PCs made simple.

• Author: Holtzman, Henry
• Position: Required Reading

"What Your Computer Consultant Doesn't Want You to Know: 101 Money-Saving Secrets of Expensive Techies"

Joshua Feinberg

SmallBiz Tech Talk Press

West Palm Beach, Fla.

2002, 276 pages, $19.99

Few people would have imagined 25 years ago how commonplace computers would soon be in all facets of business life. Even today's street vendors consider computers a business necessity. Personal computers have become so much a part of the business world that the absence of one, even in a reception lobby, can be a cause for comment.

The popularity of PCs generated an entirely new category of publishing: books for and about computers. Although they were originally designed for technically astute "techies," entire bookshelves have been written ostensibly for those of us who are barely computer literate. Still many get lost in the first three pages.

That's why congratulations are in order to authors like Joshua Feinberg. He and a few others like him have taken aim squarely at small-business owners and corporate managers whose primary skills are general business knowledge, cost effectiveness, productivity and successful decision-making. The result is a handful of books, including Feinberg's, that provide real value to the targeted readers.

Although the title of Feinberg's book may tap a hidden streak of paranoia among business owners, the actual contents are relevant to common issues affecting owners, managers and computer consultants. The book is organized starting with tips to help readers solve basic computer issues affecting business within three broad categories: "Hardware Cost-Saving Tips," "Software Cost-Saving Tips," and "Data Protection Cost-Saving Tips."

Tips are arranged as statements with reasonable explanations and references to other sources for additional information. An excellent example is "Tip No. 3: Avoid letting egos influence your PC purchase decisions."

Indicating that the tip offers information that will help the reader "Save on Soft Costs" and "Save on Out-of-Pocket Expenses," Feinberg goes on to state:

"The temptation is great to outfit your top managers and producers with the latest and greatest PC hardware. After all, a CFO or senior account manager has a tremendous...