Home :: Books :: Computers & Internet  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet

Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
MCSE Windows 2000 Core Four Boxed Set (Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217)

MCSE Windows 2000 Core Four Boxed Set (Exams 70-210, 70-215, 70-216, 70-217)

List Price: $159.99
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 >>

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Errata
Review: Have been reading the books since I purchased them a bit of a month ago, and first of all I am rating them in a set instead of individually. For those who don't know, the 4 core tests have a good dea of information that repeat, so you read one book (say Server) and then read Pro, you are going to get some repeat. So be aware of this, this isn't the authors just stuffing books to make extra money, it is just how the tests work. A friend of mine took the test for Pro on accident and passed it, he was studying Server however, so they do mingle together a bit.

My only thing to really add is read the books, atleast Pro, Server, and AD before taking either one of the tests, you will have a much better understanding because sometimes one book is lacking in an explination of a topic, and then the other explains it in detail. So in the end I give the set 4 stars, and would recommend it to anyone that wants to learn 2000 and pass the tests.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Decent Set of Books
Review: Have been reading the books since I purchased them a bit of a month ago, and first of all I am rating them in a set instead of individually. For those who don't know, the 4 core tests have a good dea of information that repeat, so you read one book (say Server) and then read Pro, you are going to get some repeat. So be aware of this, this isn't the authors just stuffing books to make extra money, it is just how the tests work. A friend of mine took the test for Pro on accident and passed it, he was studying Server however, so they do mingle together a bit.

My only thing to really add is read the books, atleast Pro, Server, and AD before taking either one of the tests, you will have a much better understanding because sometimes one book is lacking in an explination of a topic, and then the other explains it in detail. So in the end I give the set 4 stars, and would recommend it to anyone that wants to learn 2000 and pass the tests.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: More information for your money!!
Review: I bought the sybex book 4 core set when I was studying for my MCSE 4. When I started studying for my MCSE for 2000, I choose these over the Sybex books. Why? I felt that I got more for my money. The cds are great giving you videos on most of the exercises in the book, exams, drive time reading. I am not a reviewer, I am just your average test taker. And as of this writing, I am 4 for 4 after reading these books! If you are studying for your MCSE, this is the set to get!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: ALMOST PERFECT
Review: I bought this core set...and gave it 4 stars

There is no core set that covers the core four windows 2000 exams for a 100%. But i think that this core set from Syngress is the best study pack out there. It has only one flaw: the windows 2000 server study guide. This one ok, but it explains IIS 5 and network printing poorly. The rest of the pack (Pro, AD services and Network admin) is just great. If you need more info about IIS 5 and printing, you must check the Tech Net or online help for IIS 5 and printing, and then you are fine. Nevertheless, the Syngress Server 2000 study guide is a good prep tool.

I had the New Riders Windows 2000 server study guide, wich explained IIS 5 and printing pretty well, so i was lucky.

I can give some windows 2000 mcse core set study tips: Forget the Sybex books.. they stink. Forget the New Riders core study guides. They contain a lot of errors. Only the New Riders' Windows 2000 server training Guide from Dennis Maione has good info. (see above)

And how about the MS Training Kits. They are expensive and pretty boring. Be carefull with The Coriolis Prep Guides and forget the (in)famous exam crams. Windows 2000 exams are difficult!!, and just craming data will not get you there. Alan Carter's Study System is good, but caution, it only prepares you for the Server and Pro 2000 exams. IT WILL NOT PREPARE YOU for the AD services and Network administration exams Alan Carter has lost it: His nt 4 study guide (3 exams) was the best, but his new Study System covers only 50% of the core 4 windows 2000 exams (his explains AD services and Network admin at an introduction level)

My advice: Buy The Syngress core set if you are going for the core four exams of the windows 2000 track. You will save money, and you WILL be prepared. And if you want more, ($$$ !!) buy the Transcender.com prep exams.. then you will pass the exams in no time with a 101 %

