There are only a handful of Symbian books available yet, and this one is the best of them. It is not a tutorial but a fairly good reference. It does a good job of explaining concepts as well, for instance I really like the discussion of descriptors in chapter 5.

Those who have no Symbian background will find this book difficult (not because the book is badly written, but because Symbian is a very different platform). I recommend that beginners read documentation and whitepapers available at Symbian's website, take an introductory class and then buy this book for reference. Dont try to learn Symbian programming from this book. You'll be disappointed.

I also think that the authors should revisit and work on a new edition of this useful book. There has been an addition of many new topics since R5, that require good reference material - authors could do the Symbian community a favor by providing that much needed reference material.

This book deserves 3.5 stars now - and if the authors release a new edition, it will get 5 stars from me.

As an introduction to programming on the Symbian platform this book is excellent. If you require detailed information on C++ EPOC programming then it may appear a bit sparse. You can get the required information from Symbian/Psion directly. If you wish to start programming on this platform then this is a great introduction. After reading it you will be able to make the most of the detailed information from Symbian themselves.

First, I should state that I know the author. I better say that in case anyone believes my guilty of bias. However, it must be realised that this book is an official Symbian publication, and as such is the definitive reference book on programming for EPOC devices. Personally I think Martin has done a remarkable job putting all this together. As an ex-Symbian employee I have not done any coding since the early development days of the Psion Series 5.

Recently I have needed to get up to date and get coding again. On a brand new PC, with no EPOC utilities on it, with the help of this book and its accompanying CD (which contains ALL of the official Symbian Software Development Kits), I had genuine freshly-compiled programs running on my Psion Series 5mx PDA within MINUTES. Martins writing style is very accessible, and explains the advanced concepts behind EPOC in a manner in which anyone can quickly understand them.

As an aside, the book is deliberately written so that it does NOT have to be read sitting in front of a computer. As a result, this book makes a fantastic tutorial, as it can be read on the train, in the bath, anywhere when you might have a few minutes spare.

A "must buy" for any individual or company considering programming in C++ any EPOC devices (which will in the near future include both PDA's and mobile phones). Well done Martin!