Messers videos are good as they are laid out in the same order as the exam objectives, i did get this book to read and make notes from (also laid out in the same order as the objectives), i use a flashcard app to make notes and ask myself questions. with regards to the ports i did them in reverse also - what port is FTP ? or what protocol uses tcp/21 so i learnt them both ways
I would recommend his notes aswell, they are just a printable version of the videos, but i referred to this when i was reading the book and making my own notes to see if he had something i missed.
All the things he mentions have a chance of coming up on the exam, so i did my best to try commit as much of it to memory as i could.
So, my 6-Day study method crunch for Core 2 (taking the exam on Tuesday) and what has really helped me absorb the information was making flashcards for each section within each domain (ie. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and so on.)
That way, when I take Jason Dion's practice exams, the wrong answers I get tells me which section within each domain chapter I need to focus on. And now that I've made flashcards for it, it's an easy review!
The book I'm currently following along that goes over each exam objective word for word that's helped me tons is the "Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+ Certification Passport, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002)". Green/White cover book. I'm using an online version of it that my job provides.
Link for it is here if you were curious: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260455025/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_AW9JG9Y8NRWXXHZ8WS1H?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It depends on which you think you can get through faster. Messer videos are comprehensive, he will give you ALL the information which is great for a total beginner, whereas https://www.amazon.com/CompTIA-Certification-Passport-220-1001-220-1002/dp/1260455025 will give you a good enough review of the specific stuff that Comptia likes to nail people on to pass.
Dion's practice tests will break down the areas you need to study and tell you the why of why an answer is the right one. Totally sufficient for your needs. The PBQ reviews he has are great because they familiarize you with what the PBQs on the test call for and look like so you won't be surprised.
There are about 5 different study guides for it that we can choose from, make sure it has practice quiz's and, start using those after your 5th or so chapter,
This book goes into overkill on all the topics, it kinda explains things as the author sees it logically. I bought this book first and read it from start to finish and it was a long haul. i would recommend the passport version of the book, it is organised as the topics are on the exam and gives you the information needed with minimal extra.
I would also recommend watching Professor Messers videos as he gives you the information needed as they are in the objectives.
I'm reading Mike Meyers' A+ Certification Passport, and it follows the exam objectives (which is one reason why I am using it). Prowse's Exam Cram also follows the objectives, too, though it is a little too thorough for my taste, discussing material that I don't think will be on either of the A+ tests.
You can find both of these books at https://learning.oreilly.com/, which you can check out through a trial account.
The Professor Messer course on YouTube for A+ is free:
You can also get a used copy of Mike Myers book from Amazon for $10:
Also a really cool free site to learn some Linux which I would highly recommend:
Learn Linux with the Bandit Wargame website
Good luck!
Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+ Certification Passport, Seventh Edition (Exams 220-1001 & 220-1002) (Mike Meyers' Certification Passport) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1260455025/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_TH8BG46SC9F7N20CGBBC