MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements

10 thoughts on “MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements”

1. Review by Michael Coburn for MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements
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   This was my sole study guide for the MCSE Server 2003 based certification path, and I was not disappointed. The format is clear and easy to read. The books do a fantastic job of outlining WHY you are learning something, not just WHAT you need to know to pass the exam. I think this is what sets MS Press books apart from the competition: the book itself is structured to the best LEARNING format, and NOT to just passing the exam. I came away from these books with a much greater appreciation for Microsoft’s Server and AD technologies (I come from a Linux background since 1995 and I’m the first to knock MS), and these books will be on your reference shelf for years to come — or at least until the next version of Server ships.

   It took me since August, 2005 until August, 2006 to obtain my MCSE. These books are BIG. You’ll find yourself re-reading chapters multiple times. First to get the content, then to do the practice questions and end of lesson/end of chapter questions, then finally to review the end of lesson/end of chapter summaries right before writing the exam. But don’t be discouraged. The knowledge that these books impart will allow you to THINK through the exam questions, rather than just basing it on memorization techiques.

   If you’re going to do your MCSE and really want to LEARN, then get these texts. If you just want to pass the exams and never work on Servers, then look elsewhere.

2. Review by Alexandre Borges for MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements
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   I’ve belonged to the Unix world since 1993, working with low level stuff as kernel, device drivers, virus, assembly, C, etc.. and now I’m trying to learn Windows a bit and have enough conditions to take all tests (290, 291, 293, 294). No problems. This a very good kit about MS Windows 2003, well written, well organized and deserve 5 stars.

   Dan Holme worried with all details for us and provided a clear text about MS Windows 2003. Stay calm. It’s very easy to take the
   
   exam.

   Alex (Sao Paulo – Brazil)

3. Review by J. W. Neary for MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements
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   MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit includes 4 books and a CD. Each book focuses on a particular exam: Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294. Together the books are some 4000 pages. While Microsoft has improved the format by including deeper, more focused coverage of exam objectives, case studies and troubleshooting scenarios, there still are many wasted pages and this could have easily been printed with 3000 pages or less, saving a few trees and making the books easier to work with. After wading through an exam, I still felt I needed something more as a final prep. I purchased Stanek’s “MCSE Core Exams in a Nutshell” for this purpose. Stanek packs 2X the detail into 800 pages, making it a terrific value. For 70-292 and 70-296 upgrades, he also provides a roadmap through the guide to make upgrading easier. On the MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit CD, there’s 300 practice questions per exam, with a customizable test engine. The CD also has a120-day evaluation version of Windows Server 2003. The 15 percent exam discount voucher is good toward all four exams (but check the expiration date as its a limited time offer). Overall, MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit is a good choice.

4. Review by Jason Dobbs for MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements
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   I am very pleased with the layout and content in these books. A year ago I took the 70-291 Exam and failed. I had used the Exam Cram 2 books to study, and they did not prepare me in ANY way for the scnenario based testing that Microsoft has moved to. Basically the questions on the Exam Cram tests are no longer than 1 sentence questions with multiple choice answers. Microsoft has moved to scenario questions. You have to read a paragraph then answer questions and generally solve problems with issues in the scenario. In other words, you really have to know your stuff to pass these tests. These books prepare you for the new exam format, and almost 25% of the book is dedicated to example test questions, which are exactly the same type you will find on the exams….

5. Review by JM for MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294): Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Core Requirements
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   Having been in the industry for several years, most IT books are dry, boring, sleep reading. The layout in this set is easy to read and comprehend. The examples are practical and useful. Only drawback to this series is the explanation of the pictorial network configuration errors.

6. Review by Cheryl Laures for Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 FULL VERSION
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   After spending days reviewing everything I could find about Small Business 2007… from the videos at the Microsoft site, to reviews from the private sector, chatting with Microsoft pre-sales to ask all my questions, 1-800-426-9400, (about 7 times over 3 days) and the reviews on Amazon, I decided to take the plunge.

   While reviews from some folks left me concerned about leaving Office 2003 behind after 3 years of heavy daily use, I pressed on.

   I was glad for the tip about cutting through the clear tape (it’s hard to see its there) around the hard plastic package in order for the red tape/tab to be pulled to open the box.

   The install went great. Tip- if you have a previous version of Office on your machine, remove it from your system using the control panel-> add/remove programs. After the removal is complete, re-start your machine before installing 2007. (Some of the pre-sales folks at Microsoft told me 2007 would install over 2003…. wrongo!)

   Initiating Outlook was easy. 2007 remembered all my settings from 2003 and all my folders, sub-folders, signature files and settings and installed them intact. Very nice. (I did make a .pst back-up from 2003 and didn’t need to use it. I do think however, it’s a good idea to have a back-up.)

   I’ve already created some very cool graphics and training forms that I couldn’t do in 2003. Probably a ‘user deficit’! So I guess this bears witness to how intuitive the interface really is for me.

   A lot of folks are bashing the new ‘ribbon’ interface and talking about it functioning slowly and it being difficult to use. This is not my experience at all.

