With off-the-shelf computer systems to fit any budget or requirement, some people might wonder why you'd want to build your own. They don't understand that for many computer users, a ready-made system is about as satisfying as popping a frozen dinner in the microwave when you'd rather have real food instead. Sure, it works, but it's not exactly what you need or want.There's a lot to be said for a computer that has exactly the quality components you choose, by the manufacturers you choose, rather than the conveniently bundled assortment made for your price point. But perhaps you've stopped short of building your own because you're inexperienced or you're concerned it won't come out right. After all, you want your computer to be perfect. Hesitate no longer: Building the Perfect PC delivers end-to-end instructions (that even inexperienced PC-builders can follow) for creating your ideal machine.Written by hardware experts Robert Bruce Thompson and Barbara Fritchman Thompson, this book covers it all, beginning with the various reasons why you'd want to build your own PC, planning and picking out the components, and putting it all together. The book outlines a variety of complete systems and all of their components, including a small form factor PC; a middle-of-the-road "sweet spot" system with top-notch components; and a top-end gaming PC with high-end video, a fast processor, and enough RAM to make your palms sweat just thinking about it.Straightforward language, clear directions, and extensive illustrations make this guide a breeze for computer builders of any level to follow--even those with little or no experience. If you've yearned for a quality machine with high-end components that suit your needs, then Building the Perfect PC will put you where you want to be: in control of your computer system.

Building the Perfect PC: The complete guide to customizing, upgrading, and creating your own machine

