Rating: 
Summary: When did Sybex start publishing Exam Crams?
Review: Don't get me wrong--I like Exam Crams. They are perfect if you have a pretty good understanding of the topic already, and you really just need something to review/refresh the material that is going to be on the exam, and get a lot of review questions, etc. Unfortunately, that's not what I buy Sybex study guides for, but that's what I got! Yes, this book "covers" all of the exam objectives, but not in anywhere near enough depth. Most of the obejectives get barely a paragraph actually EXPLAINING things to you, and then a couple of numbered lists, exercises, definitions, etc. Again, this would be fine for $30 and if you were already an expert w/ Win2000 and just wanted to know what was knew (but, I'm pretty sure that's what the upgrade exams are for). If you are not an expert on Win2000, no way does this book give you enough. I was also disappointed to get the book and find out that it is just 600 pages long when Amazon says it's something like 850. Again, it's just not enough. It is accurate, easy to read, etc. So, if that's all you want, then maybe this book is for you. But, why not save $20 and buy one of the cheaper review-type books?
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat disappointed...
Review: I agree with one of the earlier reviewers headlines, that was something like "just ok, not great." I've been working w/ Server 2003 for a while now, and from my work experience, I knew certain things in the book were kind of being glossed over that really needed more coverage. I would read each chapter, read the summaries, take all the practice questions, and be left with this nagging feeling that the book was not really preparing me completely for what I'd face on the exam. Unfortunately, I was right, and I just missed passing the exam. This book isn't terrible, but just be sure you use some additional resources and that you have some good work experience also.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat disappointed...
Review: I agree with one of the earlier reviewers headlines, that was something like "just ok, not great." I've been working w/ Server 2003 for a while now, and from my work experience, I knew certain things in the book were kind of being glossed over that really needed more coverage. I would read each chapter, read the summaries, take all the practice questions, and be left with this nagging feeling that the book was not really preparing me completely for what I'd face on the exam. Unfortunately, I was right, and I just missed passing the exam. This book isn't terrible, but just be sure you use some additional resources and that you have some good work experience also.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners Book
Review: I have about 3 years of enterprise adminstration in W2K. I heard nothing but good stuff about Sybex books, so I bought this complete set. Unfortunately, the 70-290 book was a complete beginners guide. Not only is this the case, the contents go into very little detail to explain. The questions are no-brainers and since I've taken several exams already I know Microsoft wouldn't have this easy of test questions and material.
If you studying for the 70-290 exam I would NOT recommend this to anyone.
I'm even disappointed that I have to pay my return shipping charges back to Amazon. Sybex should be paying...
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: I just received my copy, and I have to say I was pleasantly impressed. I've decided to try and get my MCSE in 2003 now instead of later. The problem is, there is nothing out on the exam yet, except for this one. I was a bit nervous since other first out titles typically stink. Not this one. Sybex's reputation of putting out quality titles was only reinforced with this titles. It appears to cover all the important topics, and has a huge number of Exercises that surely will help reinforce what I've learned. So far, so good.
Rating:
Summary: PLEASE, look elsewhere if you want to past the first time.
Review: I took this exam three days ago and failed by 10 points. I used this book as my main study source along with the Windows Server 2003 trial I have installed at home. I took all of the practice exams on the CD, went through all of the flash cards, downloaded demo Transcender's, completed all labs, played with the OS beyond the scope of the book and still failed.I've been working with Windows 2000/Active directory for about 3 years now and this book is just simply missing content/objectives. The exam covers a lot about GPO's, IIS, SUS, scripting/command-line, and user and group management and this book only scratches the surface on most of these topics. There is simply not enough coverage/depth and there are a lot of omissions compared to what the exam presents. PLEASE, don't waste your money on this book, and potentially a failed 70-290 exam, and get another book. I hear the guide by Schindler is the best out of the bunch. Lastly, it seems that the 70-291 book by Sybex is also a waste of money. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Ok, not great. Don't count on it alone for the test.
