Microsoft Visio Professional 2007 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I been using Visio Enterprise 2003 for the last 3 years with Sql Server 2000. My only use of visio relates to database modeling. Once the drawing is been approved, I simply used "Update" option to update database. The update option is a time saving feature in a rapid application development environment for changing relationship, keys and constraints. Writing those changes back to Sql Server is a smooth process.
Recently i changed my development environment to SQL Server 2005 and figured out that Visio 2003 Enterprise does not work with SQL Server 2005. So I decided to buy visio professional 2007 to use the single feature of database modeling.
Upon installation, I figured that there is no option for writing changes back to SQL Server 2005 in either version of Visio (2003 Enterprise, 2007 Professional). In simple there is no "update" or "generate" command in visio professional 2007.
Put it simple. If you want to use database modeling and hoping to write those changes back to SQL Server 2005 with visio, DON'T BUT IT......IT WILL NOT WORK

Click Here to see more reviews about: Microsoft Visio Professional 2007

Office Visio 2007 makes it easy for IT and business professionals to visualize analyze and communicate complex information systems and processes. Using professional-looking Office Visio 2007 diagrams you can improve your understanding of systems and processes gain insight into complex information and use that knowledge to make better decisions for your business. Using Office Visio 2007 visually document design and fully understand the state of your business processes and systems with a wide range of diagrams business process flowcharts network diagrams workflow diagrams database models and software diagrams just to name a few. Make diagrams more useful by linking them with underlying data to provide a more complete picture. Office Visio Professional 2007 will make it easy for IT and business professionals to visualize analyze and communicate complex information systems and processes with clear compelling diagrams. By using Office Visio 2007 people will be able to easily visualize information from multiple data sources to better understand the current state of systems and processes analyze information visually to highlight key trends and exceptions and share diagrams broadly for effective and efficient decision-making.GeneralCategory:Office applicationsSubcategory:Office applications - projects / processLicense Type:Complete packageLicense Qty:1 userLicense Pricing:StandardDistribution Media:CD-ROMPackage Type:RetailPlatform:WINSystem Requirements / OS Required:Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or laterUNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code:43233004Product IDUPC:882224157476Manufacturer Part:D87-02785

Get 20% OFF

Click here for more information about Microsoft Visio Professional 2007

Read More...

MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-647): Windows Server Enterprise Administration Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If you've used MS Press before, you will experience more of the same in this book. I read the book, used the practice tests, and bought the Self-Test software. I snuck by with a 752 to earn my Enterprise Administrator. The book (and test) focuses on design, and gives you some very nice real-world advice on how to design complex Microsoft-based Networks. It even gives you some managerial advice, which actually gives you a nice sense of pride as you read the book and know what a great certification you're about to earn.
There's no magic to taking MS Exams - my formula for every exam in the Enterprise Admin track was:
1. Read a book. Don't stress over nailing every concept. I used the MS Press books. Just read it leisurely to learn.
2. Go through the practice test CD in the book. Be able to score 80% consistently.
3. Buy a second practice test (I like Self-Test). Be able to score 80% consistently.
For the practice tests, focus on the incorrect answers as much as the correct answers. Know WHY an answer is right/wrong. I don't even use the real cert mode on the tests, I just use the practice mode and learn why the answer is what it is.
Good luck! You'll like the book if you've made it this far.

Click Here to see more reviews about: MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-647): Windows Server Enterprise Administration

Announcing an all-new SELF-PACED TRAINING KIT designed to help maximize your performance on 70-647, a required exam for the new Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator certification. This 2-in-1 kit includes the official Microsoft study guide, plus practice tests on CD to help assess your skills. It comes packed with the tools and features exam candidates want most including in-depth, self-paced training based on final exam content; rigorous, objective-by-objective review; exam tips from expert, exam-certified authors; and customizable testing options. It also provides real-world scenarios, case study examples, and troubleshooting labs for the skills and expertise you can apply to the job.
Focusing on Windows Server 2008 enterprise administration, topics include planning networks and application services; designing core identity and access management components; planning for migrating, upgrading, and restructuring domains and forests; implementing PKI; and designing virtualization strategy.
Work at your own pace through the lessons and lab exercises. Then assess yourself using 300+ practice and review questions on the CD, which features multiple, customizable testing options. Choose timed or untimed testing mode, generate random tests, or focus on discrete objectives. You get detailed explanations for right and wrong answers including pointers back to the book for further study. You also get an evaluation version of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition and an exam discount voucher making this kit an exceptional value and a great career investment.
Key Book Benefits:
ÂIn-depth coverage of exam objectives and sub-objectives plus instructive case studies and troubleshooting scenarios to enhance your performance on the job Â300+ practice and review questions ÂTest engine that enables customized testing, pre-assessment and post-assessment, and automated scoring and feedback ÂHandy exam-mapping grid ÂEvaluation version of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition Â15 percent exam-discount voucher from Microsoft (limited time offer) ÂEntire study guide in searchable eBook format

Click here for more information about MCITP Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-647): Windows Server Enterprise Administration

Read More...

