Books

Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture

Average customer rating:

Must read
Great reference for building business apps
Educates you on Enterprise Architecture
Good so far
Key book on enterprise patterns

Patterns of Enterprise Application Architecture
Martin Fowler
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Similar Items:

Enterprise Integration Patterns: Designing, Building, and Deploying Messaging Solutions (The Addison-Wesley Signature Series)
Refactoring: Improving the Design of Existing Code
Domain-Driven Design: Tackling Complexity in the Heart of Software
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
Head First Design Patterns (Head First)

ASIN: 0321127420

Customer Reviews:

Must read.......2007-04-05

This is a must read book if you are a developer, architect or in anyway related to technology.

Great reference for building business apps.......2007-03-13

For me, this book is an invaluable reference for building business apps.

Want help choosing a framework? Want some guidance for solving common business problems? These patterns help solve these kinds of problems.

NOTE: I have tried to find other sources for these patterns, and I have only found Fowlers website, which is really only a summary and recommends purchasing the book.

This book has examples in both Java and C#. You can certainly use these patterns in .NET.

Under .NET you are not actually forced to use the Table Model. I think the purpose of this book is to help you realize this.

There are frameworks for .NET that use the Domain Model and Data Mapper patterns, but you would never know this unless you were familiar with the patterns in this book.

For me, reading this book didn't allow me to write new code, but it did allow me to understand my choice to use a particular framework/technique over another.

Educates you on Enterprise Architecture.......2007-03-10

As a newcomer to enterprise architecture this book educated me on possibilities for decisions to be made in designing an enterprise architect. It will also give you a language for describing existing characteristics of an existing enterprise application which may use some combination of the patterns describe in this book. The discussion of where to keep session state for a webapp was particularly helpful to me.

Good so far.......2007-01-10

I haven't been able to read it cover to cover, but i read the mapping chapter and it was good. Explain a complex subject in relly simple way.

Also the hard cover is nice!

Key book on enterprise patterns.......2006-07-30

Even if you find enterprise stuff immensely dull, dealing with databases and web pages is a pretty common task, most of the action in software development revolves around it, and who wants to be completely ignorant of the the alphabet soup of various technologies the IT blogs, books and websites are floating in?

So if you must immerse yourself in this area, what better than a Martin Fowler book? The code is mainly in Java, with a fairly large smattering of C#. It would probably help if you understood some basics of enterprise development in those languages, e.g. servlets and JDBC for Java.

The patterns in this book cover organising domain logic, database mapping and access, web presentation, concurrency, and the book finishes by covering base patterns, a mixture of lower level abstractions of the sort covered in Fowler's first book, Analysis Patterns (e.g. Money), and those that bear a close resemblance to the classic Gang of Four patterns, with an enterprise twist (e.g. Plugin and Gateway). Nearly all the other patterns refer to these, so I don't know why these didn't appear first. Apart from that though, the book is very well organised. And the opening essay, that discusses the trade offs of every pattern and how they fit together in an application, is immensely helpful.

Wizened enterprisers looking for new material will not find much new here, but surely the point of patterns catalogues are to get down on paper the practices of those same wizened enterprisers, not to strike off in new directions. Therefore, an experienced developer should see this as a way to organise what they already know, and maybe in doing so, reveal some new insights.

A newcomer to enterprise development will definitely get a lot out of this, as the underpinnings to the plethora of modern enterprise applications are laid bare. You're not going to become a Hibernate, Struts or EJB expert from this book, but you should at least have a clue about what problems they're trying to solve.

As usual, Fowler manages to be a model of clarity, while still injecting regular touches of wry humour, quite an achievement given the potentially bone-dry material. If you want to know the basics of enterprise software, start here.

Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface, Third Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design) (The ... Series in Computer Architecture and Design)

Average customer rating:

I don't like
Disorganized and "uncut"
very good but hated the topic
Nice book
Good information; poor presentation

Computer Organization and Design: The Hardware/Software Interface, Third Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design) (The ... Series in Computer Architecture and Design)
David A. Patterson , and John L. Hennessy
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Operating System Concepts
Computer Architecture, Fourth Edition: A Quantitative Approach
Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach, Third Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design)
Introduction to Algorithms
The C Programming Language (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 1558606041

Book Description

A revised printing for this book will be available in June 2007!

Whats New in the Third Edition, Revised Printing

The same great book gets better! The revised printing features all of the original content along with these additional features:

Appendix A (Assemblers, Linkers, and the SPIM Simulator) has been moved from the CD-ROM into the printed book

Corrections and bug fixes

Click here to request a desk copy of the revised printing!

About the Third Edition

In addition to thoroughly updating every aspect of the text to reflect the most current computing technology, the third edition

*Uses standard 32-bit MIPS 32 as the primary teaching ISA.
*Presents the assembler-to-HLL translations in both C and Java.
*Highlights the latest developments in architecture in Real Stuff sections:

+ Intel IA-32
+ Power PC 604
+ Googles PC cluster
+ Pentium P4
+ SPEC CPU2000 benchmark suite for processors
+ SPEC Web99 benchmark for web servers
+ EEMBC benchmark for embedded systems
+ AMD Opteron memory hierarchy
+ AMD vs. 1A-64

New support for distinct course goals

Many of the adopters who have used our book throughout its two editions are refining their courses with a greater hardware or software focus. We have provided new material to support these course goals:

