From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: main.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Daniel R. Anderson" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: Emacs Customization - newbie's question Date: 31 Mar 2003 06:35:24 +0000 Organization: www.mathjunkies.com Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Message-ID: <1049092524.1665.9.camel@ny-chicagost2d-72.buf.adelphia.net> References: <3E87A603.8010702@networld.com> <1049083837.325.4.camel@ny-chicagost2d-72.buf.adelphia.net> <4100.138.171.126.124.1049086769.squirrel@webmail.pair.com> Reply-To: dan@mathjunkies.com NNTP-Posting-Host: main.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: main.gmane.org 1049092645 21145 80.91.224.249 (31 Mar 2003 06:37:25 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@main.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2003 06:37:25 +0000 (UTC) Cc: linux@networld.com Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Mon Mar 31 08:37:24 2003 Return-path: Original-Received: from monty-python.gnu.org ([199.232.76.173]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 18zsv5-0005Uv-00 for ; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 08:37:24 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.10.13) id 18zsuH-0000fL-05 for gnu-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 01:36:33 -0500 Original-Received: from list by monty-python.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.10.13) id 18zsu5-0000bj-00 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 01:36:21 -0500 Original-Received: from mail by monty-python.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.10.13) id 18zsu4-0000bQ-00 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 01:36:21 -0500 Original-Received: from [64.246.36.112] (helo=torre.pghoster.com) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtp (TLSv1:DES-CBC3-SHA:168) (Exim 4.10.13) id 18zsu3-0000bJ-00 for help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 01:36:20 -0500 Original-Received: from ny-chicagost2d-72.buf.adelphia.net (ny-chicagost2d-72.buf.adelphia.net [24.49.119.72]) (authenticated (0 bits)) by torre.pghoster.com (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id h2V6ZeM31702; Mon, 31 Mar 2003 00:35:45 -0600 Original-To: amh@crm-114.net In-Reply-To: <4100.138.171.126.124.1049086769.squirrel@webmail.pair.com> X-Mailer: Ximian Evolution 1.2.2-3mdk X-MIME-Autoconverted: from 8bit to quoted-printable by torre.pghoster.com id h2V6ZeM31702 Original-cc: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1b5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Archive: List-Unsubscribe: , Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+gnu-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: main.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:8010 X-Report-Spam: http://spam.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.help:8010 > I would recommend against purchasing this book. For one, as already > mentioned, its outdated. Two, all of the info in it can be found onlin= e > and believe me, there is not alot to this book. The "Writing GNU Emacs > Extensions" isnt worth it either. >=20 > http://rgrjr.dyndns.org/emacs/emacs_cheat.html >=20 > Thats a good place to start, check out the emacs wiki too. The Oreilly > books are a waste of money and paper IMO >=20 1) Every book ever written about technology is outdated before it gets off the press due to the fact that the 6+ months between writing and publication the tech. world changes. So long as the information works it's not a problem. As I said, I only found one difference between the key bindings -- and even that wasn't much. 2) Some people like books compared to online documentation. For one thing those of us who do not have a latte, twiddler, and cyborg headset[0] often find the time we are away from computers can be used to learn about them. (Taking the train into NYC is a good example). =20 3) It is by no means meant to be an all inclusive reference. It's meant to provide an overview with detailed explanations for noobs. If you're technically sophisticated and you=B4ve gotten used to online documentation it is probably too slow for you. But, if $7 helps you to learn better then the online documentation, and that $7 buys an increase in productivity worth (much) more then $7 to you, it certainly makes sense to spend it. 0. A latte is a computer available at thinkgeek.com a little larger then an oversized CD case. A twiddler is a one handed keyboard with integrated mouse (www.handykey.com) and there are lcd goggles available that allow you to make the i/o interface complete. They cost upwards of a couple thousand dollars, although, if I were Donald Trump I wouldn't hesitate to buy one. -Dan