Professional SharePoint 2010 Branding and User Interface Design (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)What's in this book my manager, users, and I have been waiting for. This is a great start in branding and User design work for SharePoint 2010. I've been really busy setting up our corporate farm and working with some of our developers on cool new solutions. Now I can deliver them with a solid brand and a fresh look and feel that is unique and professional. This book will set you on a course with fresh ideas and confidence.
I've spent the last few days with this book and being new to SharePoint and specifically new to SharePoint 2010 I really appreciate the depth the authors have used in their topics. Everyone will get something from this book. From the new SharePointer to the old salt, there is something here for everyone.
I truly appreciated the sections on customizing the ribbon, wireframes, and the entire section on SharePoint Designer 2010. I also now have a new perspective on waffles!! If nothing else this book will keep you wanting a delicious breakfast treat!!
Black Friday is upon us, what a perfect gift for that SharePoint geek in your life!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Professional SharePoint 2010 Branding and User Interface Design (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)

A must have guide for creating engaging and usable SharePoint 2010 branding
With SharePoint 2010, Microsoft has provided a more robust environment for creating collaboration and content management sites that rival any of the popular websites on the internet. Creating a branded SharePoint site involves understanding both traditional web design techniques as well as topics that are typically reserved for developers. This book bridges that gap by not only providing expert guidance for creating beautiful public facing and internal intranet sites but it also addresses the needs of those readers that only want to understand the basics enough to apply some style to their sites.
Things like creative design, the experience visitors have navigating your user interface, ease of use?these are all important branding considerations and not always intuitive. This unique book from a team of SharePoint branding experts lays it all out. The book is divided into four sections:
Introduction to SharePoint Branding: In this part you will learn about what SharePoint branding is and how the topic has changed since SharePoint 2007.
Branding Basics: This section is geared towards both getting started as well as being a guide for people that don?t want to dive super deep into the advanced topics of SharePoint branding. You will learn about how to plan for branding projects, including creating wireframes and creative mockups as well as gathering requirements and estimation. You will learn how to work with SharePoint Designer 2010, SharePoint 2010 themes, and SharePoint navigation as well as gain an understanding of the low and medium effort approaches to branding can be used to make SharePoint look more like your own visual style.
Advanced Branding: This is where you will learn about the more intricate techniques for making large changes to the SharePoint UI, such as cascading style sheets (CSS), master pages, page layouts, web parts and XSLT. You will also get an introduction to deploying SharePoint branding to production servers using solution packages (WSP).
Other Topics: Everything else that is related to SharePoint branding is discussed here, including working with the SharePoint 2010 ribbon and client side technologies such as the client object model, jQuery, and Silverlight.

Whether you want to make SharePoint look completely different or just make minor design changes, this expert guide will provide tips, techniques, and insights to get the job done.

Get 40% OFF

Click here for more information about Professional SharePoint 2010 Branding and User Interface Design (Wrox Programmer to Programmer)

Read More...

Programming Embedded Systems: With C and GNU Development Tools, 2nd Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Presents a good introduction to embedded system programming; no complaints there. However, their choice of development kit is poor. The Arcom (now EuroTech) kit is $600, rather than the $300 stated in the book. And it took almost 3 weeks for them to respond to a quote request. Fortunately, there are kits available from other vendors (BiPom, Olimex, etc.) which can be substituted for less than $300. However, the impracticality of using the Arcom kit robs the book of its purpose of being a hands-on, guided tutorial.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Programming Embedded Systems: With C and GNU Development Tools, 2nd Edition


If you have programming experience and a familiarity with C--the dominant language in embedded systems--Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition is exactly what you need to get started with embedded software. This software is ubiquitous, hidden away inside our watches, DVD players, mobile phones, anti-lock brakes, and even a few toasters. The military uses embedded software to guide missiles, detect enemy aircraft, and pilot UAVs. Communication satellites, deep-space probes, and many medical instruments would have been nearly impossible to create without embedded software.

The first edition of Programming Embedded Systems taught the subject to tens of thousands of people around the world and is now considered the bible of embedded programming. This second edition has been updated to cover all the latest hardware designs and development methodologies.