New material to support a Hardware Focus

+Using logic design conventions
+Designing with hardware description languages
+Advanced pipelining
+Designing with FPGAs
+HDL simulators and tutorials
+Xilinx CAD tools

New material to support a Software Focus

+How compilers Work
+How to optimize compilers
+How to implement object oriented languages
+MIPS simulator and tutorial
+History sections on programming languages, compilers, operating systems and databases

Whats New in the Third Edition

New pedagogical features

Understanding Program Performance
-Analyzes key performance issues from the programmers perspective

Check Yourself Questions
-Helps students assess their understanding of key points of a section

Computers In the Real World
-Illustrates the diversity of applications of computing technology beyond traditional desktop and servers

For More Practice
-Provides students with additional problems they can tackle

In More Depth
-Presents new information and challenging exercises for the advanced student

New reference features

Highlighted glossary terms and definitions appear on the book page, as bold-faced entries in the index, and as a separate and searchable reference on the CD.

A complete index of the material in the book and on the CD appears in the printed index and the CD includes a fully searchable version of the same index.

Historical Perspectives and Further Readings have been updated and expanded to include the history of software R&D.

CD-Library provides materials collected from the web which directly support the text.

On the CD

CD-Bars: Full length sections that are introduced in the book and presented on the CD

CD-Appendixes: The entire set of appendixes

CD-Library: Materials collected from the web which directly support the text

CD-Exercises: For More Practice provides exercises and solutions for self-study
In More Depth presents new information and challenging exercises for the advanced or curious student

Glossary: Terms that are defined in the text are collected in this searchable reference

Further Reading: References are organized by the chapter they support

Software: HDL simulators, MIPS simulators, and FPGA design tools

Tutorials: SPIM, Verilog, and VHDL

Additional Support: Processor Models, Labs, Homeworks, Index covering the book and CD contents

Instructor Support

+ Instructor Support is provided in a password-protected site to adopters who request the password from our sales representative
+ Solutions to all the exercises
+ Figures from the book in a number of formats
+ Lecture slides prepared by the authors and other instructors
+ Lecture notes

System Requirements
Operating System
Most of the content on this CD can be used under any operating system that includes an HTML browser and a PDF viewer. This includes Windows 98 or later, Mac OS 9 and OS X, and most Linux and Unix systems. Some contributed software on this CD is operating system specific. See the installation instructions on the Software page for details.

HTML Browser
The navigation framework and some of the content on this CD is delivered in HTML and JavaScript. It is recommended that you install the latest version of your favorite HTML browser to view this CD. The content has been verified under Windows 2000 with the following browsers:
Internet Explorer 6.0, Mozilla 1.6, Netscape 7.1, Opera 7.23. Under Mac OS X with the following browsers: Internet Explorer 5.2.3, Mozilla 1.6 , Netscape 7.1, Safari 1.2. And under Mandrake Linux with the following browser:
Galeon 1.3.8.

The content is designed to be viewed in a browser window that is at least 720 pixels wide. You may find the content does not display well if your display is not set to at least 1024x768 pixel resolution.

PDF Viewer
The CD material includes PDF documents that you can read with a PDF viewer such as Adobe® Acrobat® or Adobe Reader®. Recent versions of Adobe Reader for supported platforms are included on the CD. Visit the Adobe Reader home page for more information.

Browser Plugins
Some of the material on this CD makes use of Flash® animations. To view this material, you will need to have Macromedia® Flash Player installed. You can install the Shockwave® Player (which includes Flash) on Windows and Macintosh from this CD. Visit the Macromedia homepage for more information. Note that recent versions of some browsers, including Internet Explorer, Netscape, and AOL, already incorporate Flash Player.

Some of the material on this CD contains photographic panoramas that can only be viewed with the iseemedia Zoom Viewer browser plugin on Windows and Mac OS 9 platforms. Visit iseemedia's website for download instructions.

For instructor resources click on the grey "companion site" button found on the right side of this page.
This new edition represents a major revision.
New to this edition:

* Entire Text has been updated to reflect new technology
* 70% new exercises.
* Includes a CD loaded with software, projects and exercises to support courses using a number of tools
* A new interior design presents defined terms in the margin for quick reference
* A new feature, "Understanding Program Performance" focuses on performance from the programmer's perspective
* Two sets of exercises and solutions, "For More Practice" and "In More Depth," are included on the CD
* "Check Yourself" questions help students check their understanding of major concepts
* "Computers In the Real World" feature illustrates the diversity of uses for information technology
*More detail below...

Customer Reviews:

I don't like.......2007-06-27

It's good, but have a lot of errors... so i just don't like.
But it's not a bad book

Disorganized and "uncut".......2007-02-19

I had to purchase this book for a graduate school course. There is a lot of good information here. Unfortunately lengthy examples and tangents muddy it up pretty badly. Also, I think the author(s) could have safely assumed that readers are familiar with programming; maybe that perspective could have grounded and guided the chapter flow a little better.
Looking at any 1 section, the writing is good and the explanations are clear for the most part. The catch is that the book as a whole is a collection of enormous disorganized chapters; chapter 2 is almost 100 pages. This work is dire need of editing and some understanding of its intended audience.

very good but hated the topic.......2007-01-12

goes beyond simple digital logic and into more boring technical details like the true calculation of CPU cycle run time - hated the class and my professor almost failed me - make sure you take the right professor with the college course - very time consuming and not fun at all

Nice book.......2007-01-03

This book is one of the better books that I have used for my courses. Even though the subject taught at hand is not trivial this book makes it a lot simpler. Trust me this book is a lot better than some other books I have seen. 500% better than Digital Design by Mano.