   I have only 512 MB of RAM on the XP OS and 2007 runs no differently than 2003.. no lag time or hour-glass waiting… even with changing between word – power point – and excel docs all open at one time. I guess it depends on what other programs you have running in the background- drawing off your RAM resources. I don’t let anything run in the background except for my anti-virus program and printers. Everything else I open as I need it from my start menu. This is all in how you’ve configured your start up options as your computer boots.

   The ribbon menus are very straight forward, and with mouse over tells you exactly what everything does. Also, if you’re in word and want to do something you used to do in 2003 and can’t figure out how, you can type this phrase into the search field inside word -> “Office 2003 Interactive” (without the quotes).

   This will open a window in your internet browser that will have a view of 2003. You click on the menu selection or item you used to use in 2003, (right on your screen, this is why its called ‘interactive’) and it will show you what you need to do in 2007 to achieve the same task. That’s pretty handy.

   All in all I’m pleasantly surprised. I feel I made a good buying choice after doing my research.

   My recommendation is to do your own research, and look at the videos Microsoft has available which demonstrates how 2007 is different. At least this gives you a visual.

   http://www.microsoft.com/office/newday/default.mspx?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=DF7DDF87-E82B-4DFF-B637-7A7198470DCE
   
   (If this link gets chopped up in the post, be sure to copy and paste the whole link into your browser.)

   And:
   
   http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/FX101635841033.aspx

   Chat with the pre sales folks. If you have a question that is technical in nature and they can’t answer it, they get you in touch with a technical expert specific to the program in office your inquiry is about, at no charge to you. Also you can always download a free trial, and if you don’t like it at the end of the trial don’t buy it.

   I really felt a social obligation to write about my experience to help those who are on a ‘due diligence journey’ as I was. Hope this has been helpful. ;->

7. Review by Joshua Nelson for Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 FULL VERSION
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   The new ribbon design is supposed to make it easier to learn and use. It may be for some new users but for experienced users, it isn’t. This version takes away some critical nuts & bolts customization features and many tasks now take longer to perform. This is not due to the learning curve, it is the inherent nature of the way the ribbon works. Once you are familiar with the program, nothing is faster than the old menu structure. If Microsoft added an option to allow users to choose between menus and ribbons, it would be the best of both worlds, satisfying the needs of both new and experienced users. The new version does not run macros as fast however. My recommedation for existing users: keep Office 2003 for as long as you can and consider going to Open Office when Microsoft no longer supports 2003 (unless they restore the functionality in a newer release of 2007).

8. Review by Ellen Finkelstein for Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 FULL VERSION
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   I’ve been using the beta for a while now, so I know that I like Office 2007. PowerPoint 2007 is especially exciting and new; Word and Excel don’t seem that different to me.

   However, I just bought the full version and I COULDN’T OPEN IT! I felt stupid until I found out that I wasn’t alone. Even with instructions that I found on the Web, I had to call Microsoft. There’s a transparent label over the top that you need to remove before you can pull the red tab to open the box, but you can’t remove the label without tearing the Certificate of Authenticity on top (which I might want if I ever sold it). In the end, I had to take the point of a scissors and squeeze it between the cracks on either side to slit the sides open.

   Next, I put the CD in the drive and nothing happened. I’ve never knowingly turned off autorun (this is a Vista machine). I had to go into Windows Explorer and double-click setup.exe.

   Finally, there are two disks, but no clue anywhere that I can find what the second one is for or what it contains. The installation instructions only mention one disk.

   It was a frustrating beginning.

9. Review by James E. Amos for Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 FULL VERSION
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   Excellent product and improvements. I particularly like the way Microsoft has positioned the navigation/utility buttons at the top – very intuitive. Everything is in one place – no guessing where to find it!

   However, you must remember that when “sharing” your documents with people who do not have Office 2007, you must save it as Office 97-2003 or they won’t be able to open it.

   As usual, Microsoft has made this task easy.

10. Review by SkyDoc for Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 FULL VERSION
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    I’m an expert user of version 2003. Our work computers are now v2007. So far, there are at least 4 things that I used to use/do on a daily basis that are not available in 2007 (e.g., no drawing or tables tool bars) making my job infinitely more difficult and slower. I learn quickly, but this program is not intuitive when changing from 2003. For example, why would “page break” be on one ribbon and all the rest (e.g., the variety of section breaks) somewhere else. The whole list of choices is there somewhere (I found it once), but finding it takes way too much time. When I am in a time crunch (typically) I take my work home to use my 2003. Why isn’t there at least an option for the old style menu so those of us who used to be experts could get up to speed more easily. I’ve been using 2007 for about 6 weeks now and have been acutely wary of the change over phenomenon that creates resistence to using something new. I’ve really tried. I’ve used several kinds of external programs designed to help find things (including the 2007 help menu). This helps occassionally, but I often get the answer that this function is no longer available in the 2007 version. I’m thinking I need to bring my own computer to work to get something done. Avoid 2007 if you can.

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