| MCDST Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-271): Supporting Users and Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System, Second Edition (Pro-Certification) | 
| Authors: Walter Glenn, Tony Northrup
Publisher: Microsoft Press
Category: Book
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $34.90
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (37 reviews)
Sales Rank: 7813
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Platform: No Operating System
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 2nd
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 944
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 7.7 x 2.3
MPN: 9780735622272
ISBN: 0735622272
Dewey Decimal Number: 005
EAN: 9780735622272
ASIN: 0735622272
Publication Date: October 26, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 great product and service December 28, 2007
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
the product arrived in excellent condition and in excellent timeing. It was earlier than what amazon had prodicted.
Pretty, pretty good December 21, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I thought the book was very easy to read, organized, consistent and the format of each section led you through a predictable path. It walked me through quite a few areas of the operating system that I was not previously familiar with. It struck me as a little strange that all the external references were to the Microsoft web site, as if Microsoft were the only entity in the universe. It was annoying that many times, a desktop support technician was referred to in this manner: "As a desktop support technician (DST)". After the first 20 times, I think we get the fact that DST stands for "desktop support technician". This is like referring to EVOO as "extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)" 10 times during a Rachael Ray segment. There may be inaccuracies in the book, but I guess I was only familiar enough with the subject matter to notice a few. I did like the way the answers to the objective questions explained why the correct answer was correct, and the wrong answers were wrong. I found it helpful to have a spare computer around on which I installed the evaluation version of XP (so I could trash it if I needed to), and I also had two more spare hard drives that I used to experiment with dynamic disks. I happened to have an additional spare computer running the evaluation version of Windows Server 2003, which I used to create a domain to play with. I think overall it is a good book for those that want to get familiar with XP.
The sample tests on the CD nearly drove me to insanity. I wanted to bang my head against the desk, sobbing, wanting to reach through the monitor and repeatedly slap the author. This was alpha code, and it looked like there was a lot of pressure to get it out the door by some deadline (unlike the somewhat OK quality of the objective review questions, which were a repeat of the questions in the book). You are at times required to float fifteen to twenty objects (places, people, things) in your head while you are presented with a problem where only three or four of those objects are pertinent to the issue at hand. Then, as you look through the possible answers, the correct answer is either not there or maybe it is, but when you choose it, you are wrong! It's not there or you are wrong because a critical piece of information was not provided! You didn't know Sam changed the file, how could you know? Why on earth would you make the assumption that Sam changed the file? When you pick the answer that is most likely, you find out you were wrong, but so was the author's answer, making for an impossible situation. Maybe this aggravation is to meant to prepare you for the pressure you will experience on test day, I don't know, is this a good thing? I'm not convinced this insanity was deliberately created to help you learn the material, there is too much sloppiness to give any credence to this theory. There are also sloppy editing errors all over the place in the test, the original and replacement text are both shown (forgot to remove changes), for example "STOPStop". Of course, many questions work as they should, so I can't be too harsh, especially since the test was included at no additional cost, and it did lead me to additional study material (stuff that was not covered in the book - which now raises the question: why wasn't it in the book?). In a few instances, the incorrect graphics were used. My guess is there is one issue or another on 30% of the questions. At any rate, I enjoyed the book, learned a lot, and passed the test.
 Book decent...CD..Measure Up should be embarrassed December 14, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Book was decent. In some cases the book only covers enough detail to make you realize you need to search elsewhere for answers. And that's okay. There are only a few minor errors in the book. Worth a study.
The CD that is packaged with it comes from Measure Up. I think a chimp must have done the editing on the questions. There are questions where the graphic does not even go with the question. Others where you are not allowed to choose all the necessary answers. Some are just out right wrongly answered.
I wrote Measure Up a nasty gram. I can't believe the poor quality.
This is as much Microsoft Presse's fault as it is theirs though.
Anyway, I take my exam today. I feel prepared but only because all these errors in the questions actually caused me to dig for the correct answers. Not a fun way to study.
If I could go back and start over, I would purchase something else.
This "kit" will only frustrate you December 6, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The book itself is OK. Pretty easy to read, but they have set it up with "chapters within a chapter" that are very difficult to keep organized. At the end of each mini-chapter are a few questions, but the answers to them are all found grouped together at the end of the main chapter. Makes for a lot of page turning and flipping back and forth. (Yes, it is as confusing as it sounds)
The content is pretty good - pretty easy to understand.
The CD with the practice tests is an ABSOLUTE HORRENDOUS JOKE! It could not be any worse than how it is. The "correct" answers to their questions sometimes completely contradict the text in the book. You can actually open the book to the information, and look up at the practice test to see completely wrong information.
The practice tests questions often require "opinion" answers, rather than having a "right or wrong" selection. Even their explanations to the answers are sometimes so ridiculous that you just want to scream at your monitor! It IS that bad.
I would totally avoid this purchase, solely based on the terrible practice tests that are provided with it. Practice tests are going to be what determines when you are ready, and these tests will do nothing but make you mad, make you start second-guessing yourself on what you know, and ruin your overall preparation experience.
Any other reviewer that has mentioned this same stuff is spot on!
Microsoft is a large enough company to have at least looked over the test CD before printing it, so I cut them no slack. I would look elsewhere for study material.
Not worth the money October 15, 2007
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
* Here are the good things about this book
+ You get 15% discount when u buy the voucher.
+ Lot of pictures, so beginners won't be scared reading it.
+ Lot of EASY exam questions in the text book.
+ Text font is huge...I like it.
* Here are the bad things about the book
+ The material is written only 50% toward the MCDST 20-271 exam. What this means is that you will gain a better understanding on how to use Windows XP after reading this book, BUT NOT TO PASS THE TEST.
+ This book is more written to answer the question HOW, but NOT "WHAT IF."
+ 50% or more questions on the practice exam are extremely confusing. This includes wordiness, unnecessary text, extremely long sentences and irrelevant subjects, objects, including the user in question, what is he doing, what does he want.
+ Most questions are 2-3 paragraphs with 5-6 sentences in each. Yet, the paragraph is so confusing and pointless that you will not even understand the question, not even talking about how to answer it.
+ More than 60% of the answers on the practice exam actually come from real hand on experience and not from the book. You will not find the answers for the practice exam from the book.
+ The practice exam on the CD have VERY small font size. I have to increase my display setting DPI to 200% just so I can read it. This is ridiculous.
+ The practice exam on the CD is buggy, I can't even print the questions and results of the test, even the option to print is available.
**** The conclusion
+ Buy the book anyway, you get 15% discount price on the test
+ The book has more than 311 practice questions. Answering them will help you understand the material more. Of course, this means you must read another beneficial book before reading this book.
+ ... And that's pretty much it.
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