Good information; poor presentation.......2006-11-27

The information contained in this book is sound, and the coverage of a variety of topics is relatively thorough. It is, however, difficult to appreciate these strengths given the numerous flaws in the text. Minor flaws include numerous misleading typographical errors, and too little attention to the flow of information.

The big mistake, though, is the failure to publish a complete book. If you want to learn from this book, then you will need to spend a good bit of time either sitting at a computer reading, or printing out the PDF files on the accompanying CD. The appendices (which are not extraneous, but rather a fundamental part of the text which contain information that's referred to throughout the book) are included ONLY on the accompanying CD. For more than 50% of the review exercises are just references to PDF files. The contents of the CD are not available from the publisher's web site. Do NOT buy a used copy of this book that's missing the accompanying CD. If you like taking books with you to read away from the office, don't buy this book at all. You'll spend too much effort wondering why the printer felt the need to offload a good bit of the printing work onto you. All of this is made even less tolerable by the poor information flow, which will leave you needing to make reference to the appendices many times throughout virtually all other chapters of the book.

It's possible that a future edition may fix these issues. Until then, there have to be better ways to learn.

Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows (Upgrading & Repairing)

Average customer rating:

Great library addition!
If you're having Windows trouble, or Planning to ....
Recommended for the New Jersey Computer Club
Not bad for a first edition, but not quite there

Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows (Upgrading & Repairing)
Scott Mueller , and Brian Knittel
Manufacturer: Que
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Upgrading and Repairing PCs (17th Edition)
Upgrading and Repairing Networks (5th Edition) (Upgrading & Repairing)
Upgrading and Repairing Laptops (2nd Edition) (Upgrading & Repairing)
Computer Repair with Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot Failure to Poor Performance
Upgrading and Repairing Servers

ASIN: 0789734036

Book Description

Fans of Upgrading and Repairing PCs, your call has been answered. Scott Mueller, author of the best-selling Upgrading and Repairing PCs, is now bringing you an equally in-depth guide to Windows troubleshooting. Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows explains how Windows works and how to fix it when things go wrong. This comprehensive resource includes information on:

Installation
Managing security
Optimizing performance
Recovering data
Configuring settings and the registry
Protecting Windows from viruses and spyware

Scott also includes references to helpful tools and scripting commands for maximum system controls. A DVD is included that provides you with additional resources and unique how-to video that brings Scott right to you. Find out how to make Windows work with you and not against you with Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows.

Customer Reviews:

Great library addition!.......2007-03-20

This book is a handy reference to have in any tech's library. It teaches you about not only the history of Windows, but focuses on the later versions of the operating system without totally neglecting the older versions.

It's coverage of command-line tips and tricks is excellent; however I found it lacking in that it didn't cover two areas: (1) It did not cover why the System Restore feature sometimes fails and how to prevent that occurrence; and (2) it only mentioned the SFC utility in the appendix of programs that come with Windows, and that is one program that needs to be gone into depth a bit more.

Some of the sections on scripting could have been written to be easier to follow for those new to the subject, but overall I still have to give this book an excellent rating!

It definitely was worth the money, and I am overall pleased with the purchase!

If you're having Windows trouble, or Planning to ...........2006-03-15

I got in this imposing 700+ page book, looked at it a little and put it on my desk to get to later. Well, you know how that works. Then I was trying to delete some files. And I got a message that the directory was messed up and to run CHKDSK. What's that, and how do you run it, and can I run it while I'm doing other things. So I picked up the book. The index sent me to page 513. There's CHKDSK. Here's how you run it. But it doesn't run under Windows, you have to schedule it to run and then re-boot windows, and then you get a message saying that this might take a long time. It worked and I could go delete the files.

You know, I think I need to read the whole book. I flipped through it some more while waiting on CHKDSK to run and there's a lot of good stuff here. I particularly liked the idea that it talks about what's included with Windows (many versions) but also includes some commentary on various third party programs that work better, faster or do things that the standard software doesn't do.

The book is in reference format, it's easy to look up things that you need to do. And like with CHKDSK, the things you find are in a section dealing with similar problems.

So while CHKDSK was running I turned to the front of the book. Surprisingly, it's even pretty interesting. And I'm not big on computer books. If you're having trouble with Windows, or planning to have trouble, this is the book I recommend.

Recommended for the New Jersey Computer Club.......2006-01-26

Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows
Reviewer: Fred Sabin, President, NJCC
ISBN Number: 0-7897-3403-6
Posted at NJCC: http://www.njcc.org/news/productreviews/

The New Jersey Computer Club (NJCC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about computer systems, software, and their uses; providing community service to charities and educational groups; awarding an annual NJCC Memorial Award; and sharing knowledge and social activities with other computer enthusiasts. A frequent topic of discussion, and a major need of all of our membership, is how to upgrade, troubleshoot, and repair their computer systems. This book is an excellent and indispensable companion guide and reference to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 16th Edition, on everything associated with computer system operations and problems.

Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows, authored by Scott Mueller and Brian Knittel, and published by Que Publishing, is an up-to-date comprehensive (705 page) book that comes with a two hour instructional and reference DVD. Detailed technical information is very well presented in an easy to read format with extensive diagrams, figures, and tables that both illustrate concepts and organize historical and statistical data for clarity of understanding and ease of use.

