Solid foundation on Neworks -- Passed on the first try!
928367
I'll start by saying I was a bit upset with the book/authors because the first few questions on the test were badly explained simulations which threw me for a loop and the book does not mention them at all. That put me on edge throughout the whole test thinking that I was missing a bunch of stuff.

However, in the end I passed on my first try and it was only two of those weird simulations. The book does warn about CompTIA often making changes on their test. And I did remember reading about the simulations in the CompTia site. I think they are a good concept, but I don't think they work in their current form.

But let me return to the book...
I am mostly a self taught programmer/tech guy (the reason why I wanted to take these tests,) and many of the things that the Network+ book talks about I have either worked on or been involved with at some point. I just wish that I had read this book back then, so that I had a better understanding of what I was doing.

In that respect the book does a great job explaining, cornball humor and all, how the different networks that surround us function and how to put them together. So that I walked away not only with a Network+ certification, but with a solid understanding of networks that I can put to use right away.

I can also bore my dinner guests to tears with the more than 17 different cable types, their connectors and how far they carry a signal.
4747667
You'll find out fairly quickly that the book does not cover elementary networking topics that beginners may be lacking. I [strongly] suggest to any future readers that they acquire a good foundation regarding the building blocks of networking. I support a previous reviewer's suggestion when he/she stresses, "Learn the concepts of basic networking! They are the foundation upon which you will build your understanding of other, more advanced, voice, video, and data networking technologies."
  I find the material very easy to understand and the order/flow of the chapters adhere strictly to the Cisco blueprints. I truly appreciate Paul's inclusion of CCENT takers as he gears the first part of the book to those taking CCENT and places a bookmark as to where to stop if you are taking intro test. I also like the breakdown into the days. The same aforementioned reviewer's following statement sums up my feelings as a whole when he finishes, "It's evident that Paul Browning's publications, video courses and practice exams have helped many individuals obtain the Cisco CCNA certification. No need to take my word for it. Go look at his website and you'll see the proof!"
  Many thanks to Paul and his selflessness demonstrated throughout his many helpful and affordable texts. Cisco CCNA in 60 Days is an excellent training resource. Bought + studied + followed simple directions = passed exam.
1910999
Got a copy of Ash's Running Lean through an AppSumo offer while it was still beta. Easy to read, easy to understand, no useless trash-writing, simply lean. I liked it much and felt motivated to try the concept out. "Why not? Ash's tutorial is pretty straight-forward, it takes me two hours max to map my idea to the lean canvas. Let's do it!" - I said to myself. Well, after two weeks I was still struggling to finish my first canvas. Then I realized: lean concept looks simple and neat but it's just the result you see, the surface of the iceberg. The real work is hidden beneath and takes time to develop, to evolve. And it's pretty hard, because you are forced to give up the exciting yeah-that's-gonna-make-it thinking of your creative part and face the real world instead aka "test results or it didn't happen". But that's fun, actually - I'm finally through with the canvases, hypothesises and interview scripts. Now I'm wondering how many of my assumptions will be mercilessly shot down by the interviewees and what I can learn from them.
4123298
I wasn't sure what to make of a foundation that comes in a relatively small box. I'm surprised. I think it's as sturdy, if not sturdier than the foundation we replaced.

Inside the box are the wooden header and footer the side rails, two center supports, and the horizontal slats. There's also a one-sheet set of instructions and all the hardware. All you need is a hammer and a screwdriver.

Instructions and Assembly:

The assembly is where the product loses the fifth star. The instructions are clear, but were for the queen frame. After laying things out, we discovered the king foundation had two supports for the center, not the one shown in the picture. It was easy enough to figure out.

Bolts, nuts, and washers connect the framing. They worked well on the header, side, and center supports. The footer got a little trickier because by the time we'd connected the two sides to the footer, the holes for the center supports did not line up perfectly, so we had to play around to get the holes to line up without taking everything apart. After that is all bolted together, the slats go on horizontally. There are cut-out slots where the slats fit into. We needed a hammer to make two of the warped slats fit correctly. Those slats are screwed into place with wood screws, again included, and the slats are pre-drilled, making this a quick job.

Issues:

We did have the issue with two of the slats not fitting properly. We could have shaved off an 1/8th of an inch, but the hammer did seem just as effective. Also, after unpacking, one of the slats was cracked, but we opted to use that one closest to the footer since the feet are the lightest part of the body when you're sleeping.

The cover pulls on with force and it did take some force to get the final corner covered completely. The final step, pulling and securing the drawstring, took a matter of seconds once the foundation cover was on.

Overall:

I really like the foundation. It's solid, went together in 30 minutes, and didn't take a lot of work to get up the stairs and into our bedroom.
4272451
I used this book, the Sun Learning Connection Web Based Training courses 'Fundamentals of the Java Programming Language (J2SE)' and 'Java Programming Fundamentals' and the first test in the Sun Learning Connection Java Technology ePractice Certification Exams, and I passed the SCJA exam on my first attempt this morning. It's a great little resource.

