Is it even worth buying books on specific technologies anymore?

[Colin Scott]

They're generally obsolete by the time they hit the shelves anyway.

Discuss.


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[Michael Minutillo]

I still think there is a place for technical books but as developer I think that these are exactly the sorts of book that your employer should purchase. It is in your best interests that you understand enough of the principles and practices to be able to evaluate specific technologies. It is in your employers best interests to ensure that your technical questions can be answered quickly and efficiently.

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Michael M. Minutillo
Indiscriminate Information Sponge
Blog: http://wolfbyte-net.blogspot.com

[Gareth Marshall]

Colin Scott wrote:
> They're generally obsolete by the time they hit the shelves anyway.
>
> Discuss.

I've found myself buying ebooks for specific technologies, rather than
buying the dead tree kind:
- they don't clutter up my bookshelves
- I don't feel guilty about throwing books away when they are
irrelevant
- they are often cheaper
- I have access to many books through my ACM membership

I've also found myself considering buying some screencasts about
technical topics I'm learning, but have yet to take that plunge.

G

[Paul Batum]

At the moment I do the same thing - ebooks on the tech specific stuff that is more likely to go out of date, dead tree books on the longer lasting stuff.

Though I expect that once I have a Kindle DX (or similar) I won't buy another paper book again.

[Stephen Price]

About a year or so ago I took a look at my Gym membership that I wasn't using and was feeling guilty about, and cancelled it. I put the money into Safari Online with a view to keep my mind fit. I don't use it all the time (much like the Gym) but they do give you tokens each month which you can use to download your favourite books (to keep even if you cancel your membership). It's tax deductible (I don't think my Gym membership was) and it's great for picking up new technologies without having to buy all the books. 

I tend to spend my spare time gaming these days, but I do jump into an online book every now and again. They add new books to it all the time. Looking forward to when I can get my hands onto an iPad, the Safari Online website is really iPhone friendly and the iPad's bigger screen will make for perfect couch reading. 

I'll be going through the list on the poll and adding them to a "to read" list on Safari. 

Great idea for the book club. My wife started up a book club too but they sit about and talk about mushy vampire stories. (gah!!)

cheers,

Stephen

[Paul Batum]

I didn't know that Safari gave you download tokens. I did the math on Safari a few years ago and decided that it wasn't worth it, but I might have to revisit that based on what you've said about downloads.

[Stephen Price]

I guess your value comes down to how much you actually use it. Knowing you are paying for it is a good motivator. :)
You could read every book on their system but 

You get 5 tokens per month with a 6 month expiry on them. You can buy more tokens 5 tokens costs $10US. I just bought a silverlight book for 15 tokens but it varies from book to book. I checked how much it would cost to buy through their site (for $$) and it took me to IntormitIT website with a price for the ebook (watermarked) at $31.49 (assuming US). 

I remember buying one for 24 tokens. That would give you three or four books a year to keep which would help justify some of the cost.  If you really want the book you also get a 35% discount if you buy it through them, but I've not compared how that compares to buying it via Amazon. 

I like it much more than my Gym membership. :)