Computers & Technology

Thompson, Robert Bruce

Thompson, Barbara Fritchman

Hardware & DIY

Maker Media, Inc

In just two years, MAKE has rapidly become one of the hottest new magazines to hit the newsstands. Often coined "the bible of the Tech DIY movement", the MAKE team has passionately pursued it's stated goal: to unite, inspire, inform and entertain a growing community of imaginative and resourceful people who pursue amazing projects in their backyards, basements, garages and even modified kitchen counter labs - tech enthusiasts, backyard scientists, hobbyists, renegade crafters, hackers, students and backyard inventors and dreamers of all ages. Their vision: To spread the knowledge, skills and clever workarounds of innovative Makers across the DIY marketplace to aspiring makers, students of all ages and educators; To grow the World's largest "Science Club" around the Makers Brand; a constellation of communities that nurture, support and inspire scientific and technological exploration, learning and mentoring for people of all ages, ethnicities, gender and cultural background. To inspire and re-engage youth from all walks of life in the joys of science, engineering, technology and the arts. Through the brilliantly written and beautifully illustrated magazine, podcasts and makezine.com website, the MAKE team has won broad acclaim for their clear yet down-to-earth coverage and uncanny instinct for what moves Makers, and their ability to nail the curiosity, vibrance, and passion of the rapidly emerging "tech DIY" movement. In this special re-release, all 4 volumes of MAKE's second year are combined in this special 4-Volume Collector's Set. Believe it or not, the following is mere sampling of the projects and articles you'll find in MAKE: The Next Year MAKE: Vol.05 It Came From My GarageModel kit makers bring B-movie monsters to your home. Calculate This!MAKE looks at slide rules. Jackhammer HeadphonesAnd a discourse on blind men, chipmunks, whales, and the future. Electric AvenueThe street-legal electric car of the future is coming--not from Japan or Detroit--but from your neighbor's garage. Dive, Darn It, Dive!It's a matter of sink and swim at the 8th international autonomous underwater vehicle competition. Backyard Zip LineBe the hit of the neighborhood with a high-flying, tree-to-tree transporter. Soda Bottle Rocket by Steve LodefinkYou don't have to be Burt Rutan to start your own rocket program. With a few empty soda bottles and some PVC pipe, you can build a high-performance water rocket. Wind Powered Generator by Abe and Josie ConnallyWith a motor and some piping, it's suprisingly easy to build this inexpensive, efficient windmill generator--and enjoy free energy forever. The Jam Jar JetDon't think you can build a jet engine at home? Here's a simple jet engine--a pulsejet--that you can make out of a jam jar in an afternoon. All it takes is bending some wire and punching a few holes. The Quick and Dirty: Holes, Rivets, and Bent Metal by Mister JalopyLearn three essential shop fabrication techniques and reward yourself by making a wi-fi signal deflector. Sneaky Uses for Everyday ThingsTurn a remote control car into an alarm system. Olde-School BookbindingPages last longer, lie flatter, and look better inside a handsome, durable hardcover. Out Damned Spot!The chemistry of stain removal. Pump Down the VolumeFive simple steps to a quieter PC. Geared UpUse a gunbelt and leg holster to hold your gear. Boost Your SignalImproving MyFi XM satellite radio reception. The World As Your CanvasUse GPS to create giant-sized works of art. Circuit Quiz GameTeach kids about circuitry in 30 minutes. iSight Tripod MountPoint your webcam anywhere you want. The Fauxlance PhotographerHow to get VIP treatment by dressing the part of a pro photographer. Ten Dollar PseudoscopeSee everything inside out through this classic optical instrument. Citizen Weather StationCollect meteorological data on your roof and donate it to science. Launching LightPortable, collapsible model rocket launch pad. Firefly MeterBioluminescence detector lights way toward insect-cyborg pollution sensor. Legal And Free Digital Satellite TVUse a long-obsolete Primestar dish to pull in a wide world of programming. Digital TV On The CheapYou can get many of the benefits of Digital TV (DTV) for as little as 20 bucks, if you're willing to do a little tinkering. Full Mast ReceptionBuild your own satellite dish mast in three easy steps. Dumpster CornucopiaReusing components from discarded electronics. Theory &amp; Practice: IR Remote Control Protocol by Bunnie HuangGet an infrared remote to turn your room lights on and off. Sensor InterfacesHow circuits communicate with the outside world. Computers in the MachineEmulation software gives you free, zero-footprint, vintage computers. Digital Video Production: Create Explosive VisualsReal movie explosions are dangerous, expensive, and usually unnecessary. MAKE VOL.06 Tones Dem Tones, Damn RingtonesShouldn't people make their own ringtones, not buy them? Ship of CardsPopular card games become an exercise in miniature construction. Space CasesThe balloon men at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Totch Brown's Pit Pan Gator BoatStart your boat-building hobby by building this one. A Beginner's Guide to BEAM bThe BEAM design approach creates nimble robots from simple components, with no programming required. PanzeroidsBecome a desktop general with these battlin' bot tanks. Bots in a SnapThe nuts and bolts of Lego robot design. Cogs and CocktailsMeet the drink-serving, drunk-driving droids at Roboexotica. The Vex Robotics Design SystemVersatile, powerful design raises the bot in prefab robotics construction kits. Mini Mars RoverA wireless remote control camera on wheels. Hot Air by Mister Jalopy in The Quick and DirtyBuild a do-everything manifold to control, dry, route, and use compressed air. Two BEAMbots: Trimet and SolarrollerSolder together one simple circuit and use it to control two very different solar-powered robo-critters: a little satellite that scoots and bumps around, and a mini cart that just keeps a-rolling until the sun goes down. Soccer-Playing RobotMake an autonomous robot that can chase a ping-pong ball, push it into a goal, and take other programmable actions. When you're finished, you'll have a few more wrinkles in your brain and no more fears of robot attacks. Building Tensegrity ModelsMake a "needle tower" sculpture from dowels and elastic cord that seems to defy the laws of physics. LED ThrowiesMake and toss a bunch of these inexpensive little lights to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. It's Email TimeInnocent-looking "clock" monitors the unread-message pileup in your inbox. Rumble MouseFor FPS gaming, a cellphone vibrator gives a kick to your clicks. Video PodcastingProducing TV shows on the cheap. Da Xerox CodeHow to read the tracking dots in your color Xerox printer. Let There Be (Front) LightAdd an LED front light to your Game Boy Advance for $5. Sticky FingersModifying tech for pre-mouse toddlers. Homecasting Digital MusicGood old FM beats wi-fi for sending streamed music around your house. Born-Again BoomboxesUp from the ghetto blaster, a new life as a functional-art stereo component. Run, Lala, RunA rodent-powered nightlight. Spider RifleHumane, compressed-air-powered bug trapper. 