Lessons learned:
 - Slow down! Take your time and read the question and all of the possible answers completely through before actually answering the question
 - Read carefully - sometimes the difference between a right answer and a wrong answer is one little semicolon
 - Book some study time on your calendar and schedule your test - this will give you some incentive to actually take the time to prepare and will help prevent you putting the test off until it's more 'convenient'

Michael Slater's suggestion to go through the book, then supplement with other sources and then go through it again is spot-on. Make sure you read and understand the answer explanations thoroughly, especially for the questions that you answer incorrectly.

If you master the information in this book you should be able to pass the exam without too much difficulty. Good luck!
1458498
Completed my first project and had no issues.
276846
I purchased this item to protect the screen on an iPad (3rd generation), and had no previous experience installing ArmorSuit products, so I went to YouTube to view their tutorial video before attempting my install.  I'm glad I did, as that was very helpful in allowing me to see and believe that adding 'fluid' to anything near my expensive electronics was OK!

In addition to the ArmorSuit video, I looked at a few other videos by users like me who were installing ArmorSuit or similar products.  They gave great tips like using a non-skid mat underneath the iPad to help hold it in place during installation. Starting at the bottom and working your way up also was a helpful tip. Having a back-up device for at least 48 hours while the ArmorSuit shield dries and adheres to the device, is also a point to consider before you start this project.

Installation isn't 'easy' but if you take your time, you'll get a great result. Follow directions and watch the tutorial video on ArmorSuit's YouTube channel.

Be sure to wash your hands, wet your fingers, and spray the solution on the ArmorSuit MilitaryShield, but NOT on the iPad! You do want it wet, not just damp, but when you are using the included squeegie to push out bubbles you're also going to get moisture.  Have a paper towel or other to collect that moisture and go slowly to protect your device.

Once you're satisfied with how the shield is placed, and have smoothed out the majority of bubbles, go over it a second time with adequate pressure (using the small squeegie device that's in the box) to press out any moisture to the edges.  Go from the middle outward, all around the screen, catching any fluid that seeps out.  Then leave it alone to dry for at least 24 hours.

I made the mistake of trying to put my iPad into a case, after 24 hours and ended up lifting the ArmorSuit shield partially off one side.  I beat myself up for that one, as I think if I'd let it go to 48 hours... it would have not lifted at all.

When I put it on I saw lots of little bubbles, and streaks where the squeegie had rubbed the screen.  I wasn't convinced those would be gone in 24 hours, but much to my amazement, they were!  A few dust bits got undearneath the shield (despite my attempts to minimize this) and are visible, but not in places where they affect my enjoyment of the device.

I am impressed by the clarity of this screen protector.  I would reommend the finished product, with a small warning about possible lifting of the edge by certain cases and the long process of installation which make freak some people out a bit as it involves moisture and your iPad with a small risk of damaging the device.

UPDATE: 1/7/13 - Installed this product on a 2nd iPad 3, and added video of installation to review.  Hope it helps you!
3193666
I have only been on a SUP one time before (an afternoon long class), so add-in whatever "newbie factor" you think is necessary. Still I can at least compare it to the hardboard I was on for half a day.

It tracks well (I am sure my stroke is not yet perfect), and even with my poor (but improving) form it goes where I want it to and I don't have to constantly correct drift.

It rides well. Anything that requires balance will feel tipsy at first, and you will constantly correct. But once I was out for about an hour or so, it felt stable. And it seemed to move efficiently- when I finally got going, it moves well for each stroke.

So I can't speak to any experts looking at the board, but I can tell you that a beginner will do well with the iRocker. I did upgrade the paddle to a carbon fiber, but aside from the weight issue, the one that came in the package seems pretty decent. The manual pump also works well (although I upgraded to a DC electric pump). To anyone saying the gauge doesn't work- 6PSI is a LOT higher than you think... long after the board is firm. (So keep pumping- the needle will eventually start moving!)

I can tell paddlers of any level that iRocker provided me with excellent customer service. From taking my call outside of posted hours, to walking me through how to swap out a bad valve (it was easy), to shipping the new valve by priority mail so I can use my board this first weekend in the 90s- these guys stepped up. I happy with my board, but I am thrilled with this vendor. Good service deserves a shout out- so thank you iRocker.
328246
Getting started with R was a bit of a challenge.  I almost gave up:  sure, I could struggle through most problems and eventually get the job done, but the experience was frustrating.  I finally came across the pdf of this book, and immediately ordered the print version.  The authors of this book managed to include the most important details to help an R beginner without burying them in unnecessary minutia. I sat down with this short book over a weekend, worked through it and came away with a solid foundation in R.  I almost immediately started understanding how R "thinks."  Once that foundation is in place, it becomes very natural to use R, and very easy to learn about features and packages not covered in this book.

