If you're one of the many who has decided to build your own personal computer system, you know that doing so can be quite a challenge. The information can be overwhelming--and so can the number of choices.It's true, whether you're perusing online sites, or wandering the aisles of your favorite retail store, shopping for PC components is no easy task. Until now. Thanks to PC Hardware Buyer's Guide, the experience of building your own PC system has never been easier.This handy pocket guide is the ideal shopping companion for do-it-yourself types. Loaded with valuable information, it starts off by providing a piece-by-piece overview of all the components that comprise a standard desktop computer. Then it sinks its teeth into the crux of the issue: how to choose the right parts for you, based on your particular profile (gamer, mainstream user, etc.). It does so by helping you identify which parts are:
- Compatible to each other
- Regarded as the best performing
- Closest in line with your budget
For quick-lookup purposes, the PC Hardware Buyer's Guide even includes a simple reference chart with recommended brands and models. Just refer to the chart and the guesswork is gone. And don't worry about the shelf-life of the information, either. The PC Hardware Buyer's Guide features several rules of thumb for choosing components that endure past the latest models, so you don't need to buy a new guide with each passing year.In a market where very little written information exists, this is the only pocket guide that covers PC hardware.
About the Author: Robert Bruce Thompson is a coauthor of Building the Perfect PC, Astronomy Hacks, and the Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders. Thompson built his first computer in 1976 from discrete chips. It had 256 bytes of memory, used toggle switches and LEDs for I/O, ran at less than 1MHz, and had no operating system. Since then, he has bought, built, upgraded, and repaired hundreds of PCs for himself, employers, customers, friends, and clients. Thompson reads mysteries and nonfiction for relaxation, but only on cloudy nights. He spends most clear, moonless nights outdoors with his 10-inch Dobsonian reflector telescope, hunting down faint fuzzies, and is currently designing a larger truss-tube Dobsonian (computerized, of course) that he plans to build.
Barbara Fritchman Thompson is a coauthor of Building the Perfect PC and PC Hardware in a Nutshell. Barbara worked for 20 years as a librarian before starting her own home-based consulting practice, Research Solutions, and is also a researcher for the law firm Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge, & Rice, PLLC. During her leisure hours, Barbara reads, works out, plays golf, and, like Robert, is an avid amateur astronomer.
