Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found this DVD video (and the 59-page booklet) met my purpose exactly. My goal was to learn quickly and easily everything a neophyte needed to build a PC for the very first time. Based on the DVD video and accompanying booklet, I have just completed my first build (using the Intel Core2 Quad CPU recommended by Mueller), and it is working perfectly. I'm very pleased.

So, for people like me who simply want to quickly muster the knowledge and courage to do a first build, I highly recommend this DVD/booklet. There are probably a lot of potential PC builders like me who are hesitant to cross the first-build hurtle. The DVD would be disappointing to people hoping to learn about more advanced modifications and techniques, or people who thought they were purchasing a more comprehensive training course.

One more important point -- the DVD/booklet are up-to-date (Dec. 2007). The technologies, computer parts, merchants and software discussed are current. Most of the other books on this subject seem to be several years out-of-date.

This is really the worst book I have ever seen describing how to build computers. The description made it sound like it would cover several different scenarios, depending on the hardware you chose. However, it does not. The computer being built does use a micro atx case, onboard video and audio; pretty much a computer that very few people would build, especially people who already have some knowledge about replacing components. The description makes it sound like it covers a broad range of computers, but it really does not. It even makes it sound like it has advanced techniques in it, from "is found on the shelves of technicians at Intel, Dell, and Maximum PC," but I highly doubt anyone who has even just replaced memory or a hard disk before would keep this book anywhere.

I purchased this product hoping for a broad tutorial on system construction. I actually thought I was getting a hardcover book, but instead there is a DVD and a small paperback that contains some information not in the DVD. Some. A little. Not much.

The problems with this products are numerous:

He builds a stupid-simple machine using on-board audio and video and the stock Intel CPU cooler with push-pins. This does nothing to prepare the viewer to build a system that one might actually build, i.e., an enthusiast system using a video card, perhaps an audio card and an after-market cooler that has to be screwed into place. Why would you buy this book just to learn how to build the bare-bones system he chose to demonstrate? It would be cheaper to buy the bare-bones system he demonstrates from Dell and get tech support to boot.

The system he decides to build uses a micro-ATX motherboard in a tool-less case with a motherboard tray. Good luck if you want to have some insight into constructing a full size computer in a case with no motherboard tray that isn't tool-less.

There is no trouble shooting section on the DVD in case something doesn't work.

If you have never even looked inside a computer before, if you've never so much as replaced memory or a hard-drive, then you MAY gain some useful information and find some utility in this pamphlet and video. Otherwise, I'd say look elsewhere. I have no reason to believe that he doesn't know his stuff. On the contrary. This product just gives him no opportunity to display his knowledge or offer a useful learning experience except to the most narrow of audience. I gave it two stars because the DVD played fine and the book was not missing any pages.

My complaint may be trivial, but I do feel grossly misled by Amazon's description of this book. The "details' call this an 80 page Hardcover book. What you receive is a 59 page softcover book with a 2 hour DVD. The technical information promised is probably there - I just received it and haven't had a chance to really study any of it yet. But, the expectation of what I was going to receive (physically) for the price paid certainly was not met!