Ciao

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Sybex 70-210 book: Excellent preparation
Review: I pass this exam just with 720, the has a lot of mistakes be aware of them, like the swithes in the windows2k installation, but in general this is a good book, complete your material with the Microsoft Readiness Review and a Transcender and you are just fine, cYA...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't buy these Books!!!
Review: I purchased this set of four books, along with three other books in this series, about four months ago. Let me say bluntly, so that there is no room for misunderstanding: DO NOT BUY THESE BOOKS. THEY WILL NOT HELP YOU. At a high level, here's why:

- They are riddled with errors and inconsistencies, too numerous to list here. I found several dozen errors in just the first few chapters of the first book in the series (and, trust me, it gets worse from there). There is no apparent quality control AT ALL.

- Even the rare bit of accurate information you'll find here is too garbled to be useful. It is plainly obvious that parts of these books were written in broken English by someone whose language difficulties are secondary to his lack of technical understanding. (To be clear, I am criticizing his lack of technical expertise - I could easily forgive language errors, if the underlying data were reliable.) Moreover, these books are filled with half-truths and glossy, amateurish treatments of inherently complex subjects. These people DO NOT KNOW what they are talking about. DON'T TRUST THEM!

- Don't even get me started on the tests and software that come with the book. The "CertCam" presentations seem more like home movies -- bad home movies -- than professional instruction. The test questions are TERRIBLE; most of them are so poorly formed and presented as to be useless. They wouldn't help anyone to prepare for a certification test, under any circumstances, period. In fact, they are so bad that they're probably detrimental to anyone seeking to pass the exams. They're so bad that they are counter-productive. I mean, when you write the question yourself -- however poorly -- the least you can do is get the answer right. Sometimes, and far too often, the authors don't even manage to answer their own questions correctly.

- I looked at some of the other reviews, and thought you should know that the raving recommendations you see here have actually come from the authors and their associates. They are self-serving drivel. It is reprehensible, near-criminal behavior. Shame on you people. I feel very sorry, for example, for the gentleman from Egypt who wrote in to complain, who has not the luxury to return these books and get his money back. You lied, and others were hurt by your lies. Shame on you all.

If you are unfortunate enough to have been saddled with these boat anchors, as I have been, then I strongly suggest an investment in Transcenders test prep software. Rely on the documentation references (all freely available, such as MSDN online) that you find in the Transcenders question reviews. The question reviews are available after taking a practice exam, or from the Flash products.

You should review these awful books only for a high-level overview of any given subject. And, NEVER trust ANYTHING you find in these books blindly. If you do... You'll be sorry.

And, for the record, I have no financial interest in Syngress or Transcender, and no ties to the authors of these or any other books. Yes, that's right - I'm actually an honest person.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Being certified only means that you could memorize braindump
Review: I'm only halfway through the 2000 professional book, and I'm already regretting my purchase of the set. The information is not presented in a clear consise manner, and I've noticed some minor mistakes. All in all, if you're actually interested in avoiding forking out re-test money, I'd recommend looking elsewhere.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Don't buy these Books!!!
Review: Poorly written and filled with errors. It is a huge waste of money to buy these books. The guides from the Microsoft press are much better and what I would recommend.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Helpful but not full featured.
Review: The quality of this set makes it worth every penny for beginners, but its information could have been presented out more efficiently. The Professional and Server books cover a lot of the same ground in their first few chapters. In particular, the Server book goes into a fair amount of depth about setting up the RIS (Remote Installation Services), then informs you that RIS doesn't work with Server images only with Pro images. The DNS information included in this setting is lacking in clarity and depth but still has enough information to get you up and running. The directory services information in this set is good starter material for people who haven't had any experience with Active Directory (or any other LDAP based service). In the end, you will definitely need to purchase the Microsoft Server Resource Kit to get any "real world" information, but if you are looking to pass tests, this set will do the job (barely).


<< 1 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates