Save time and money and get O'Reilly's Asterisk - The Future of Telephony instead.
|
I bought this along with O'Reilly's "Asterisk - The Future of Telephony", hoping to use the Dummies book as a quick introduction, and the O'Reilly one as a reference for more advanced topics - big mistake!
Whilst what you'd expect to find is more or less in the book, there are too few details on the Hardware Configuration to get going (e.g. minimum information of setting up analogue ports - no info on configuring IP-Phones). I also find that the Dialplan section is quite confusing and other this there is no mention, let alone explanations, of Asterisk programming (AGI, etc) at all. I am also quite annoyed that all the examples are US-centric, with no acknowledgment of the differences that other countries bring (ever dialed 911 when you electrocuted yourself with a 110V power supply?), and that there are some glaring mistakes when discussing Linux (the bit about boot-loaders and defragging is worth a read in a twisted kind of way).
Compare that with the O'Reilly book which takes you in a structured, logical and paced journey from setting up Asterisk to advanced configuration, with a comprehensive set of Appendices for reference and there is no doubt that the Dummies book was put together in a rush to capitalize on a new technology, whereas the O'Reilly one has been written with care and attention and deserves to be on your bookshelf.
|
|
|
United States | 
United Kingdom | 
Canada