Yes, this book is available as a free pdf.  Such generosity on behalf of the authors certainly shouldn't be punished with low ratings as some reviewers have done; they should rate the content.  Since the book serves as a tutorial, it is much nicer to have a physical copy sitting on your desk (especially if you only have one screen).
1522731
I recommended strongly for new believers.  This is a good book to lay a solid foundation with.  It is a great tool in getting new believers 'minds renewed'. They have to start thinking different and get free from the strongholds in their minds before they can start to grow.  This is a good crawl, walk, run foundation to start with.
15408
Perfect fit on the first try.  I was surprised that it even came with a new grommet for the floor penetration.  The gasket is an excellent gasket as well.  Great product!
2054615
I got this kit plus one additional adapter to test along with a new Linksys WRT-400n router and a pair of Airlink AWLL6075 Wireless N mini adapters to do comparison testing. I was amazed when I first plugged the two adapters that come with the kit. They were registering a 279Mbs connection between them. I am able to max out my 24Mbs comcast connection consistently on speedtest.net. I am also able to do the same wirelessly, though the connection Tx rate is only 65Mbs and the Rx rate is 117Mbs. However, test results are not consistent using the Airlink AWLL6075's connected to a Mac Pro tower and PC located less than 30 feet from the router. I have more testing to do with actual video streams but so far the TrendNet adapters are looking very promising. Will update later. Did not do any actual file transfers to measure real world throughput but will get to that next.

----Update (7/20/11)------
I finally got around to doing a bit of real world testing. I have so many projects going on I have not yet actually put these into production use yet. However, once I finish building my NAS box for I will need them for streaming full time. I did a file copy test of a 3GB disk image from a Mac Pro to a MacBook Pro and measured actual throughput at 68Mbps. Though nowwhere near 500Mbps it is good enough for HD streaming. This was with standard Apple file sharing. The NAS will be sharing NFS mounts so my hope is that the throughput will increase with NFS. We'll see. Also there is a firmware update available that I have not done. Hopefully that boosts performance also. I'll add another update when the NAS is online. So far still satisfied with them.
3430335
I have a 500 sq-ft basement with an oil tank, boiler and water filtration system and wanted to turn it into livable space and partition out those items at the same time.  Without ANY prior experience with putting up walls or anything like that, I looked for a good book and came across this one.  It looked promising so I gave it a try and it turned out to be the perfect book.  There are a lot of great photos and diagrams to accompany the instructions and it all made the project easier than I expected.  I do have to admit, we had one section of our basement professionally finished prior to me starting on the other sections and while the contractor was downstairs working on it, I would periodically go downstairs to watch and learn.  This book more or less enforced some of the things I saw him doing.

For anyone considering a project like this for the first time, it may seem overwhelming.  Getting started was the toughest part.  I remember my buddy and I just staring at the basement ceiling to figure out where to start and we were just staring for the longest time.  Once we got started and secured the first 2x4 we were moving fast and things began coming together much quicker than expected.  It was actually fun at times too!  I had the drywall professionally plastered (or mudded, whatever you want to call it) and he was the same guy that did the other section of the basement.  He was very surprised with the quality of my work and has praised me several times for it especially knowing this was my first project.  Thanks to the book!
3566979
I received my RN104 from NETGEAR as part of a review and test program.  I haven't had a lot of time or opportunity to run it through all the paces yet, but being that I am a tester, and very appreciative of this opportunity, I plan to re-visit this review as I gain more experience with it over time.
I must say, the setup was less than optimal, as the steps in the screen shots in the manual didn't really match those in the setup program.

Connections are easy and  straight forward.  The unit was detected immediately and began initializing immediately!  The chassis is sturdy and well made.  The handy LCD screen on the front provides operational status.

I am a repeat NETGEAR customer and have a registered user account.  I forgot my original account password which started me down a 2 hour long path with the helpdesk just trying to register the product to my account, only to find out that the unit had self-registered upon my initial connection and login.  The registration documentation did not mention anything about the automatic registration, but only after it was confirmed by the support engineer did I learn about it.

The support engineer was very helpful and stepped me through the entire process of registering my admin account and family member accounts for the ReadyNas Cloud and iTunes sharing.  I have yet to test the Cloud server functionality and will be checking-in to update this review as I have more opportunity to test the performance of this unit.

The monitoring software is very informative and provides an easy to use interface to interact with the drive settings and other admin functions.

More to come...
1327404
I used the combination of Flash cards and study guide to successfully pass my ASP on the first attempt.  Hoping for the same for CSP.
900894
I bought this because I was taking an assembly language/micro-controller class in school and wanted a way to program my PIC microcontrollers (PIC16F877A) at home for bread-boarding with as little fuss as possible.  This did the trick just fine.  My first impression was how solid and well made it feels.  To see something like this with a nice solid metal base plate seems like a throwback to a bygone era.  Definitely not cheap or gimmicky.  It took a little bit of research on my part to get it up and running, but considering I eventually had it working with zero prior experience, I imagine most people should have no problem.  Overall a good product and I'm happy with my purchase.
1836388
I bought the chains, this is a personal review. Did the trial install in the driveway today and I got the chains on first try.  Seriously, I am not strong and I have never done this before, was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to manage this and they went right on. Didn't think I would be able to get the tensioners secured but following the top to bottom, side to side method I managed it. Our last chains were $25 cheaper, were a nightmare to line up and get on, and then in and out of the car trying to secure the tension. I can't wait to see the husband's face when I put the chains on next trip! Then it goes back to being his job :)
Will post photos after first snow.