How to Expand and Upgrade PCs (3rd Edition)

Upgrading and repairing personal computers isn't hard, since most of the pieces comply with standard specifications and can be made to fit together with a little fiddling. Reading books on the subject, however, can be mightily confusing. That's because hardware books usually have grainy, dark, amateur photographs that show whatever specific component models the authors have on hand, which can make understanding your own components difficult.

How to Expand & Upgrade PCs is different in that it uses high-quality, full-color perspective drawings to show how the pieces of an IBM-compatible personal computer fit together. The drawings illustrate the parts in a generic way, so you're not tripped up by the details of any particular product. Preston Gralla--an accomplished and respected author--backs them up with labels and text. In the case of spreads that explain procedures (like how to change out a hard disk) the text is numbered, step by step.

Some of the drawings show whangingly simple operations--plugging in a keyboard, for example--but most of the illustrations are really valuable. Operations that most people will want to do--such as install a DVD drive or add memory--are emphasized. Make sure you use the Internet to find out about your specific components. --David Wall

Topics covered: Replacing and supplementing the components that make up an IBM-compatible personal computer, and how to add memory, add or replace a hard drive, add a DVD drive, do basic troubleshooting, and lots more.