I was just thinking. If someone were to go to school for hardware work, how would one go about doing so? What area of study would cover your bases, so you'd get a nice career going. I'm thinking community college, wise. Not some big university.
I don't know how much this would help, but, I've just finished a 2 year course at college, on Networking, which to a small extent does include hardware. If you like getting your hands dirty laying cables, and setting up Servers, then maybe thats a way to go. In the UK, its a BTECH National Diploma for IT Practioners, and Year 2 of 2 is the Network side. Hope this kinda helps. Sam
You mean developing hardware? Because that usually requires something like a programming, electrical engineering, and/or electronics degree.
If you want to end up actually developing hardware, you're going to need at least a four year degree. That said, it's fairly easy to take classes at community college that will cut down on the (expensive) time you need to spend at a university: Lots of math and physics for starters, along with electronics courses, if the college has them.
No, not so much developing hardware. Networking: possibly. I was thinking more along the lines of developing PC configurations and setting up PCs, with some networking thrown in for good measure. How would you guys go?
Open a shop/work in someone elses shop (ala PC World repair centre things)? I doubt you'll find a worthwhile (i.e. recognised + well regarded) course for learning how to unscrew a case and plug in a few components!
You won't really make much money trying to set up a business on your own really since the likes of Dell will be able to make PCs much cheaper that you would be able to. I think something like samkiller did would be a good idea, although I don't know how much tinkering you'd get to do as an "IT guy" though.
if you want to be in computer repair/IT troubleshooting etc. then certifications are the way to go. CompTIA A+ and N+ are good starts (hardware and networking respectively) If you want to focus in networking, then (cisco) CCNA, CCNE, etc. or get your (microsoft) MCSA/MCSE for software troubleshooting with software networking. If you want to focus in security, use your focus in MCSE for security (as opposed to messenging) and get your CompTIA Security+ and maybe your CCNA just for kicks...there's a hardware security cert in cisco's tests, i just can't remember what it is... Once you've got all that done, you'll be a relatively advanced network administrator. now you want to get some work experience /edit oh, if you are going to do the computer engineering course, be prepared for math. lots of it. You'll be 9 hours shy of a math minor once you get your major done. that doesn't include the chemistry, physics, physics 2, etc. (thats why i no longer do CE hehe) 4-yr schools don't really teach IT stuff. you've got your Computer Engineering class, which is a hybrid EE/CS course. It teaches motherboard/chipset design. Then you've got Management Information Systems...thats a business class which focuses on, surprisingly, managing an IS/IT environment. Have a look at what other courses there are at the colleges, you might find something interesting.
do a home course thingy a Network+ cert or something along them lines they cost around 800£ usually and you do it in your own time i get post form this place all time offering courses http://www.homelearningdirect.com/Courses/ITandComputing/CompTIANetwork.aspx http://www.homelearningdirect.com/HomeLearningCollege/HomeLearningCollege.aspx
Having just finished the same course as sam, and having been from the same group (the college even tutored a seal...), the courses hardware is mainly in networking hardware (if you do the same modules anywho, you get a choice for programming / networking), although in the first year you do get to do some system builds. Also, you get to do some server setups, and client installs, cable laying, and learn a lot of theory regarding liscencing All in all, it's not a bad starter course, although whether it's worthwhile to take more in on top, I have no idea, as i'm looking to see if I can get an entry level job from the course at the moment
