Every now and then I recieve some emails from Zend about training (I have an account there for the certifications I got), usualy they go directly into the trash.

But this time I was curious I opened the email, which has links to there website, not much of interesting topics for training courses, but damn, the prices are outrageous.

Com’on, the PHP Foundations for 1,000$ ???!! That is a beginners course, com’on, go to the php manual, read the Language reference, and that will cover the topic, does it really worth paying that much.

Also, PHP for experienced programmers for 3100$, how hard is that language to learn, if the applicant is already an experienced programmer, I guess looking at the manual will give him most of what he needs, or at worse, he can buy a book for less than 50$ that would cover all the things he need.

Now for me the funniest one was Zend Studio for Eclipse Training for 800$, for those who doesn’t know, “Zend Studio for Eclipse“, is a software IDE based on – is – Eclipse, that is made by Zend, which is supposed to make development easier, how hard is it to use? if it’s that hard why would I buy it? it needs an 800$ training, while any other editor will do, and for me, I tried it, but using it, wasn’t productive, or faster than using vim.

Now really, is there anybody who would pay such amounts, for such training? I learned php from the manual, and after that from using it, and browsing online. I don’t think that any of their courses would give more Info than anything you would find online. I mean, does anybody who took such a course with that price, really felt that it does worth?