eff-bot Python book ... revisited

[Ivan Van Laningham]

Hi All--

Fredrik Lundh wrote:
> 
> Randall Hopper <aa8vb at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Or is this really an electronic-only book (proprietary
> > format or viewing server).  Hope not.
> 
> for now, it works best if you treat it as an
> electronically distributed paper book.  in
> other words, download and print. (a script
> archive, errata, and cover art will be posted
> within a few days).

It's an excellent book, and *cheap*.  A traditional book would run you
$29.95 or thereabouts.

Admittedly, I plan to take it to Kinko's and get it double-sided and
bound, which probably wipes out most of the savings for me.  But if you
want to 3-hole it and stuff it into a 3-ring binder, you save a bunch.

BTW, /F, thanks for letting us know that there will be cover art!  I was
just about to take it for binding today, but decided to wait.  My only
problem is that I bought the book from my work computer, and the only
color printer I have access to is here at home;-(


> <flame note="not directed to randall,
> and shouldn't be read by anyone made
> of flammable material">
> 
> and before even more people start whining
> about me "betraying Python in itself, and
> especially its Unix roots," note that 1) this
> book wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for
> the eMatter initiative, 2) I only wrote the
> book, not the distribution software, and
> 3) Python was originally written on a Mac.
> 
> in other words, future eff-bot guides will
> be available on Macs only!
> 
> thanks.  I feel better now ;-)
> 
> </flame>
> 

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!  Macs are the one platform I don't use!  Nooooooooo!
(Now *I* feel better.)

I'm no fonder of Windows than the next UNIX bigot, but I have to use
Windows for *lots* of good reasons (my work demands it; the book I'm
writing demands it; scanners, CD writers, TV cards, etc. work better on
Windows; and on and on).  Sure, my heart is in UNIX; I look at my NT
webserver, and if I don't reboot it every day it falls over.  My Linux
machines have been up since the last power failure--123 days.  There're
things to like and dislike about each one.  And sometimes, it only makes
economic sense to start with a product that you know people will buy and
be able to use, & later use some of the profits to produce versions for
less popular platforms.  So there.

So I'm fine with a Windows-only version for now.  (And last time I
checked, the PDF viewer for Linux sucked; maybe that's changed by now,
maybe Adobe offers their own 4.0 viewer for Linux. ...)

My only real complaint is that I wish the book were licensed per person
instead of per machine.  And that's not /F's fault.

<although-i'm-sure-that-plenty-of-things-are!>-ly y'rs,
Ivan;-)
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Ivan Van Laningham
Callware Technologies, Inc.
ivanlan at callware.com
ivanlan at home.com
http://www.pauahtun.org
See also: 
http://www.foretec.com/python/workshops/1998-11/proceedings.html
Army Signal Corps:  Cu Chi, Class of '70
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