Since computers are my hobby, and I am a noob at it

Can someone please tell me some computer repair books, computer programming books, computer terminolgy books or anything else needed to improve my computer skills, it is important since I plan on going into program and repair as a job.:w:

Experience will be your best teacher. The more you do and talk to people who do that thing, the more tricks u learn.

That aside, I would recomend a book or set of books on passing the A+ certification test. I personally used Exame cram, but any will do.

You will need to start taking your computer apart and put mit togather again-working.

You will then need to be able to take your computer apart down to the last screw and put it togather again.

Each time you eill need to install your operating system, all the patches/updates and all your other software.

If you own legal copies, try making a 98 box, then 2000 then xp. Each operating system works a little differently and practice with these three will give you a good start.

Once you are good at "workstations", it will be time to learn "servers" Configuring them will be a task at forst, but with practice, it will become second nature. You will want to get books on servers to help you load and configure it. Here is a real hint, everything works right, the first time in the books-it won't for you-don't worry. Keep trying till it works.

Personally i like the sybex books but most any brand that is designed to help you pass the server tests will do.

Long post, but I hope it helps you.

I can't offer much assistance in line with hardware or networking, but for programming info there's quite a few websites out there with tons of information.

If you've never done any programming before, you do have a bit of stuff you need to do to even get going--find a good programming language to start off in, and get the tools necessary to use it (ie a compiler/interpreter). Just about every programming language worth using has a fairly steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of one it's normally pretty easy to pick up another one.

Even though they're kinda harsh when you're just beginning, I'd recommend C/C++, Java, or Pascal. There's plenty of support, they're really popular langauges, and there's plenty of free stuff available for them. Pascal isn't quite as popular as it used to be, but it was designed as a teaching language and it's quite capable of most anything you'll ever want to throw at it. If you want more info, feel free to send me a U2U.

As far as websites to help you learn, that really depends on your language choice. www.programmersheaven.com... is a decent starting point; so's www.codeproject.com.... If you could give a bit more detail on what you're wanting to accomplish with programming--video games, general programming, databases, basic scripts to speed up other tasks--let me know and I can probably be a bit more useful.

Besides the wise advise above, a good start is as easy as...

One

Two

Three


Best of Luck

Originally posted by mrmonsoon
You will need to start taking your computer apart and put mit togather again-working.

You will then need to be able to take your computer apart down to the last screw and put it togather again.

That's the best possible advice. No amount of reading can give you the same knowledge as on hand experience. Fiddle with EVERYTHING! Try every single program. Start with DOS, and work your way through operating systems. And also read the newest PC mags to stay up to date. Just keep in mind that IT is an extra-ordinary wide field. You cannot possibly know everything and every single abbreviation. Choose your field of expertise and focus on that (but don't neglect the others either!)

I might add that you might want to learn the basics of other systems as well--Mac OSX and one or two popular Linux distros. They're vaguely similar--same basic principals at least--and unless you're wanting to become a Linux admin you don't need to really learn all the ins and outs of it, but you should be somewhat familiar with them. Also, if you're wanting to get into programming, coding on a Unix box is a bit different from a Windows machine (a bit more "raw" in my opinion, if that makes any sense.)

It's a nice way to familiarize yourself with every aspect of a computer.
I get parts from wherever I can get a good price, and I like to cobble together the parts into working systems. Sometimes they take on strange forms, and some can be a little unconventional.
But I've sure learned a lot from the process.
You can see one of my modified computers in pictures at this thread:
Members Doing Mods....
The computer looks like a microwave oven.

I love to take things apart to learn, so I got a good start by just stripping down my own computer, cleaning it and mapping out the inside, then putting all the parts back together. It's a fun challenge and an education at the same time.

Beware though, the more you know about computers, the more friends, friends of friends, and family you'll have calling for free help. :shk:

Originally posted by anxietydisorder
Beware though, the more you know about computers, the more friends, friends of friends, and family you'll have calling for free help. :shk:

Amen. If I just got paid minimum wage for all the hours I've spent helping even just my mom and dad set up email, get the internet going, install a program--not even hardcore stuff, just basic computer use--I could probably buy a small, third world nation.