M2K: Your book 'Upgrading and Repairing PCs' has become a best seller in the industry and is now in its 14th edition. What are the main factors contributing to its success?

Scott: I believe there are several factors.

One is that the book is written to appeal to anybody and everybody with an interest in PC hardware, from beginners to intermediate and advanced users. I have learned how, from 20 years of teaching seminars, to make complex topics easy to understand without having to "dumb down" the material to the point of inaccuracy. I specialize in telling the complete story on a subject, filling in all of the blanks so that every aspect of PC hardware is understandable. My books are not for "dummies", they are for people, from beginners to advanced, who want to intimately know and understand PC hardware.

Another factor is that I've always encouraged direct contact with my readers and audience. The hundreds and hundreds of seminars I've personally conducted give me a direct response to my material, allowing me to know immediately what does and doesn't work. Also my email address has been in every edition of my book since the first, and I have always encouraged my readers to contact me directly with comments or questions. This feedback has driven numerous improvements in my books, and help to make each new edition better than the last.

Finally I was lucky in that my book was the first of its kind on the market since it was first released to the public over 14 years ago, and has been the longest running and best selling PC hardware book on the market. Since it first came out there have been many imitators (many with similar titles even), but none have managed to include both the breadth and depth of coverage, and not only make it technically accurate, but easy to understand.

M2K: What is your biggest challenge in keeping the book up to date each year?

Scott: The most difficult thing is to add the new material that is necessary to cover the latest advancements, while deciding what older material must be purged. I think a certain amount of historical reference is necessary to understand why things work the way they do today, so I always try to keep that in mind. Still, some older information that is specific to only a small population must be purged to make way for the new information. Since I am limited to 1600 total pages (beyond that a hand-sewn binding is required) it is a constant battle to both keep the book current and relevant, as well as to preserve the important older information and purge what is no longer relevant.

M2K: With PC prices coming down and reliability going up, do you believe PCs will soon become a throwaway commodity or will diagnostic skills continue to be important?

Scott: PCs are becoming more of a commodity, but in many ways that makes diagnostic skills even more important, because there are simply more and more PCs out there. While components haven't been repairable for many years now, a good knowledge of the hardware is still required to isolate a failed component and replace it properly. Also many so-called failures are due to incorrectly configured or installed items, and not something that is actually defective. A knowledgeable technician will know how to correct these installation and configuration problems, and thus "repair" systems without even changing the parts.

M2K: How do you feel about the importance of certifications such as A+ and Network+?

Scott: I think that certifications are valuable from an entry level job seeking standpoint, but beyond that it is more important what you really know and what you can really do. Having a certification proves you passed the test, but does not really prove you know the material and/or have the skills to implement the knowledge. This has become more of an issue because it has become easier to simply memorize the questions and answers, and pass the tests without actually retaining the knowledge. Also many of the tests are outdated, and some of the supposedly correct answers are technically incorrect. In other words, you often have to answer a question "wrong" in order to get it "right". In those cases you have to think about what the test authors want to hear rather than what is the technically most correct answer. Sometimes it is because when the question was written, one answer was correct, but newer developments have changed things. Unfortunately the way the tests are structured, you have no way to challenge them over any technical issues. In the end, however, if you are seeking a job, the certifications are a means to that end.

M2K: What are your thoughts about the need for diagnostic tools such as Micro-Scope?

Scott: With my 20+ years of experience working on PCs, I find that I can rely on my experience and intuition perhaps more that most people. I do use diagnostics often to perform burn-in tests of a new system or new component installation. I think of diagnostics as a tool that can be used to test and troubleshoot systems. Like any tool, it won't do all the work for you, but I feel that diagnostics can be a valuable resource, and can be more valuable the more you understand how the underlying hardware functions. Diagnostics don't replace the need to know the hardware, in fact the more comfortable you are with PC hardware, and the more intimate you understand the inner workings, the more easily you will be able to use diagnostics to help troubleshoot problems. As such, diagnostics are a valuable tool for beginners and advanced users alike.

