Forget the CD Rom, buy the book
The book is great. The CD-Rom is an exercise in frustration. That you can only install it on a single computer is the first frustration. Then I tried to print a section for use in the shop. The pages that came out on the printer were not the pages that I requested (error between displayed and actual page numbers?). When I tried to print again, it said I had exceeded the printing limit.
Great for School and Work....
I have been out of school now for 5+ years... I had to share only 3 Machinery's Handbooks with my class of 30 at LTI... Then when I got out on the job market, I found that most places will not supply you with one, and you almost always need one in the engineering feald, weather it is Mechanical or Arch... (I have worked with both!). So this November (2003), I saved up for one, since I am always borrowing one at work from coworkers... So now I have the newest one in our office at Firestone Industrial Products Co.. Makes me feel good that I have the most up to date one... And now everone is barrowing from me!It is easy to find what you are looking for, and it is made to last! I have the hard cover 26th edition, and I LOVE it! It is a MUST for people planning on being an Engineer and or CAD Engineer. Since they don't have this built into any Drawing program as of yet. (i.e... CAD/Auto CAD)... Also good for Work or School! A Must! And Hint Hint, you can use it on your taxes as a School or Work Expense, So you get some money back on it! (About $25 back on taxes for it.) So well worth the money!
Plan Ahead
Everything mentioned in previous reviews is true. I would only add or suggest to buy the large print edition. You will likely keep this book a long long time and technical data, formulas, tables, etc. will not change, but your vision might.
Maybe a "newer" version is better?
OK, the promise is to cut text/pix from the CD and paste it into the word processor -- not nearly as effective as it sounds. The CD does NOT use an OLE based (cut/paste via windows) system. Rather it uses a "Dyna Text" browser software system. The charts/tables are secondary pop-ups -- and are in an essentially unreadable font (too light). The promised key word search is flakey. Hey, it's version 1.0 (copyright 1998)-- it's an OLD product!. IF you really want a CD version, check for a newer version -- MAYBE the newer version is "better", but this one doesn't measure up to the text version in utility or readability. There is a reason it goes for half list price on the used market.
Tool for Mechanic's Toolbox or Engineer's Bookcase
Excellent book. It presents American approach to writing technical literature in the best light: writing book to serve as tool in completely the same manner as the other tools serve - to help/enable you to do the job.
The contect, depth in covering different themes is obviously affected by real world's needs, years of practice that direct what you really need to know in depth and what to know generally to stay ahead of problems in common technical practice. Not the only one book mechanical person needs, but big favorite for the most preffered one.
One moment could be crutial in future: when publishers decide to completely include SI units simultaneously with Anglo-American units, as well as SI standards, worldwide audience could be extremely larger.
(17 reviews)