There are two main ways of using this book. First, you can utilize it as a learning tool to gain knowledge about an area of interest, such as installing or upgrading a Windows operating system. Second, you can utilize it as a technical reference, to find detailed information on a specific Windows topic or operation. Of major importance is the fact that the text covers not only current data and information, but also historical content on older Microsoft operating systems that may still be in use.

The chapters on "Managing Windows", "Protecting and Securing Windows", "Windows Troubleshooting" and the "Windows Tool and Command References" (Appendix) are of special interest, as diagnostic and troubleshooting operating system problems are significant concerns for our membership. The chapters on "Installing and Upgrading Windows" are also very important for those who need assistance in the installation and/or upgrading of their Windows operating system.

The DVD is especially useful with video presentations by Scott Mueller on "XP Installation", "System Backup", "Windows Optimization", "Eliminate Spyware" (Malware), and "Windows Versions" (History). These segments will be valuable to both novice and experienced users.

I have personally used Scott Mueller's Upgrading and Repairing PCs for many years, and I have always found the content to be very accurate, informative and useful. This companion Upgrading and Repairing Microsoft Windows book has the same characteristics. I have not read either book in its entireity, but I know what is available in each book and where to find it, and when you need the information it is very satisfying to know that you have it readily accessible.

I consider this book as essential for our User Group personnel who provide technical assistance and support for our membership, and I very strongly recommended it to all our NJCC members and other computer users as a learning and self help tool for their own benefit. In my opinion it is by far the best book I have found available on this topic.

Not bad for a first edition, but not quite there.......2005-12-22

I should first state that I am a BIG fan of Scott Mueller and his book series "Upgrading and Repairing PCs". Mueller is THE authority when it comes to PC hardware and I've been his fan since 1995. Thus, I decided to order his first book on the Windows operating system.

Now here's the review of U&R Windows:

Pros:

Mueller goes into the history of DOS and Windows in very intricate detail in the first chapter and it's very interesting. He then proceeds to cover Windows operating system upgrades and installation scenarios. A detailed explanation of the product activation is explained and is most intriguing. Mueller also goes over the different versions of Windows (OEM, Retail and Volume) with differences in each.

Then he goes in the various processes used in Windows startup routines in his famous "last to the minute detail" explanation of registry entries, and system processes. A healthy and detailed list of Windows services, what they are and how they work are given in chapter 4 and reading this chapter was quite enjoyable.

The rest of the book follows with networking, tweaking, troubleshooting, file systems, data recovery, securing the operating system and scripting. I was quite pleased to see a section detailing on how you can reset a Windows administrator password.

Cons:

Chapter 8 of the book, Protecting and Securing Windows, needs a serious re-write and is the most disappointing part of the book. Although 3 competing software firewall are discussed (Norton Personal Firewall, Tiny Personal Firewall and Sygate Personal Firewall), only 2 anti-virus programs (Norton Antivirus 2005 and AVG Free Edition) are discussed. Where is NOD32, Kaspersky or Mcafee?

The spyware removal section is the standard "lock, stock and barrel" answer of using Ad-Aware and Spybot to clean off spyware, with a suggestion to use HighJackThis at the very end. For an advanced Windows repair book like this, I was really expecting more from Mueller.

Completely missing from the book is mention of any of the freeware Sysinternals utilities (Filemon, Regmon, Autoruns, etc) that are so vital to troubleshooting Windows (and FREE!). A discussion of Windows PE or BartPE would make this book golden. Device detection information using system information utilites such as Everest, PCI32 or Belarc Advisor would also be an asset to this book.

Also, a scripting chapter (presumeably made by Brian Knittel, co-author of the book) goes in "deep and heavy" into scripting and seems out of place in a book like this.

Summary:

Overall, I like this book. It appears, however, that Mueller's authority is mostly in the hardware arena and not in the software one.

Embedded System Design: A Unified Hardware/Software Introduction

Average customer rating:

Very Good Book!!!!!!

Embedded System Design: A Unified Hardware/Software Introduction
Frank Vahid , and Tony D. Givargis
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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VHDL for Digital Design
Embedded Systems Design: An Introduction to Processes, Tools and Techniques
Embedded Systems Architecture: A Comprehensive Guide for Engineers and Programmers (Embedded Technology)
C And The 8051
Embedded System Design

ASIN: 0471386782

Book Description

This book introduces a modern approach to embedded system design, presenting software design and hardware design in a unified manner. It covers trends and challenges, introduces the design and use of single-purpose processors ("hardware") and general-purpose processors ("software"), describes memories and buses, illustrates hardware/software tradeoffs using a digital camera example, and discusses advanced computation models, controls systems, chip technologies, and modern design tools. For courses found in EE, CS and other engineering departments.

Customer Reviews:

Very Good Book!!!!!!.......2006-05-12

This books is very good, it tells you the in and out of the embedded system design , from marketing to the design. Very easy to understand. Needs updating on certain protocols.

