. The kit is made to be used as a self-paced learn at your own speed package. The whole kit is detailed and will make the learning process easier as the company that brought you the software writes it. Most training packages I have seen cover the exam, what makes this one different is the fact that this package lays out the exam in an easy to follow format. With hands-on and practice examples the user has everything you need to make sure you are ready for the live exam. Topics such as Installation, Configuration, administration, TCP/IP, file encryption and troubleshooting are but a few of the areas covered. The book includes review questions to gauge the learning process. What might be need in the next release is a cd with practice questions and even an interactive learning program. Overall the package is well worth the price. You can visit the Microsoft Press website and take a look at all of the kits available.
Rating:
Summary: Rather Inadequate
Review: This book does cover a good bit of the material included on the exam. However, it omits quite a bit of it, too. Passing the exam requires much expertise with networking principles, and this book does not come close to covering that subject.
Rating:
Summary: Rather Inadequate
Review: This book does cover a good bit of the material included on the exam. However, it omits quite a bit of it, too. Passing the exam requires much expertise with networking principles, and this book does not come close to covering that subject.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent starting point
Review: This book is a good starting place for 70-210. Those who think any one book will prepare them for any of the new Microsoft tests are in for for a very rude suprise. Microsoft's stated approach is that the tests may include ANY material related to the test objectives. This includes - study books (like this), knowledge base articles, Microsoft reference material, product experience, and any white paper or technical article. It is also suggested that any user have 6 months experience with the product before taking the test. I used this book as part of my test prep and got a 900. However, I also scoured every resouce I could locate as well this book. I also have used Professional since the early Beta exams. Folks, Windows 2000 is a much bigger, more complex system than Windows NT 4. In addition to the material covered here, detailed questions regarding active directory, RIS, and device support can be included on the test.
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT a user's manual!
Review: This book is a great study guide and desk reference for those of us who will be going into the IT profession, becoming MCSE, MCSE+I, or MCP so that we know what we're doing to network PCs with the new technology. Most people will never have to deal with Active Directory Services or the implementation of new protocols, but the IT professional needs to know how such things work, and that is what this book is designed to do.
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