Ask HN: What do you think about Safari Books Online? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What do you think about Safari Books Online?

8 pointslarryfreeman16 comments

Didn't realize how much I loved Safari Books Online until it went down:

http://safaribooksonline.com

The service went down for me last night. I spoke to a rep and it should be back up in the next hour.

What do folks think about Safari Books Online?

For me, it's a great deal that saves me significant bucks and book space. It is my go to source for content not available on YouTube.

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I quite like it. For a continuous-learning junkie like me having access to all the books and videos is amazing value for the price.

I got a 50% lifetime discount with which the cost comes down to aprox. a Netflix subscription. Given the vast range of books and videos (and the fact that all my favourite publishers are there), the subscription has become a no-brainer for me. My life-blood depends on access to high-quality content to keep my skills sharp.

The web UI could be better, but the mobile app has improved recently. Sufficient for me.

Not sure this offer still exist, might be worth waiting for it.

^ Same (Black Friday discount)

At this price, I think I will continue it indefinitely. Even at full price, the sheer amount of content I think would be well worth it. Not to mention the app features like notes and highlighting.

They also do a beta of the iOS Safari Books app at least via TestFlight which is helpful. I've submitted bugs that have been fixed quickly.

Rather I have multiple sources;

I don't usually like to use such a service if there is an alternative which can be easily made offline as PDF, HTML or at best, EPUB. And better not require an account..

There are only few good ones on Wikibooks, still they are worth it... Eg: those on C Programming...

You can get some decent sources from university sites... I think I can learn things very quickly from lecture slides + bit of experimentation.

Since almost all things I want to learn are open source, there are always some great resources in form of documentation for me. I often like terse documentation rather than tutorials since it facilitates faster learning if you know how;

My comment is about Safari Online as well as other similar services.

I don’t like subscription services that limit offline options or movement of content from one device to another with DRM. Somehow, I prefer reading a (purchased and) downloaded book than having to figure out how to read online content page by page or get it downloaded within some stipulated count or time limits on certain devices.

So no, this service is not for me.

Their iOS reading app is pretty good and allows offline downloading of books. I use it regularly.

Their Android version also allowed offline use. I do think you need to use an official app to read offline, but it's well supported, at least for books (I didn't try video)

> than having to figure out how to read online content page by page

On the web app, Safari Books gives you a page that's one full chapter instead of page by page.

I took the trial and really liked it - would probably subscribe if it was a bit cheaper or my employer would pay for it.

I usually prefer paper books but some language and framework specific books get outdated fast (anyone need a couple of Rails 4 books?) so this service nicely solves the problem of bookshelves cracking under the pressure of outdated information.

It's been offered at half price on Black Friday the past couple years.

I really like it, but I haven't renewed as I can't read the books on my kindle (and with some of the technical books kindle reading isn't the best anyway). I hear my employer might have a license though which is great. Either way I'm waiting to take full advantage of it again when I have my iPad learning setup ready to go.

Slightly off-topic but does anyone know authors get compensated on safari? Has their life become better or worse?

It is vital and critical for me. Great for keeping up to date and keeping my skills polished.

The service is 100% worth it. My only gripe is with the site itself as it's quite cumbersome and slow.

I like it, but my employer provides it for me.

If it is free, it is for me, and I will take three :)

i just got access a few months ago, and now i am hooked. the content is great and up-to-date !

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