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Rating: 
Summary: Not exactly a bullseye, but you'll pass
Review: Don't get me wrong, these will get you there. But when the other reviewers say that there are inaccuracies, they're not kidding. I think it has to do with their simplified language. Their definitions of Group Scope for example are convoluted, and seemingly contradicts actual functionality. Just compare their definition of a Domain local group to one in a decent reference manual, or the online help for that matter, and see if you think they got it right. I don't. I wouldn't rely on them for day to day admin, and besides the Microsoft Press books usually provide eval versions of the OS for the test labs you'll want to make.
Rating: 
Summary: Very light on detail... The test is much more in depth.
Review: I read this book from cover to cover and found myself wondering if that was all there was to this test. The book is very light on the details of tracking down errors with AD. It is also very light on the tools that you would use to solve these problems.The real problem is that the test is very heavy on real world situations and without significant real world experience you will be unable to pass this test by reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very light on detail... The test is much more in depth.
Review: I read this book from cover to cover and found myself wondering if that was all there was to this test. The book is very light on the details of tracking down errors with AD. It is also very light on the tools that you would use to solve these problems. The real problem is that the test is very heavy on real world situations and without significant real world experience you will be unable to pass this test by reading this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Explains the MOST Powerfull 2000 Feature Very Well
Review: The previous Sybex MCSE study guides (for NT 4) were very good. I would have given them four stars. The books of the Win2K series which I've read so far, however, are even more clear, accurate, and contain extensive hands-on exercises. Better than before. The CDs include avi files of nearly all of the exercises from the books, and a test engine with a variety of formats, as well as simulations. The Professional book was very helpful for the exam. I haven't taken the Directory Services exam yet, but the DS book is extremely well-written. Hopefully it maps well to the exam. The DS book seemed a bit thin for the price, although I guess the CD contents made up for it. But, nevertheless, I would say EXCELLENT.
Rating:
Summary: It has most of what you need to know
Review: The Sybex book for 70-217 is pretty decent for a core study book. I passed the exam with a 906, but I used more than a few other resources. I would say 90% of what is covered in the exam is in this book and I found it to be mostly accurate. However I would have like to seen more "real life" ala Mark Minasi style info in the text. 80% of the book was mostly screen shots and step by step exercises in how to accomplish various important tasks, which is fine and necessary. Even though most everything you need to know is here it would have been better to put more emphasis on critical topics to help in the learning process instead of reading like a manual for a lawn mower at times. I used the Syngress book for 70-216 and found the end of chapter highlights to be very helpful - it would be nice to see this in the Sybex book. It is important to know how to use ntdsutil.exe for file maintenance and I did not find this covered in the book. A more thorough explanation of delegating group policy control on new, existing, and links is also needed. The end of chapter questions have improved, but with few exceptions still are not comparable to what is on the actual exam. I found that the Sybex 70-217 book in combination with Exam Cram for 70-217 make a very good combo. Exam Cram mostly filled in the few areas that the Sybex book was lacking. However I highly recommend as usual using the Microsoft website to research further the main 70-217 topics - active directory, dns, ris, and gpo. As always a practice network is a must to go along with any study guide for the MCSE exams. Criticisms aside I think that the Sybex 70-217 2nd edition is a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: Good Guide
Review: This book is very good in covering the concepts of Active Directory and goes in deep regarding DNS. But Overall it is a good read for one who is new to Active Directory. There were not enough Exercises or Examples to play with, So I guess more hands on is needed and expermenting. The Winsim Movies were very good. I would recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Too Chatty, Too Thin on Content
