Febuary 14, 2003

O'Reilly's PC Hardware in a Nutshell written by Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson is the odd man out when it comes to their line of nutshell books. This book contains an amazing 750+ pages of content regarding PC hardware and is much more in-depth with regards to the hardware then is typically found in their Nutshell books. This is not to say that the book is bad, but it seems to be more of a comprehensive reference book rather than a quick reference as the other books of the nutshell line.

The book is very comprehensive in the topics covered on PC hardware. Literally every major internal and external component to a personal computer is examined in detail. The book is laid out with two introductory chapters that bring the reader the basics of what it means to work with PC hardware and some of the basics. From there it lays out individual chapters on specific components including the functions of the component, tips for selecting that item when purchasing, how to install it and the authors selected picks for that component. Wrapping up the book is the final chapter that brings together all the information for the components to show the user how to put together a complete PC system with instructions and photographs detailing the steps.

Overall the content of the book is very comprehensive. It goes into great detail regarding the technologies behind the various components and provides handy reference charts for use. In some respects, it tends to go too far in describing these technical issues that are outside of the scope of knowledge required for either the installation or usage of the components. Also, the sheer amount of detail provided can prove daunting when trying to reference a single piece of information. Thankfully O'Reilly provides their excellent index pages for faster reference.

PC Hardware in a Nutshell is a very good reference book, particularly for individuals who want to know more or are interested in building their first computer system from parts. It fails in the aspect of being a quick reference book for experienced individuals due to the sheer size and scope of the book. This does not mean that it lacks good reference material, just that it makes it more difficult to reference quickly. Another item that would be a good addition to the book would be the inclusion of the glossary. PC hardware and computers in general have way too many acronyms and keeping track of what they all mean can be difficult. Also, some of the subjects are dated but this is unavoidable due to the rapid changing nature of the PC hardware industry.