Linux Appliance Design: A Hands-On Guide to Building Linux Appliances

Average customer rating:

An invaluable, indispensable, thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction
Lots of quirky, interesting content

Linux Appliance Design: A Hands-On Guide to Building Linux Appliances
Bob Smith , John Hardin , Graham Phillips , and Bill Pierce
Manufacturer: No Starch Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Embedded Linux Primer: A Practical Real-World Approach (Prentice Hall Open Source Software Development Series)
The Linux Programmer's Toolbox (Prentice Hall Open Source Software Development Series)
Live Linux(R) CDs: Building and Customizing Bootables (Negus Live Linux Series)
Webbots, Spiders, and Screen Scrapers: A Guide to Developing Internet Agents with PHP/CURL
Practical Packet Analysis: Using Wireshark to Solve Real-World Network Problems

ASIN: 1593271409

Book Description

Linux appliances are computers that serve a single, well-defined purpose. Modern appliances are complex machines, with processors, operating systems, and application software. For example, the Tivo is essentially a Linux-based computer with a single purpose: recording television. While there are books that tell readers how to run Linux on embedded hardware and books on how to build a Linux application, Linux Appliance Design is the first book to demonstrate how to merge the two to create a Linux appliance. Programmers will learn how to build backend daemons, handle asynchronous events, and connect various user interfaces (including web, framebuffers, infared control, SNMP, and front panels) to these processes for remote configuration and control. Linux Appliance Design also introduces the Runtime Access Protocol, which provides a uniform mechanism for user interfaces to communicate with daemons. The accompanying CD includes a prototype appliance - a home alarm system - that supports the book's lessons. The prototype is written using a liberal BSD style license, which allows readers to use and modify the code used in the prototype.

Customer Reviews:

An invaluable, indispensable, thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction.......2007-06-10

Linux continues to increase in popularity and utility among computer enthusiasts. The combined effort of Linux experts Bob Smith, John Hardin, Graham Phillips, and Bill Pierce, "Linux Appliance Design: A Hands-On Guide To Building Linux Appliances" teaches Linux users how to build better appliances for the Linux systems thereby providing them with more types of interfaces, more dynamic interfaces, and better debugged interfaces. Linux users will learn how to build backend daemons, handle asynchronous events, connect various user interfaces, and so much more. Now even the most novice Linux user can add professional network management capabilities to their applications, build a web-based appliance and a command line interface, build a framebuffer interface using infrared controls as input, as well as manage logs and alarms on appliance. If you have a Linux system, then "Linux Appliance Design" will prove an invaluable, indispensable, thoroughly 'user friendly' instruction and reference manual for getting the most out of your do-it-yourself designer software.

Lots of quirky, interesting content.......2007-04-17

First of all, you know that when you see the word "appliance" in this context, you should think more like a router or alarm system (the book uses this as a development framework), not a refrigerator, say. [Although (shudder!) the latter could be a sweet example in the near future.] And, before I write another word I should state upfront: I was a technical reviewer of this book.

I found lots and lots of interest in my "required" reading:

- the authors have developed an API for appliance configuration and control, which they term RTA (Run Time Access). Briefly, a Postgresql library is developed to allow a pseudo-database to store configuration values or issue control commands;

- there's a intriguing chapter on using an infrared remote control as a device to conrol an appliance. It has neat stuff like the observation that one's digital camera can "see" the pulses from a remote control. (Try it at home!);

- the authors cover the ins and outs of the Linux framebuffer device, which is very nice to know;

- the information about SNMP in several chapters is probably the clearest and most succinct I've ever read on this somewhat complicated (dare I say, miserable?) protocol.

It's a fact, there's lot of stuff here you ain't gonna see anywhere else, and with embedded devices you need all the ideas and techniques you can scrape together anywhere you can find 'em!

Programming & Customizing PICmicro Microcontrollers

Average customer rating:

Very informative!
Learning Tools
1184+ PAGES OF WORTHLESS B.S.!
Disappointing and Disappointed
Full of useful information as a reference

Programming & Customizing PICmicro Microcontrollers
Myke Predko
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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123 PIC Microcontroller Experiments for the Evil Genius
The PIC Microcontroller: Your Personal Introductory Course, Third Edition
PICmicro Microcontroller Pocket Reference
PIC Microcontroller Project Book : For PIC Basic and PIC Basic Pro Compliers
PIC in Practice, Second Edition: A Project -based Approach

ASIN: 0071361723

Book Description

This book is a fully updated and revised compendium of PIC programming information. Comprehensive coverage of the PICMicros' hardware architecture and software schemes will complement the host of experiments and projects making this a true, "Learn as you go" tutorial. New sections on basic electronics and basic programming have been added for less sophisticated users along with 10 new projects and 20 new experiments. New pedagogical features have also been added such as "Programmers Tips" and "Hardware Fast FAQs".

Key Features:
* Printed Circuit Board for a PICMicro programmer included with the book! This programmer will have the capability to program all the PICMicros used by the application.
* Twice as many projects including a PICMicro based Webserver
* Twenty new "Experiments" to help the user better understand how the PICMicro works.
* An introduction to Electronics and Programming in the Appendices along with engineering formulas and PICMicro web references.

Customer Reviews:

Very informative!.......2007-06-08

Lots of basic information as well as advanced techniques. If you are just getting into PIC's, this is a great text to start with. If you are already PIC fluent, it makes a great desk reference. The free PCB is a bonus!

Learning Tools.......2007-05-20

This book is a very strong learning tool. An in depth study of Picmicro microcontrollers and how to program them. This is a must have book for anyone who wants to understand what goes on under the hood.

1184+ PAGES OF WORTHLESS B.S.!.......2007-05-08

The best I can say about the book is that the paper has about the same consistency as the Sears-Roebuck catalog of years past.