3D PhotographyTaking stereographs is easier and more fun than ever. Macro Photography On a BudgetPringles-can lens extender produces dazzling ultra close-ups for peanuts. $130 Digital Picture FrameBuild one in 15 minutes. The Secrets of Monitoring Atmospheric HazeMake a measuring instrument with an old video case and $20 worth of parts. RFID for Makers by Joe GrandBuild this kit to read radio frequency ID tags. The MAKE ControllerAnnouncing a just-maybe-revolutionary microcontroller for all things DIY. MakeShift by Lee D. ZlotoffThe creator of MacGyver challenges you to survive an earthquake, a flood, and a hungover neighbor. Roomba Tronic by Phillip TorroneTake a tour into the underground robotic relentlessness of Roomba hacks, robots in the streets of Austin, and robot cockfighting. Off-the-Shelf Parts, Off-the-Wall Ideas by George DysonLooking for the dawn of the digital universe? Check in the basement, next to the lavatory. My Version of Einstein's AmplifierTyler Rourke tells how he built a replica of a hi-fi system built by Jack Rosenberg for Albert Einstein's 70th birthday gift. MAKE: VOL.07 Penny-Powered LEDPower an LED with some salty water and $1.21. Shopping Cart Chair by Tim Anderson in Heirloom TechnologyTurn a shopping cart into a comfortable and stylish wheelchair. Digi-Comp ReduxA maker in the middle recreates a kit classic. Magnetic Switches from Everyday ThingsControl many devices from afar with the magnetically sensitive Sneaky Switch. Arduino FeverThe tale of a cute, blue microcontroller that fits nicely in the palm of your hand, and the expanding community of developers who love and support it. Life and Death at Low Temperatures bHow to freeze and revive a garden snail. A Sublime MachineMike Wilder makes Lego robots for time-lapse 3D videos of carnivorous plants. Kitchen Counter DNA LabExtract, purify, and experiment with the blueprint of life. Home Molecular GeneticsExtract, fingerprint, and replicate your own DNA. Hack Your Plants!Play God in your garden--create custom fruits, flowers, veggies, and more. Rocket-Launched CamcorderHack a $30, single-use camcorder to make it reusable, then launch it up in a model rocket and capture thrilling astronaut's view footage of high-speed neighborhood escape and re-entry. The Two-Can Stirling Engine bThe Stirling engine has long captivated inventors and dreamers. Here are complete plans for building and operating a two-cylinder model that runs on almost any high-temperature heat source. Home Mycology LabUse an off-the-shelf home air purifier to make a laminar flow hood for your own miniature mycology lab. Then use it to culture and grow mushrooms, and to perform other experiments that require a clean-room environment. Head-Mounted Water CannonUse steel fire-extinguisher power to pummel plastic squirt toys. Weatherproof Wi-Fi Access Point bOutdoor router with minimal coaxial run maximizes network range. Convertible Jockey BoxPortable cooler taps and dispenses ice-cold beer from both kegs and mini-kegs. Beepkiller: Parental RevengeThree ways to silence annoying toys. iPod Video Converter CableAn easier way to watch iPod video on your TV. Automate Your Voicemail GreetingProgram Asterisk to daily update your outgoing message in your own voice. USB-Powered Fan12 easy steps to a cooler you. Thumb LifeUSB keydrive lets you listen to, read, and play what you want on any machine. El Cheapo Cantenna"Mountain Grown" coffee can makes homegrown wi-fi range extender. Backup Power To Go9V battery USB-compatible charger juices up portables in a pinch. Palm Pilot NotebookModified hardback book contains extra-powered PDA and travel keyboard. Scribbler BotHomemade two-axis plotter finds work as a cariacature artist. How to Drink Beer on C-SPANPut yourself into somebody else's video. Monster MIDI DetectorHere's an easy-to-build MIDI detector packaged in a small Japanese action figure. Duct Tape and CyclotronsIncredible machines at thte Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. MakeShift by Lee D. ZlotoffThe creator of MacGyver challenges you to save a man stuck in a fissure filled with toxic gas. Digital SpelunkingUnearthing ancient Apple II files on AOL. Strange Love by George DysonOr, how they learned to start worrying and love to hate the bomb. My Robosapien in a CanHigh-Flying Video from Rocket-Launched Camcorder MAKE Vol.08 Custom Travel-Game ModMake a travel edition of your favorite, and otherwise housebound, board game. Heavy LiftingPlacing huge towers up a mountain is just the start to reaching Troy Caldwell's ski-resort-on-a-budget dream. Charlie Asquith's Jet DoryCharlie is 78 years old and he'd been fishing for mullet in Hawks Nest, Australia, for over 60 years. Homebrew MagnetometerBuild a torsion balance to measure tiny changes in thet Earth's magnetic field. Shaker Flashlight Power SourcePowering small electronics with your muscles. Homebrew Game DesignTurning wacky ideas into fun board games. The Secret History of MYSTCo-creator Robyn Miller reveals why it became the best-selling adventure game of all time. 1966: A Big Year for GamesAn afternoon with Ralph Baer, the "Father of Video Games." Photos from the InsideToys sent through the X-ray machine give new insights. PinballRestoring a crusty, beat up Cyclone and going inside the electromechanical underground. Chris Ware's ACME PapercraftComics you can build! Tabletop TerrainsThat's no pile of trash; it's my asteroid mining colony! Making Your Own Video GameMicrosoft's XNA Game Studio Express opens up game development. Pummer, Dude!Part robotic plant life, part techno-sculpture, these desktop toys are easy and fun to make. Roachball Goes Open SourceIn this fast-paced lunch-hour sport, changing the rules is part of the game. Building an OrnithopterFor millennia, men and women have studied birds, bats, and beetles, observing and experimenting, attempting to determine what humans must do to fly by flapping. Killing TimeHack a retro gaming light gun with some tilt switches to control a vintage digital clock radio. After the alarm wakes you up, you can grab the gun and kill it off. Isn't that what you've always dreamed of doing? Coffee RoasterLots of folks think that quaffing a cup of coffee from boutique beans comes close to nirvana, but roasting your own beans will bring you even closer. That's why I call this roaster the Nirvana Machine. Streamerator 2000This favorite stage prop launches streams of toilet paper into mid-air, or can completely mummify someone in the front row. TV-to-Synth InterfaceTriggering sound from video images. World's Loudest iPodiBump crossover lets you crank it up without distortion. Project RedsharkTurn your Xbox into a mobile media monstrocity. My Love Affair with LEDsBuild a bright, low-powered desk lamp TV SpinnerMotorized lazy Susan aims the screen where it's needed. Smart HVACEnergy-efficient A/C knows when you're in the room MIDI Controller MonkeyA/V monkeyshines with flex sensors and a MIDIsense board Clean Out a DishwasherSalvaging components from unwanted appliances. How Not to Make a How-To VideoIgnore these handy rules and your instructional video will turn out great! Van TV bBig sights and sounds hit the streets. Quick and Dirty Light TableA storage bin, a pane of glass, and fluorescent light saves hundreds of dollars Moldmaking by Adam SavageHow the pros replicate objects Gaming on the EDSAC and PDP-1From the earliest computers came the first computer games Blast from the Past: The 1948 Union Hardware CatalogOld catalog provides a glipmse of how modern civilization was built wiithout laser levels or pneumatic nail guns Paper Water BomberWinged origami missile with front-load tank delivers wet payload

