Product Reviews
Training on the Go
Transcender's TransTrainer provides a worthy alternative to busy professionals.
In the world of telecommuting, the virtual office and the mobile office,
more professionals are constantly on the go. Typical classroom training
has become impractical for many, so where does the consummate technical
professional turn for training? Read a book? Think again. Perhaps it's
time to take a look at computer-based training, otherwise known as CBT.
Transcender's TransTrainer is an ideal solution for mobile professionals
interested in updating their technical prowess and putting more acronyms
after their names. For a reasonable price, you can get yourself an "instructor
in a box." Well, not really a box, but a CD-ROM. Of course, you can download
one if you choose (and if you can afford a 13.5MB download process). Transcender
is known for its "test prep" guides. With this offering, Transcender moves
into the training industry, complementing its other products such as TranscenderCert
(exam testing simulation) and TranscenderFlash (a flash-card system).
Once you get past rebooting your PC (wasn't rebooting was a thing of
the past with the release of Windows 2000/XP?), TransTrainer provides
hours of easy-to-use operation. In evaluating TransTrainer for Microsoft
Operating System Technology (which prepares you for CompTIA's A+ Operating
System Technologies exam), I found it to be very appealing. The screen
was simple, and the layout concise.
The screen is spit into two panes: On the left, there's an outline, and
the right side is the viewing pane. At the top are three navigational
tabs: Contents (default), Index and Search. Finding a specific topic was
simple. On the bottom of the outline pane, which doubles as a navigational
portal to any topic the exam covers, there are three buttons. The first
button takes you to a Notes area for personalizing a topic. The Reference
button came in handy while locating additional information on the Internet.
Finally, a full glossary is included for those not-so-simple terms.
On the menu bar, you can view supplemental material. While on a particularly
long flight, I found the continuous Play All feature useful as it kept
me from constantly having to click on the Play button to move onto the
next topic. The video and audio were clear and easy to understand. Just
make sure you have a fast CD-ROM drive and plenty of RAM.
I enjoyed this CD so much, I purchased TransTrainer's product for Microsoft
Windows 2000 Network Management CD as an aid to an instructor-led class.
If you're a busy professional or simply a neophyte, this CBT by Transcender
is for you. Not only will you save money, but also time (and time is money,
right?). All you road warriors need look no further for a solid training
solution.
About the Author
Michael Rodgers, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, A+, is a professor at Dyersburg State.
He has seven years' experience as a technical trainer and consultant for
Piranha Technologies, a network and security managed solution provider.