The techniques and code examples presented here are directly applicable to real-world embedded software projects of all sorts. Examples use the free GNU software programming tools, the eCos and Linux operating systems, and a low-cost hardware platform specially developed for this book. If you obtain these tools along with Programming Embedded Systems, Second Edition, you'll have a full environment for exploring embedded systems in depth. But even if you work with different hardware and software, the principles covered in this book apply.

Whether you are new to embedded systems or have done embedded work before, you'll benefit from the topics in this book, which include:

How building and loading programs differ from desktop or server computers
Basic debugging techniques--a critical skill when working with minimally endowed embedded systems
Handling different types of memory
Interrupts, and the monitoring and control of on-chip and external peripherals
Determining whether you have real-time requirements, and whether your operating system and application can meet those requirements
Task synchronization with real-time operating systems and embedded Linux
Optimizing embedded software for size, speed, and power consumption
Working examples for eCos and embedded Linux

So whether you're writing your first embedded program, designing the latest generation of hand-held whatchamacalits, or managing the people who do, this book is for you. Programming Embedded Systems will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to achieve proficiency with embedded software.

Praise for the first edition:
"This lively and readable book is the perfect introduction for those venturing into embedded systems software development for the first time. It provides in one place all the important topics necessary to orient programmers to the embedded development process. --Lindsey Vereen, Editor-in-Chief, Embedded Systems Programming

Click here for more information about Programming Embedded Systems: With C and GNU Development Tools, 2nd Edition

Read More...

Mobile Design and Development: Practical Concepts and Techniques for Creating Mobile Sites and Web Apps (Animal Guide) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Original review written by Pasquale Granato, JUG Lugano, [...] First of all, let's clear the field from a possible misunderstanding: this book is not about general mobile design and development but it is about web mobile development. The author states a precise, despite arguable, opinion that brutally said is: do not code native applications but prefer as much as you can web applications. This statement is largely discussed across the book and everyone can make up his own opinion about this. Mine is that currently times are not mature to consider to write just web applications both because mobile browser are not powerful enough (on average) to assure a smooth experience on all devices and because of the lack of a good way to make money from your web app.
The first three chapters of the book are a really good introduction to the history of mobile, to the mobile current status and to the reasons that should drive an approach to the mobile development. These chapters are a well written recap of the status of the art and present a lot of data useful to understand the global situation. Unfortunately the book is printed in black and white and several pie-charts and graphs are pretty much impossible to read.
The central part of the book, chapters from four to ten, is devoted to design issues and, despite the lack of an in-depth examination of some subjects, offers a pretty good survey of the topic.
The final part of the book is slightly more technical covering topics such as XHTML-MP, CSS, HTML5, device adaptation, etc. The problem here is that there is nothing really practical and all remains at an introductory level. To give you an example, a capital topic in device adaptation like Media Queries is covered in half a page with just a trivial example. Furthermore the author seems to be unaware of things like XwapProfile or UAProf (that is probably a obsolete and unreliable method but deserve at least a notation).
My biggest complain is anyway about the author's obsession for the iPhone. The Apple's jewel is referenced continuously and always with great glorification: the word iPhone recurs 99 times in the book and out of the 115 pictures in the book as many as 37 depict an iPhone. An entire chapter is devoted to iPhone web applications development even though most of the concepts presented here are common to other modern devices.
This is overall a decent introductory book, if you are completely new to the field, and it's packed with many good advices but do not expect much from the practical techniques promised by the title.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mobile Design and Development: Practical Concepts and Techniques for Creating Mobile Sites and Web Apps (Animal Guide)