M2K: What about those technicians who say swapping out parts is the most cost-effective way to troubleshoot?

Scott: That depends on their experience and skill levels, as well as access to "known-good" spare parts. With a fully stocked parts bin, and the appropriate experience and knowledge, simple parts replacement can be an effective method. However not all users or even technicians will have the resources to make that work, in which case diagnostics become more valuable. Even if you are sure a particular component is the cause of a problem, I recommend using diagnostics to verify the failure, and to test the new component to verify that the problem is solved.

M2K: How important do you believe it is for a diagnostic tool to have its own operating system that can get behind the facade of Windows or DOS?

Scott: I think that one of the most important steps in troubleshooting is to verify whether a problem is hardware or software related. Having a diagnostic tool that removes Windows and all of the associated Windows problems from the equation is extremely important. Most good hardware diagnostics run either under DOS or their own OS, and while DOS-based diagnostics are much more capable than those running under Windows, it is even better to have an OS specifically designed for the diagnostics. This is especially important when testing things such as memory, where full access to the memory is prevented by most normal operating systems.

M2K: The IT industry has been struggling since shortly after Y2K. Would you care to make any predictions about a recovery?

Scott: I'm not one for predictions, but I know that PCs are not just a fad, and they are not going away anytime soon. While the industry may have some ups and downs, overall the trend will be upward as more and more people purchase and use PCs.

M2K: What do you see as the next major technology leap in the computer industry?

Scott: PCs evolve as a series of smaller jumps rather than one large leap. There are several smaller things that are happening to make things better and easier for PCs. One step for example is the new Serial ATA (SATA) replacing the venerable parallel ATA. This will reduce cabling and configuration problems, and allow for even higher transfer speeds. USB 2.0 is finally present in almost all new systems, and represents the overall easiest, fastest, and most widely supported external interface for a wide variety of peripherals, finally replacing legacy serial and parallel port connections. DVD+R/RW will continue to drop in cost and become standard in most new systems, and the related Mt. Rainier standard will allow CD-RW and DVD+RW drives to finally replace the floppy drive once and for all. Wireless networking will continue to become more and more prevalent, despite some of the security issues. Finally, processor speeds will continue to rise, and the advent of 0.09 micron (90 nanometer) semiconductor manufacturing later in '03, 0.065 um (65 nm) in 2005, and 0.045 um (45 nm) in 2007 will allow processor speeds of up to 20GHz and beyond.

M2K: What about the future of technology in general?

Scott: In general, the most exciting things to me are the future exploration of Mars (we should be there already!) and especially the eventual combination of computer and organic technology.

I see the integration of digital and organic technology starting as replacements for the physically impaired, but eventually becoming a form of personal improvement, much like plastic surgery, but with implants and enhancements which add features and improve performance. Artificial hearing has already been accomplished, as has rudimentary artificial sight. What happens when the "digital" eyes are better than the organic ones? Will people have their real eyes replaced with digital versions that have higher resolution, infrared (night vision) capability, and zoom/macro focusing capability? Look how popular Lasik is now and you have your answer.

I can imagine a small computer implant, connected to the optic/auditory centers in the brain, which allows one to call up internal databases, record or playback information including sounds and images, view maps (get directions via GPS), and allow wireless uploading and downloading to a future PC. Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated. <g>

M2K: Any last thoughts you would like to share with our readers?

Scott: I wish to personally thank all of those who have purchased my books and/or attended any of my seminars over the last 20 years. I will continue to try and produce the most in-depth, technically accurate, and yet broad-based coverage of PC hardware and technology as I possibly can. I also will continue to be easily accessible to my readers; all of the comments, questions and feedback over the years have helped to make each new edition of my books better than the previous one. Thank you!

M2K: Scott, on behalf of Micro 2000 and our newsletter readers, thank you very much for your insight. This is sure to be valuable to many of us.

Scott: Thanks again for this opportunity!