Rating:  -
This book was a very bad experience for me. I've taught myself a great deal of computing through books, and this one doesn't come up to the Dummies standard. The author assumes proficiency with Objective-C, but also that you don't know what API means, and his examples are poor, with poor walkthroughs and directions. I would never download any app mentioned in the book. He gives you almost a preposterous amount of background to execute simple tasks, in an annoying presentation, as if you had to be a plumber to take a shower. I have never been so upset with a For Dummies book. I most enjoyed theorizing as to the nature of the person he thought he was writing too. I wish I could give it 0 stars, or an F-.
I also recommend the Apress book, which is a real and effective resource.
Rating:  -
Don't buy this book. There's no CD or any way to download the meager sample code and projects. There's a ton of nearly useless fluff, and only really a couple chapters about how to actually do any programming. The author may be a good programmer, but he's not a great teacher. Many analogies and illustrations seemed as complicated or more so than the programming concepts they tried to explain.
The other book I also picked up is better in every way:
Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK
Go'n get it!
Rating:  -
Being someone who has never coded any type of program for a mac, I'm basically a clean slate. I bought this book, and another more technical book about programing for the Iphone. The other book jumped right into how to code, and didn't give much of a background into the process of creating an App.
This book on the other hand introduces you into what to think about, and plan for when creating your own App, so far the author has not had us even look at a computer, and everything surrounding what to expect has been brought up.
At least for me, this approach is more effective, once I finish this book, I'm planning on picking up the other Iphone book, once I understand the situation better. I'm very much looking forward to it.
Rating:  -
I had to come back and edit this review. I have spent a lot of time with code books. This is the first book I've ever used where I did not need to use any of the sample code. The content is clear enough to follow and write the code on your own. I've completed the a functioning Return to me application. Now I'm working on the 411 app and thinking about what my app is going to be.....
I'm an HTML, CSS, Flash guy with some AS3 background. This book clearly walks you through examples and explains those examples as you build your application. You need to apply yourself to each lesson and use those lessons as a starting point for your own exploration into the Iphone application building world.
Here is how I get the most of programming books. In the case of this book you get a brief overview of how the step fits into the application. You next write the code. After you write the code the book explains what the code does and how it interacts. I take what the book says translate it into my own words and write it in the comments of my code. This reinforces what your learning and gives you something to reference when building your own applications.
Regards!
Rich Mariner
Rating: -
This book teaches a lot. It's great for beginner developers. If you are thinking of buying this buy it. Unless you know a good deal of developing for the iPhone. This is just the basics.
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