Mobile Design and Development by Brian Fling is a start to finish guide for designing and building mobile apps regardless of experience, device or platform. Brian took on the daunting challenge to write the mobile guide missing from bookshelves. As Brian describes it "this is a book that teaches people how to cook, not a collection of recipes."Since its release the book has been incredibly well received. It has being described as a "must have" by many experts in the mobile community. The 16 chapters, and 85,000 words within the book have helped thousands understand and dive into mobile.The first half is a crash course in the mobile ecosystem: how to develop a strategy, address the mobile context--even how to decide which of the multiple mobile application types is best for you, and finally, how to create a user experience for it. The second half is focused on using these principles to make a mobile website or web app.Mobile Design and Development is a comprehensive resource covering all aspects of the mobile ecosystem. The book covers a great number of topics, however each are described in practical and common sense way—making easy for anyone at any technical level to understand the inner working of the mobile medium.
A Brief History of Mobile
The Mobile Ecosystem
Why Mobile?
Designing for Context
Developing a Mobile Strategy
Types of Mobile Applications
Mobile Application Medium Types
Mobile Application Media Matrix
Mobile Information Architecture
Mobile Design
The Elements of Mobile Design
Mobile Design Tools
Mobile Web Apps Versus Native Applications
When to Make a Native Application
When to Make a Mobile Web Application
Mobile 2.0
Mobile Web Development
Mobile Markup
Mobile CSS: Cascading Style Sheets
Mobile JavaScript
iPhone Web Apps
iPhone Markup
iPhone CSS
iPhone Javascript
Creating a Mobile Web App
Web Apps as Native Apps
Tools and Libraries
Adapting to Devices
Device Targeting
Full Adaptation
What Domain Do I Use?
Making Money in Mobile
Working with an App Store
Mobile Advertising
Supporting Devices
Device Testing
Desktop Testing
Usability Testing
The Future of Mobile
If you're a web designer, web developer, information architect, product manager, usability professional, content publisher, or an entrepreneur new to the mobile, Mobile Design and Development provides you with the knowledge you need to work with this rapidly developing technology.

Get 45% OFF

Click here for more information about Mobile Design and Development: Practical Concepts and Techniques for Creating Mobile Sites and Web Apps (Animal Guide)

Read More...

Designing Web Usability Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I agree with other reviewers, Jakob does present his ideas as Rules You Must Follow, rather than observations or suggestions. On a few things, he offers no data to back up his assertion, and on a couple things I know he's factually incorrect. I also agree that there are a lot of typos in this book, but only if you're observant.
However, what he does present is just great. I like the writing style. I like the example images. For example, when he says to design for "any" screen size, and then shows you 3 screenshots of Web sites that lock themselves into a certain size, that certainly illuminates how stupid some designers can be.
One other point. Jakob is writing for usability, about how people get information. He pays no attention to marketing issues, such as branding, creating product interest, giving the customer a memorable experience, entertainment, etc. It is fine that he concentrates on other areas, but know before you buy the book that you will have to make up you own mind in those areas (at least). For instance, site reports from the Web site I work on show that any time I throw a DHTML "whiz-bang" widget onto the site, the area it is promoting gets a doubling to a quadrupling of traffic. That flies in the face of his "don't use whiz-bang features" philosophy. But I've learned that his data and my data don't always agree. So take Jakob with a grain of salt.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Designing Web Usability

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Designing Web Usability

Read More...

Network Security Architectures Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Welcome to the twenty-first century in the world of computers and networking. With more issues occurring that have negative affects on the environment that information technologists work in, the knowledge of information security is slowly becoming critical. Sean Convery presents a detailed guide into the world of designing a secure network environment. Within "Network Security Architecture", Sean delves into the whys, the hows, and most importantly the cause and effect. As you examine the table of contents alone, it becomes clear that he has spent a great deal of time researching and detailing numerous different components of a network environment that have to be examined and considered for proper network security.
A close look at the book's table of contents will point out different areas that any Network Engineering individual from the Junior Administrator to the Senior Architect needs to be knowledgeable in. Sean examines policy, threats and the technologies available, he details how to harden devices and describes items that need to be considered in designing either new networks or enhancing existing ones. For these reasons alone this book is necessary for anyone that manages any portion of a computer network. This book offers far more than an education of network security. It is clearly designed not only to educate individuals, but provide a single reference for all network security areas as well.
Like many Cisco Press books, "Network Security Architectures" chapters are divided into three sections --: an introduction, the body, and finally a summary. It is these summary sections that help the most. In For example, in Chapter 6 on pages 262 thru 264, the concept of Design Consideration is summarized with charts. Where individual summaries appear light or limited, the book enhances the information covered in a section called "Applied Knowledge". This section helps individuals quickly implement what is covered in extreme detail in the chapter. Don't just look at the summary and applied knowledge sections, because this would not do all the hard work Sean placed in the book justice. For instance, in Chapter 5 on Hardening Devices, Sean provides clear examples on how to configure devices for security and hardening. This topic alone has not similarly covered since O'Reilly's book on "Hardening Cisco Routers" and that one did not go to the level of how to configure the devices fully.
As anyone that is familiar with Cisco Technology and Cisco Systems knows, they routinely publish various "SAFE" documents on topics. This book takes input from those documents, combining them with other both real world examples and theory to provide a greater combined presentation. Like any Cisco documentation this book can either be read in its entirety from cover to cover or only the sections that are needed now. But as you read the book you will realize that while "SAFE" documents focus on key issues, this book details not only the issues and the possible alternatives, but provides reasoning for implementing the recommendations in clear English. Convery's book is both an excellent resource and a great guide. Its ability to present both the Cisco and the real world philosophy on network architecture is critical for all that work in this arena.
As I mentioned previously Convery, uses the Cisco "SAFE" documents as guide points, but those are only detailed references. His book takes them to the next logical level and as such I could spend hours and pages detailing all the other reasons someone should acquiring a copy of this book, but the key reason I believe is that it is a clear consolidated source to design, implement and support a secure and highly available network. But the simple fact is in this day and age with more and more Viruses, Worms, Trojan horses, Network Probe attacks and numerous other problems in the growing Internet can anyone not afford to plan a "SMART" and "SAFE" network architecture? That is the real question that should drive someone to consider this book for there library and refer to it on a regular basis. I know I have already.
I highly recommend this excellent reference book for networking and security practitioners in any size environment. The investment will save time and money, even if only a few of the recommendations are implemented. You will find yourself referring to it frequently.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Network Security Architectures