Review: This book was the most disappointing so far of all the Sybex books I've used for Microsoft and Cisco certifications. The author constantly repeats himself from paragraph to paragraph, making the book rather tedious reading. Cut out the redundancy and the book could easily be 150 pages shorter, without cutting any material. Another complaint is the unacceptable lack of depth. This book felt more like a topical overview than an actual exam prep guide. Through the entire book I kept waiting for the author to "get into" the subject material, but after each chapter I was left empty and hopelessly disappointed. A significant portion of my test-prep learning came from using the Transcender practice exams (purchased separately, a bit expensive, but definitely worth it) because they give much more in-depth information as to why right answers are right, and why wrong answers are wrong. Also, let me add that this book is full of errors and inconsistencies, and this was in the 2nd Edition no less. For example, in Ch.12 he lists 5 bulleted points as *mandatory minimum* config for RIS clients: P-166, 32MB, 1.2GB HD, NIC, PXE Boot ROM. In the practice exam he asks which of the following is wrong, and lists P-166, 32MB, 800MB HD, PXE. You'd expect the answer to be the HD, because it's only 800MB instead of 1.2GB, right? WRONG!! His answer is that PXE is not mandatory because you can use a floppy instead. Okay, I can understand that, but when the chapter says minimum 1.2GB and test implies 800MB is acceptable, that's an inexcusable inconsistency-- and this book had many of these, forcing the reader to stop and consult another source (such as the Microsoft website) to get the real answer. Using this book PLUS the Transcenders netted me a score in the low 900s on the exam (taken in Jan 2002) but I can tell you from experience that this book alone does not have NEARLY enough depth of coverage to adequately prepare you.
Rating:
Summary: Too Chatty, Too Thin on Content
Review: This book was the most disappointing so far of all the Sybex books I've used for Microsoft and Cisco certifications. The author constantly repeats himself from paragraph to paragraph, making the book rather tedious reading. Cut out the redundancy and the book could easily be 150 pages shorter, without cutting any material. Another complaint is the unacceptable lack of depth. This book felt more like a topical overview than an actual exam prep guide. Through the entire book I kept waiting for the author to "get into" the subject material, but after each chapter I was left empty and hopelessly disappointed. A significant portion of my test-prep learning came from using the Transcender practice exams (purchased separately, a bit expensive, but definitely worth it) because they give much more in-depth information as to why right answers are right, and why wrong answers are wrong. Also, let me add that this book is full of errors and inconsistencies, and this was in the 2nd Edition no less. For example, in Ch.12 he lists 5 bulleted points as *mandatory minimum* config for RIS clients: P-166, 32MB, 1.2GB HD, NIC, PXE Boot ROM. In the practice exam he asks which of the following is wrong, and lists P-166, 32MB, 800MB HD, PXE. You'd expect the answer to be the HD, because it's only 800MB instead of 1.2GB, right? WRONG!! His answer is that PXE is not mandatory because you can use a floppy instead. Okay, I can understand that, but when the chapter says minimum 1.2GB and test implies 800MB is acceptable, that's an inexcusable inconsistency-- and this book had many of these, forcing the reader to stop and consult another source (such as the Microsoft website) to get the real answer. Using this book PLUS the Transcenders netted me a score in the low 900s on the exam (taken in Jan 2002) but I can tell you from experience that this book alone does not have NEARLY enough depth of coverage to adequately prepare you.
Rating: 
Summary: If impotence was a study guide....
Review: You'll need Viagra to get up to speed for the exam after reading this one. I am an MCSE, CCNA and a technical writer for several leading tech rags, and I have to say that this is one of the worst books I have ever read. The author spends more time trying to "make it interesting" than giving you useful info that you can actually use. Example: During the discussion on Site Links the author fails to inform you that if you plan to use SMTP to perform directory replication that DCs need to be in different domains and in different sites. This minor oversight could have a huge impact both on the exam and in the real world. Another example is the complete lack of a discussion on how the tombstone setting of directory objects affects the effective shelf life of your backups. Hello???? It's like Sybex just followed the bare minimum in order to call this thing a study guide. The software is ok, but the free practice exams were weak as expected. I like books that I can keep as reference material after I read them. The only thing you will use this one for is lining your garbage can. Don't waste your time with this dribble. Get a real book.
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