BKPCBIBL.RVW   950214
 
"The PC Bible", Eric Knorr, 1994, 1-56609-107-1, U$24.95/C$34.95
%A   Eric Knorr et al
%C   2414 6th St., Berkeley, CA   94710
%D   1994
%E   Eric Knorr
%G   1-56609-107-1
%I   Peachpit Press
%O   U$24.95/C$34.95 510-548-4393 800-283-9444 fax: 510-548-5991
%P   885
%T   "The PC Bible"
 
This is a wide-ranging overview of the PC (MS-DOS/Intel based computer), its
parts, and its software.  Biblical, however, it is not.
 
The project is obviously modelled on Peachpit's successful "Macintosh Bible",
right down to the provision of updates.  (In this case, you only get one free
update, slated for the Fall of 1995.)  There are a number of authors. 
Nineteen, in fact, most seemingly columnists or contributors to "PC World"
magazine.  I was, though, somewhat surprised to find that, of the nineteen, I
recognized none of the names.  Unlike the Mac version, in this work individual
authors seem to be responsible for specific chapters.  Styles can be discerned.
 
The material is pitched at a very low level.  This is often the case with
application-specific works, but is unusual in a system guide.  The breadth is
impressive--how to buy, mobile computing, disk drives, monitors, printers,
input devices, upgrading, data protection, simple errors, fonts, word
processing, spreadsheets, presentation, graphics, desktop publishing, database,
communications, utilities, LANs, multimedia, finance, and entertainment.
 
The advice, however, is neither of consistent quality, nor is it explained
sufficiently for users to judge.  The content is "Windows-centric".  (This may
influence other points, such as the advice not to buy "anything else than ...
an SX2-66 CPU".)  CPU speed is emphasized; bus speed (an increasingly important
factor) is mentioned only tangentially.  Analysis of common use and needs is
non-existent.  Readers are told that you can put ISA cards in EISA slots--but
not that doing so returns *all* the EISA cards in the system to ISA
performance.  The "Hot Tips" aren't all that hot.
 
For those with little or no experience in the PC realm, the sheer volume of
material here could be useful.  There are two provisos.  You will have to take
much of it with a grain of salt.  And I really can't see those who *need* it
actually wading through the book.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKPCBIBL.RVW   950214
 
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