Disappointing and Disappointed.......2007-04-18

The author and the publisher should be embarrassed by this effort. I have only completed three chapters and I am already frustrated by the many topographical errors which, you would think, in a second edition the author or editors should have substantially removed. I do not claim to be an author or book publisher but I expect those who do to maintain a higher standard than presented in this publication. I purchased this book as a learning tool as the book claims to contain many experiments & projects. However, the projects and experiments as presented in the book are no more than hints without access to the author's software source code. The book makes many references to a CD-ROM which is not included; my copy was in unopened shrink rap. The publisher has made the contents of the CD-ROM available on a web site. The sources files are available for download as a PC executable file however it appears that the executable file is faulty. It appears to be a debug version which does not include all of the necessary files. I have attempted to contact the author on two email addresses both returned as unknown and I have also contacted the publisher. The publishers help desk have acknowledged my email but I hold little hope. If you are considering purchasing this book for the source code files that should be included be prepared to be disappointed.

Full of useful information as a reference.......2007-04-13

This book is not for someone who already understands how a computer works. It is confusing, and in no way can hold your attention for more than a paragraph. The descriptions of the PIC architecture are vague and poorly drawn. It was much easier to understand how the Microchip line works just by reading their manuals. If Mr. Predko really holds this level of relationship with this line of products then he is to be commended, because it is outside the realm of practical use. All this aside, it really is useful for some small code snippets and practical interfacing. Just for that it is worth the money. Don't count on the book to actually deliver insight on the machines operation.

The System Designer's Guide to VHDL-AMS (Systems on Silicon)

Average customer rating:

The System Designer's Guide to VHDL-AMS (Systems on Silicon)
Peter J. Ashenden , Gregory D. Peterson , and Darrell A. Teegarden
Manufacturer: Morgan Kaufmann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

The Designer's Guide to VHDL (Systems on Silicon)
The Designer's Guide to Verilog-AMS (The Designer's Guide Book Series)
Writing Testbenches: Functional Verification of HDL Models, Second Edition
CMOS Circuit Design, Layout, and Simulation, Second Edition
Circuit Design with VHDL

ASIN: 1558607498

Book Description

The demand is exploding for complete, integrated systems that sense, process, manipulate, and control complex entities such as sound, images, text, motion, and environmental conditions. These systems, from hand-held devices to automotive sub-systems to aerospace vehicles, employ electronics to manage and adapt to a world that is, predominantly, neither digital nor electronic.

To respond to this design challenge, the industry has developed and standardized VHDL-AMS, a unified design language for modeling digital, analog, mixed-signal, and mixed-technology systems. VHDL-AMS extends VHDL to bring the successful HDL modeling methodology of digital electronic systems design to these new design disciplines.

Gregory Peterson and Darrell Teegarden join best-selling author Peter Ashenden in teaching designers how to use VHDL-AMS to model these complex systems. This comprehensive tutorial and reference provides detailed descriptions of both the syntax and semantics of the language and of successful modeling techniques. It assumes no previous knowledge of VHDL, but instead teaches VHDL and VHDL-AMS in an integrated fashion, just as it would be used by designers of these complex, integrated systems.

* Explores the design of an electric-powered, unmanned aerial vehicle system (UAV) in five separate case studies to illustrate mixed-signal, mixed-technology, power systems, communication systems, and full system modeling.

* Includes a CD-ROM with code for all the examples and case studies in the book, an educational model library, a quick reference guide for VHDL-AMS, a syntax reference from Appendix E in the book, links to VHDL-AMS resources and Mentor Graphics SystemVision software, which provides a simulation and modeling environment with a schematic entry tool, a VHDL-AMS simulator, and a waveform viewing facility.

Average customer rating:

Dissappointing
Helpful, but already dated
Excellent Software, but Average Book
QUITE THE TRACKER!!
general inner structure of RT

RT Essentials
Jesse Vincent , Robert Spier , Dave Rolsky , Darren Chamberlain , and Richard Foley
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

PCs | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Systems Analysis & Design | Computer Science | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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Perl | Programming | O'Reilly | By Publisher | Books

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Time Management for System Administrators
Pro Nagios 2.0 (Expert's Voice in Open Source)
Nagios: System and Network Monitoring
Practice of System and Network Administration, The (2nd Edition)
Perl Best Practices

ASIN: 0596006683

Book Description

In a typical organization, there's always plenty that to do such as: pay vendors, invoice customers, answer customer inquiries, and fix bugs in hardware or software. You need to know who wants what and keep track of what is left to do.

This is where a ticketing system comes in. A ticketing system allows you to check the status of various tasks: when they were requested, who requested them and why, when they were completed, and more. RT is a high-level, open source ticketing system efficiently enabling a group of people to manage tasks, issues, and requests submitted by a community of users.

RT Essentials, co-written by one of the RT's original core developers, Jesse Vincent, starts off with a quick background lesson about ticketing systems and then shows you how to install and configure RT. This comprehensive guide explains how to perform day-to-day tasks to turn your RT server into a highly useful tracking tool. One way it does this is by examining how a company could use RT to manage its internal processes. Advanced chapters focus on developing add-on tools and utilities using Perl and Mason. There's also chapter filled with suggested uses for RT inside your organization.

No matter what kind of data your organization tracks--from sales inquiries to security incidents or anything in between--RT Essentials helps you use RT to provide order when you need it most.