MAKE Magazine: The Second Year: 4 Volume Collector's Set

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Crafts & Hobbies

Magazine type periodical presented in a paperbook binding, with DIY technology projects. Volume 07 features 9 backyard biology projects, Extract Your DNA, Head-Mounted Water Cannon, and how to build a Videocam Rocket.

Make: Technology on Your Time: 7

Science & Math

Frauenfelder, Mark (editor)

Biological Sciences

Arduino is the open-source electronics prototyping platform that’s taken the design and hobbyist world by storm. This thorough introduction, updated for Arduino 1.0, gives you lots of ideas for projects and helps you work with them right away. From getting organized to putting the final touches on your prototype, all the information you need is here!
Inside, you’ll learn about:
<ul>
<li>Interaction design and physical computing</li>
<li>The Arduino hardware and software development environment</li>
<li>Basics of electricity and electronics</li>
<li>Prototyping on a solderless breadboard</li>
<li>Drawing a schematic diagram</li>
</ul>
Getting started with Arduino is a snap. To use the introductory examples in this guide, all you need an Arduino Uno or earlier model, along with USB A-B cable and an LED. The easy-to-use Arduino development environment is free to download.
Join hundreds of thousands of hobbyists who have discovered this incredible (and educational) platform. Written by the co-founder of the Arduino project, Getting Started with Arduino gets you in on all the fun!

