Peter Norton's Computing Fundamentals

by Peter Norton

Book Overview

Presents a fresh approach to computer concepts in a concise, 12-chapter text. This book is designed for courses that place equal emphasis on computer concepts and hands-on learning. Its includes an... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0072978473
• ISBN13: 9780072978476
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Technology Education
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 2.78 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.0" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

An excellent beginner book on computers

For my "Intro to Computers" class, this was an excellent text. The layout grabs your interest, with beautiful full-color illustrations in a wide variety of layouts. Inserts of stories and examples and practice problems and vocabulary practice at the end of each chapter assist with grasping the most important concepts. I am on the computer every day, but I am not any more than a beginner in my quest for computer "literacy". This was easy to understand, and actually made me want to learn more about the subject. One more point, I used this book in an online class, with no lectures or instructor, so all my information had to come from the book. There was no problem with that.

minimal change from 5th edition

Peter Norton is famous for his file recovery software that he wrote for the Microsoft DOS in the 1980s. He is also a fluent writer, who has refined this long running text into its 6th edition. The content is by far mostly the same as the 5th edition. When he explains the basics about the layout of a computer in a uniprocessor architecture, with memory chips, disk drivers, motherboard and the like, then the details don't change from year to year. Obviously, newer, better items emerge continuously. But the ideas covered in the earlier editions are still very much germane. The book is not just about hardware. Norton then shows what is software, and the myriad types that can run on your machine. Which elides gracefully into networks of computers and the largest of all, the Internet. If you already have an earlier edition of his book, you may want to forgo this one. But otherwise, his book is well worth consideration.

A Book for All Students

Peter Norton has a way of making learning computers enjoyable and interesting. Full of high quality color photographs and illustrations, this book gives you a feeling that you are guided by a patient and understanding instructor, ready to answer even questions you didn't know how to ask. The tutorial disk supplied makes the exercises come to life. A separate instructor version makes teaching the material a breeze for any level of student or class. The material will prepare the student for most hardware or software curriculums. The vocabulary is suitable for high school to college level students. Well worth the moderate cost.