Customer Reviews:

Dissappointing.......2007-01-11

I was very dissappointed with RT Essentials. I had been using and administering an older version of RT for some time, but when I upgraded to the current version I thought I would benefit from reading this book. There are a lot of new features in the later versions and this book just barely mentions them. I had the feeling that it just almost told me what I wanted to know, but not quite. I would very much like to see an expanded, more detailed more comprehensive edition. I think it would take a book twice the size of the current edition to do RT right. I want complete tutorials on writing scrips, using templates, using custom fields, using saved searches, etc.

Helpful, but already dated.......2006-08-07

Request Tracker (RT) is a great product. I am the only sysadmin at a small company, and having an automated tracking system is going to be an immense benefit for me. I bought "RT Essentials" to help me get up to speed on RT3 really quickly. And, since it was written by the programmer who's responsible for RT, the book had lots of detail and tips.

However, when it came down to implementing some of the code in the book, I found that it was already outdated. For example, I tried to set up the Autoreply template with Password by copying the code straight out of the book. It didn't work because the program codebase has changed too much since the book was released.

I was able to fix my template problem by hooking into the great RT user community, where the author contributes frequently.

All in all, I thought the book was really helpful for getting RT installed and getting me up to speed. For the nitty-gritty, I'd rely on the online wiki and great user community.

Excellent Software, but Average Book.......2006-05-01

We've been using RT for several years. As one happy customer mentions at Best Practical's site, managing a project or service driven organization without RT is like watching TV without a TiVo. The software is powerful, flexible, and above all, adaptable to many styles of management for more than just technology projects. No question, the software gets 5 stars.

This book, however, is largely a reorganization of the information provided with the software. If you prefer to read printed materials instead of PDFs or HTML, this book will save you money on printer paper. But if you're looking for best practices, recipies, or enhancements such as those you'll find in the RT Wiki, you may be disappointed. In fact, for most of the advanced capabilities, you are referred by the book to other resources. The book does contain the occasional nugget, such as a half dozen lines of code to truly delete a ticket and related data. With some searching, you'd be able to find those, and better, at the RT Wiki, such as the particuarly valuable contributions from the University of Oslo (do an A9 search for "RT prosjektgruppen").

Compared to most O'Reilly books which set the bar for excellence, this one is merely average. However, I do recommend this book as an introduction for those considering whether it's worthwhile to move to RT from some other enterprise ticketing system, and for techs to give to managers who are more comfortable with hard copies than electronic documents. For any RT admin, it's certainly worthwhile to have documentation printed and organized in an easy reference, considering how much you've saved on the excellent software itself.

QUITE THE TRACKER!!.......2006-02-21

Are you an end-user, system administrator or developer who interacts with RT on an occasional or regular basis? Authors Jesse Vincent, Robert Spier, Dave Rolsky, Darren Chamberlain and Richard Foley, have written an outstanding book that is for everybody who has to use RT to manage tasks.

Vincent, Spier, Rolsky, Chamberlain and Foley, begin by providing some background about what ticketing systems are and how they can help save your job and your sanity. Then, they walk you through the process of setting up an RT server and configuring sane system defaults. The authors continue by showing you how to get up and running with RT's web interface. In addition, they explain how to interact with RT from your shell or console window. The authors also step you through the basics of turning a virgin RT server into a useful tool for tracking what you need to do inside your organization. Then, the authors show you how to extend RT's standard behavior with custom business logic. Next, they provide a look inside the RT configuration at Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems, a nonexistent company that makes heavy use of RT to manage their internal processes. Next, the authors walk you through RT's files on disk; as well as, the details of its database tables. Then, they describe how DBIx::SearchBuilder works. Finally, they show you how to set up a local sandbox for modifying and extending RT without putting your production server in harm's way.

This excellent book will be considerably more useful to you if you have at least a basic understanding of the Unix command line. Above all, this book will be very useful to you if you also have a basic understanding of Unix systems administration skills, and at least a little bit of experience programming in Perl.

general inner structure of RT .......2005-09-25

The RT Essential describes the general inner structure of RT software.It mainly helps RT user to understand how to install RT and how to use other tool software ,such as perl and mason ,to develope RT for his own construct.It describes each item in RT generally.

RT has many application.many company use it to develope custumer service system,So I hope the author to write developer book on RT for programming.

The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide

Average customer rating:

The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide
A book a PC technician must have!
A book I wouldn't be without.
This book introduces the PC in detail
Good information for the fledgling technophile!

The Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide
Mark Minasi
Manufacturer: Sybex Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Maintenance, Repair & Upgrading | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

PCs | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

Nearly a million readers have found the Complete PC Upgrade and Maintenance Guide to be a problem-solving wonder. In simple, easy-to-follow language, this reference shows you how to prevent disasters and fix them when they occur. Based on authority Mark Minasi's extremely popular worldwide PC upgrade and repair seminars (course price $800!), this book gives a PC owner or support person all they need to know to handle 99 percent of their PC problems. The 9th edition is COMPLETE, with detailed troubleshooting for the latest motherboards, sound cards, video boards, CD-ROM drives, and all other multimedia devices. It even covers notebook computers, laser printers, scanners, keyboards, and serial devices, something no other competitive book does. Bonuses include: a 700-entry Major Hardware Vendor Resource Guide, a 125-page Hardware Dictionary, an A+ Hardware Certification Section, and 2 CDs including utilities such as PC Tune--a $ upgrading and tune-up program, as well as 500 megabytes of videos from Minasi's own seminars.

