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Understanding WMI Scripting: Exploiting Microsoft's Windows Management Instrumentation in Mission-Critical Computing Infrastructures (HP Technologies) Review by buzz lightyear
I had great hopes for this book
I bought both of these WMI books, and read this one on vacation. I really wanted to like this book --- but the truth is that I HATE IT. However, I give it two stars, because ALAIN must be a very smart person. He does have information in this book, I have not seen anywhere else. But dude, he needs to learn how to write. I had to read much of the book over and over again, to simply figure out what in the heck he was saying. The intro says he spent 20 months writting this book, I am assuming it was for both books, but I wish he had invested at least 4 months and took a creative writing class.
Lets talk about the book for a while:
First the book is supposed to be about WMI scripting --- however, he spends several hundred pages talking about WMI, and yet never writing a script!!! He spent all that time using the WBEMTEST utility - which is the most miserable utility Microsoft ever invented. Then he says it is "not supported" --- however, I know for a fact that Microsfot "supports" ALL the software they include with their product. Dude, it is part of Windows --- of course it is supported!!!
He spends the first 150 pages talking about VBScript --- duh --- the book is supposed to be about WMI. One thing I really hate, is the way his tables go sideways! Yes that is right, I am sitting by the pool reading this book, and I have to turn the book sideways to look at a table. Not only that, some of the tables go ON AND ON for nearly a dozen pages --- in the middle of the chapter!!! In my mind, that qualifies as an appendix not a table! Oh, and where did the table come from in the first place? Microsoft's web site documentation. I know he did not get paid by the page, but it sure seems like it. Why else is the organization so poor.
Lets talk about the scripts --- they are missing in action. That is right, there are no scripts with the book. You have to go to his website and download them. Not very convienent when I am in mexico paying 5 dollars for 15 minutes to access the internet. When you do get them, you have to refer back to the book to see what they do, because he gave them stupid names like script 1.0.1.2 that is real helpful.
I am sorry, I do not want to rant and rave --- but I am really disappointed. Should you buy the book? Well if you need to learn some good stuff about wmi, and you are willing to put up with all the negatives, then the book will be useful. I guess, the question is how hard do you want to learn it?