Description:
There is one simple question that has devastated interactive study guides for as long as they've existed: "Yes, but is it better than a book?" Usually books are cheaper, easier to read, and are the standard to which all electronic test preps must be held. So, is the MCSE Windows 2000 Core Requirements e-trainer, which covers four of the core tests, better than a set of books? The answer here is a solid yes. But it's not because of the content, which is solid, but mostly taken from Sybex's books. What makes the e-trainer so impressive is the total learning package from head to toe--the scheduling features, the testing engine, and the login features so critical for large-scale business training. In short, the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts. The first thing you'll notice upon booting the software--be warned, you'll have to install Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine and have an internet connection if you don't have one already--is an extremely welcome feature present in Sybex's other recent e-trainers: A scheduler. Simply input the date of the test you're scheduled to take, block off any days you'll be out of town or unable to study, and then take a pre-test to check the weak points in your basic knowledge. The scheduler will pump out a fully-formed study plan for you, complete with the amount of time you'll have to study each day and the MCSE topics you need to strengthen, arranged daily, for your reading pleasure--an incredibly nice touch. And, unlike much of the software-based training competition, you can schedule several different people for different tests. Most of the content here is simply material taken from the Sybex books without any additional features like videos, interactive diagrams, and so on (although they do exist, they're not nearly as plentiful as in the CCNA Virtual Lab e-trainer, which is also a fantastic package). The software is, however, peppered with a variety of pseudo walk-throughs designed to get you familiar with the Windows 2000 interface and where to click--these aren't Windows 2000 simulations per se, but rather a set of static screen shots of Win2K features, with the proper button to click circled in bright green. It's not as good as some other simulations, but it's still better than looking at screen shots in a book. The text seems by and large to be cribbed from Sybex's best-selling Windows 2000 guides, which are generally among the best in the business at walking novice readers through complex content; you shouldn't have problems understanding this clear text--and that also means that you'll be getting about as much content as you would if you bought a Windows 2000 boxed set of study guides. Reading off of the screen isn't as comfortable or as portable as a book, naturally, but you'll get the idea all the same. Upon completing each section, you take a test to see how well you've retained your knowledge, and it is here that the package stutters a bit. The test questions aren't exactly simple, but they do tend to be the less tested "What is the correct answer from among these four?" as opposed to Microsoft's increasingly tested "laboratory" problems, where you're given a broken network and are asked to fix it. These questions would have been fine and dandy for the Windows NT 4.0 exams, but Microsoft has upped the ante in the meantime. And, unfortunately, the feedback on the tests is pretty poor; get a wrong answer in "Practice" mode, and all you'll get is a ping and a hyperlink to the chapter you need to study, without the slightest explanation of what was wrong with your answer. Don't expect to use this package for the test-taking engine alone. However, the way the e-trainer tracks your scores over a period of time is well done and very helpful. In short, despite some flaws, for a couple of extra bucks you'll get a good reference set combined with a decent test-taker and an excellent exam planner. This is an excellent software-based tutorial that's well worth the money--although it's not quite the fabled "one stop" purchase that you'd need to get your MCSE, it's darned close. Get this and a backup book, however, and passing is almost guaranteed. You won't regret the purchase. --William Steinmetz
| 