Customer Reviews:

The Complete PC Upgrade & Maintenance Guide.......2001-12-15

I really like the book. I have the 8th and 9th editions and feel the book is very informative for beginners and for the experienced PC techs. There are thing that I sometimes forget and I use the book to research things. I also use it when I have trouble with my home PC that I built. I don't think I would have gotten as far into computers if I had not had this book to assist me in my education

A book a PC technician must have!.......1999-08-14

This is a technicians bible. I'm just learning about pc repair and upgrading and this book is everything I need to know about when to do what and when not to do something. This is a book I'm going to keep around for a very long time.

A book I wouldn't be without........1999-08-07

An extremely informative book. An essential guide for the beginning PC builder and troubleshooter. Not written in technical language and extremely easy to understand.

This book introduces the PC in detail.......1999-03-26

This book introduces the PC in detail. I like to review it

Good information for the fledgling technophile!.......1999-01-18

Minasi has created a book that spans the development of PC technology. Without a foundation in the history of computer technology, current hardware and software issues would have no meaning.I found the book easy to read, easy to understand and more importantly easy to use as a reference book for computer problems. As computer technology is developing and changing at a rapid rate, books on the subject will be out of date by the time they leave the publishers. This book will endure for several years as an excellent source of computer related information.

Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible, Third Edition

Average customer rating:

A bible !!
Stupendous MacMadness Within!
So good, I based a class on it!
better than Apple Service Source!
Another winner from Todd

Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible, Third Edition
Todd Stauffer , and Kirk McElhearn
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Upgrading and Fixing Macs and iMacs for Dummies
Macworld Mac Secrets
MAC OS 9 for Dummies
Mac OS 9: The Missing Manual
Macintosh Bible, The (9th Edition) (Macintosh Bible)

ASIN: 0764525948

Amazon.com

As David Pogue notes in the foreword to Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible, "The average Windows user must buy a new machine every two years; the average Mac fan keeps a Mac model running for five." One of the reasons that Macs outlive their competitors is their expandability and upgradability. With everything from software tips to detailed explanations of Mac hardware, the Mac Upgrade and Repair Bible will keep your Mac on the cutting edge for years to come (and save you some money in the process). But more importantly, author Todd Stauffer is concerned with personalizing Macs, adding bits of hardware and software that will allow you to record CDs, improve 3-D performance, or add a cable modem. The first two sections of this mammoth book consider the issues involved in making an upgrade decision and then engage the specific needs of a range of upgrades (from scanners to networking tools). The last two sections focus on troubleshooting--avoiding (or recovering from) bombs, freezes, or crashes. Throughout, Stauffer deftly moves from basic explanations to more complex technical matters when he compares, for example, IDE and SCSI hard-drive technology. Black-and-white photos accompanying the text are certain to take the jitters out of under-the-hood work. This is very much a hands-on guide for the serious user. The enclosed CD-ROM includes over 50 freeware, shareware, and demo tools such as Memory Mapper, CacheSaver, TattleTech, and Fonts Manager. --Patrick O'Kelley

Book Description

* Totally revised and enhanced to cover major changes in the Mac market since 2000, including the revolutionary OS X 10.2 (Jaguar)
* Features complete information about the flat-panel iMac line, iBook and eBook, PowerBook G4, Power Macintosh G4, and the process of upgrading from OS 9 to OS X
* Includes coverage of MP3 players, iPod and iTunes, DVD-R, CD-R backup solutions, CD-RW, and much more
* The most complete and authoritative upgrade and repair manual available for Mac users, by a respected Mac expert
* CD-ROM is loaded with powerful utilities and money-saving coupons

Customer Reviews:

A bible !!.......2002-11-12

This book has really help me. It contains information about troubleshoting, installation, upgrade and more. Good graphics, easy to understand tables and easy to follow instructions.

Stupendous MacMadness Within!.......2002-03-30

Tremendous Trememndous. This book helped me upgrade my old SE-30 for use as a networked print server in my apartment. It got me set for networking 7 computers together on a LAN, including the fun ways that Macs talk with Windoze boxes and a Read Hat machine. I love this book!

Shortcuts, ways to speed up the machine, preemptive troubleshooting tips and more interesting info than you could ever retain.

So good, I based a class on it!.......2001-08-17

This book covers most everything the wanna be Mac tech needs to know to be able to get into their system intelligently, without making expensive mistakes. It's not preachy or over technical from my standpoint, and it makes a great reference for when you need to tackle a problem yourself, rather than spending a lot of money for someone like me to come out and fix your computer.

I like the bredth and depth of the information given so much, that I am going to use it as the class text in my free Mac Troubleshooting class at Santa Ana College

better than Apple Service Source!.......2000-01-09

This book is very good. It is one of the few books that is comprehesive of the entire Mac line (from the original mono-MAC to the iMAC). So many Mac books now only focus on the current models forgetting the earlier ones.

It is arranged by topic (memory, hd, input devices, etc.) and very easy to use. It is also suprisingly accurate. Twice I have found the information in the book's spec tables to be accurate where Apple's own ServiceSource specs were incorrect. (If only I had access to where they get their info!) :-)

Want to work on Macs? Get this book!

Another winner from Todd.......1999-12-13

If your Mac's out of warranty, you have nothing to lose by trying to fix it yourself. Stauffer's the man when it comes to clear explanations of needed repairs. I replaced the hard drive and CD-ROM drive following his book's advice. The book paid for itself.

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