A couple weeks ago, FMPTraining announced their new 8-CD set. The trainer, Jerry Robin, is known to be a great FileMaker trainer, so I was very interested to see this new offering. I spoke with Jerry and found out that it’s a hell of a lot of work to do something like this.
The price for each CD is a VERY reasonable $39. The set goes for $299 but there seems to be a special on right now for $269. Each CD has about two hours worth of training on it.
Here’s what he’s got:
Volume1: Using FileMaker Pro
Volume 2: Building a Database
Volume 3: Layout Design
Volume 4 & 5: Relational Database Design (2 CDs)
Volume 6: Importing, Exporting, and Reporting
Volume 7: Security
Volume 8: Introduction to Scripting
The material is beginning to intermediate. If you don’t know FileMaker 7, even if you are a hot shot with FileMaker 6, you are probably in the intermediate category with a lot of this material, especially the relational database design and security CDs.
As I see it, CD training provides us with a great compliment to our other FileMaker learning resources:
- Books
- An array of Classroom Training options
- The FileMaker Developer’s Conference
- User Group meetings
- One-on-one tutoring
- Matt Petrowsky’s FileMaker Magazine Online Training
- FileMaker Advisor Magazine
What I like about the CD’s is that they fill needs that the other alternatives don’t such as:
- Stimulation. More compelling. Lots of people these days have trouble getting through a technical book. Instead, you’ve got a real person talking you through a series of training exercises. A lot more warm and fuzzies than you can get from a book (Of course, a CD can’t beat the engagement you would have in a live training with a top trainer like Jerry).
- Timeshifting and Personalizing the Pacing. Like a book, a CD can be used whenever it is convenient. You can do 2 CDs if you really want to learn something one day. You can decide to do one a day for 8 days for an intensive learning experience. You can watch something twice – either repeat the whole CD or just rewind a bit for something you need to hear twice to really get it.
- You don’t have to wait until the class is offered in your area.
- It comes to you. They ship you the CDs. You don’t have to travel. You don’t have to be able to afford the airfare and lodging and time off. This feature gets really important when you live in a remote area and don’t have the time and money to travel somewhere to learn from the best.
- It’s Cheap. You get over 16 hours of training from a world-class FileMaker trainer for the price of 1 day of training at your local computer training outfit.
- It’s Portable. You can take the CD’s anywhere. If you are going home for the holidays and you aren’t going to be busy with really fun stuff every minute, you could bring a couple CDs for a break from the festivities/family.
That’s probably enough of a prelude. Soon, I’ll be able to tell you firsthand what these CD’s are like. They are on the way and should be at my house by Saturday. I’ll report back to tell you how it goes. I’ll probably go right to relational design and security because I can use all the help and different angles on these topics I can get.