Getting Started with Arduino

Banzi, Massimo

Computer Science

If you want to experiment with radio frequency identification (Rfid), this book is the perfect place to start. All you need is some experience with Arduino and Processing, the ability to connect basic circuits on a breadboard with jumper wire and you're good to go. You'll be guided through three hands-on projects that let you experience Rfid in action. Rfid is used in various applications, such as identifying store items or accessing a toll road with an Ezpass system. After you build each of the book's projects in succession, you'll have the knowledge to pursue Rfid applications of your own. Use Processing to get a sense of how Rfid readers behave Connect Arduino to an Rfid reader and discover how to use Rfid tags as keys Automate your office or home, using Rfid to turn on systems when you're present, and turn them off when you leave Get a complete list of materials you need, along with code samples and helpful illustrations Tackle each project with easy-to-follow explanations of how the code works

Getting Started With RFID

Igoe, Tom

Networking & Cloud Computing

Learn the fundamentals of soldering—and pick up an essential skill for building electronic gadgets. You’ll discover how to preheat and tin your iron, make a good solder joint, desolder cleanly (when things don't quite go right), and how to use helping hands to hold components in place.
This concise book is part of MAKE’s Getting Started with Soldering Kit. Using the tools in the kit and some electronic components, you can practice soldering while making fun blinky objects. Then show the world you just learned a new skill by wearing the Learn to Solder Skill Badge.
<ul>
<li>Learn how to prepare your workspace</li>
<li>Get to know the components you’ll work with</li>
<li>Use the best methods for soldering components in place</li>
<li>Experience the perfect solder joint</li>
<li>Know how to desolder when things don’t work the first time</li>
</ul>
Heat up the iron and start soldering today!

Learn to Solder: Tools and Techniques for Assembling Electronics

Engineering & Transportation

Jepson, Brian

Moskowite, Tyler

Hayes, Gregory

Engineering

A whole issue devoted to toys for makers! Toys are big players in the maker world. From educational (STEM/STEAM) to robotics and science, toys provide stimulation, simulation, and prototyping. Make: Volume 41 highlights the latest games and gadgets that have come from the maker community, and provides hands-on inspiration for making your own tech-infused toys. In the Tinkering Toys issue: 
<ul>
<li>Build a Mobile Sandbox Excavator</li>
<li>Going Pro: How to Make Your Toy a Reality</li>
<li>Arduino and littleBits Team Up</li>
<li>Teach Kids to Program with Robots</li>
<li>Retro-Renaissance: A roundup of perennial toy favorites (Erector Set, Tinkertoys, and more)</li>
<li>Nerf Sentry Gun</li>
<li>Sound-Powered Drawbot</li>
</ul>

Tinkering Toys

Maker Media Inc.

What can you do with the Raspberry Pi, the affordable computer the size of a credit card? All sorts of things! If you're learning how to program--or looking to build new electronic projects, this hands-on guide will show you just how valuable this flexible little platform can be. Updated to include coverage of the Raspberry Pi Model B+, Getting Started with Raspberry Pi takes you step-by-step through many fun and educational possibilities. Take advantage of several preloaded programming languages. Use the Raspberry Pi with Arduino. Create Internet-connected projects. Play with multimedia. With Raspberry Pi, you can do all of this and more. In Getting Started with Raspberry Pi, you’ll: <ul>
<li>Get acquainted with hardware features on the Pi's board</li>
<li>Learn enough Linux to move around the operating system</li>
<li>Start programming in Python and Scratch</li>
<li>Draw graphics, play sounds, and handle mouse events with Pygame</li>
<li>Use the Pi's input and output pins to do some hardware hacking</li>
<li>Discover how Arduino and the Raspberry Pi can work together</li>
<li>Create your own Pi-based web server with Python</li>
<li>Work with the Raspberry Pi Camera Module and USB webcams</li>
</ul>

Getting Started with Raspberry Pi: Electronic Projects with Python, Scratch, and Linux

Children's Books

Richardson, Matt

Wallace, Shawn

Science, Nature & How It Works

Maker Pro is a book of essays by more than a dozen prominent and up-and-coming professional makers (Maker Pros). Each essay includes advice and stories on topics such as starting a kit-making business, taking a hardware project open-source, and plenty of encouragement to "quit your day job." This book is a reference for anyone who dreams of turning a hobby into a small business, and features stories from well-known professional makers; it will turn aspiration into inspiration.

Maker Pro: Essays on Making a Living as a Maker

Business & Money

Huang, Andrew Bunnie

Baichtal, John

Tremayne, Wendy Jehanara

Business Development & Entrepreneurship

Start Making!

Natalie Rusk

Danielle Martin

Alisha Panjwani

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Maker Media, Inc publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Maker Media, Inc