Click here for more information about Network Security Architectures

Read More...

Designing Social Interfaces: Principles, Patterns, and Practices for Improving the User Experience (Animal Guide) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Malone and Crumlish have done the user-experience design community an amazing service with this volume. It does the hard, rigorous work that most of us simply do not have time or dedication to do -- creating the first solid set of building blocks for designing socially driven digital platforms.
The book goes beyond the easy categories of things like "blogs & wikis" and breaks those and other compounds down into their essential elements, helping us make more informed and less platform-dependent decisions.
Design patterns are always challenging to produce, especially since designers inevitably nit-pick them to death. But these patterns are up to the challenge: they actually make sense, and I suspect will stand up handsomely to the persnickety-designer test. But even if you differ with some of their particulars, it's incredibly valuable to have the heavy lifting already done, so all you have to do is react, refine and "improve" for your own use.
More than a mere collection of patterns, the book doles out large helpings of hard-won wisdom from the authors and other veterans of the industry who have wrestled with the volatile, emergent nature of socially driven digital design.
If you're doing anything with social design, from being asked to create a corporate blog to enhancing the way employees share knowledge on your intranet, do yourself a favor and get familiar with Designing Social Interfaces.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Designing Social Interfaces: Principles, Patterns, and Practices for Improving the User Experience (Animal Guide)


From the creators of Yahoo!'s Design Pattern Library, Designing Social Interfaces provides you with more than 100 patterns, principles, and best practices, along with salient advice for many of the common challenges you'll face when starting a social website. Designing sites that foster user interaction and community-building is a valuable skill for web developers and designers today, but it's not that easy to understand the nuances of the social web. Now you have help. Christian Crumlish and Erin Malone share hard-won insights into what works, what doesn't, and why. You'll learn how to balance opposing factions and grow healthy online communities by co-creating them with your users.



Understand the overarching principles you need to consider for every website you create
Learn basic design patterns for adding social components to an existing site
Rein in misbehaving users on an active community site
Build a social experience around a product or service and invite people to join
Develop a social utility without having to build an entirely new infrastructure
Enable users of your site's content to interact with one another
Offer your members the opportunity to connect in the real world
Learn to recognize and avoid antipatterns: emergent bad practices in the social network and social media space

Get 33% OFF

Click here for more information about Designing Social Interfaces: Principles, Patterns, and Practices for Improving the User Experience (Animal Guide)

Read More...

Enterprise SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture Best Practices Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Too many "SOA" books are either API documents or high-level hand waving. You can tell that this book is based on actual project experience. The authors manage to give actionable guidance and explain their reasoning well without diving into too many technology details. If you are interested in the "A" of "SOA", you will like this book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Enterprise SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture Best Practices

This book spells out guidelines and strategies for successfully using ServiceOriented Architecture (SOA) in large-scale projects. SOA represents the latestparadigm in distributed computing and middleware development. However,SOA is not a revolution, but rather an evolution in software architecture. SOAis a collection of best practice software construction principles accompanied byproven methodologies in development and project management.This book is unique in that it offers a pragmatic approach to the topic. Theauthors borrow from their more than forty years of collective enterpriseexperience, and offer a frank discussion of the challenges associated withadopting SOA. They also help readers ensure that their organization does notbecome too closely tied to a specific technology. The result is a detailedintroduction to the topic and an architectural blueprint for implementing SOA.

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Enterprise SOA: Service-Oriented Architecture Best Practices

Read More...