Review: Just got back from taking the test after using this book as my only study source (living dangerously..yes). I failed the exam scoring 690 with 700 necessary to pass. First about me: I orginally obtained my MCSE on NT4 in 1997 and recently decided to upgrade it to 2003. I've been working as a systems administrator/engineer since the early 90's, administering NT networks since 97, and currently administer a large AD domain with 200+ servers spanning 30 sites nationwide. I'm not the best but I've been around the block. I passed the XP exam after brushing up with the Exam Cram 2nd edition book and chose Sybex to prepare me for the 70-290. I figured with my experience and this book to familiarize me with exam objectives I would be able to do ok. That was certainly the case with the XP exam and it was a challenging test. Second, the book: It had a handful of editorial glitches, but nothing seriously bad. It spends many pages taking you step-by-step through configuration processes. This is a strength of the Sybex books as they allow you to "see" what it is like to do a task without actually having the machine in front of you. This book got a little annoying though in that it would spend a couple of pages of text giving you a step-by-step, then follow it up with a page or two exercise that repeated the same steps. I would have preferred a little less step-by-step repetitiveness and lot more meat and minutae. In the end the book does a good job familiarizing you with the tasks/topics it is addressing, but it just doesn't cover enough material. Third, the test: It pulled material from everywhere. It also forces you to read very quickly as many questions are long. It also tended to be tricky as often as it could, probably the trickiest I have seen on a certification test (btw: I've taken close to 30 different IT certification tests over the years, I hold numerous certs from Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, CheckPoint and Citrix). Also, the test was annoyingly slow taking 5-10 seconds to move between questions.. really adding to the stress as the clock ticks down. In fairness to Sybex I did miss two questions that were addressed in the book. But let me also say I would have come nowhere close to passing without my real-world experience. There are several questions/topics that weren't even hinted at in the text (most notably a suprising question requiring you to properly edit a vb script..) In summary, if you are already well-rounded with Win2k this book will give you a decent overview of many exam topics. You will likely need additional sources to pass the test though. If you are new to Windows don't even think about counting on this book alone to get you past the test. Would I buy it again? Yes, but not as my only source.
Rating:
Summary: Should be useful as an exam study tool.
Review: Okay you just finished up with the MCSE 200 track and look what Micorosoft does, they release Sever2003 and now you have to re-certify. As luck would have Sybex has released a the 70-290 study guide and you have a great study tool at your disposal. Having had a limited exposure to Server 2003, I found that this book takes you through the software and allows you see what has changed and what has remained the same. One thing that could be added to the next release is a evaluation version of server 2003. I have found that working with the real thing is an added study tool. The book seems easy to follow and it has pleanty of exercies for you to work with. If you have the software to work with you are all set. If you don't, fear not, as Sybex has included a 2003 OS simulator. The software simulator, I found to be a very nice addition to the book as it gives you a feel for the real thing. There wer a couple of new things I was able to pick up, one is the Shadow copies and the other was the information about Terminal Services. The book is laced with excellent review question, as is the CD. The cd includes flashcards, but both seem to handle the exam objectives without missing anything. Overall I think this book should be a real value for the new exam.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Passed this morning. All the topics in this book were covered in the 70-290 exam, or vice versa. The book content is good, the chapter tests are pretty good but the 2 bonus Testsims are another story. If you can get through these test sims without banging your head on your desk or pulling out your hair you are a better person than I am.
...So read the book, take some online sample tests, get the Minasi 2003 book and study hard, you should be all set.
Ben
Rating:
Summary: Does the trick
Review: Sybex has always had a good reputation for MCSE books. Over the course of my career I have needed to update my MCSE certs regularly and have more or less relied on them. This book pretty much follows the pattern of the others: Explanations, screen shots, lab exercises, practice questions. I worked through the book, played around a bit with the more obscure parts of the operating system that I usually don't see, and passed the test. I'd recommend a lot more studying, though, if you don't use Windows 2000 or Server 2003 in your daily work. In short, solid book, covers all of the bases, clear explanations.
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