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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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I usually prefer paper books but some language and framework specific books get outdated fast (anyone need a couple of Rails 4 books?) so this service nicely solves the problem of bookshelves cracking under the pressure of outdated information.

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;

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.

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.