Rating: 

Well ... actually it's chock-full of information ... overflowing ... so much so that it would've boosted my morale immensely if I could only have DONE something with it - like running the first example. A simple "hello world" would have bolstered my enthusiams through the next 100 pages
Not that I'm un-used to the complexity of web (or network) programming. Having tutored myself through at least 5 years of web design and development picking up the usual fare in the process. (javascript, CSS, perl, php, mysql and so on) I stepped back from Java in 97, for these more immediate considerations, and now have returned with serious intentions ... and so this book has tossed a little cold h2O on my head of steam, but I'll keep plugging away.

Sometimes I wonder if textbook authors believe that well-placed "errors" are essential if students are to learn to deal with the "real world." What a concept! Thanks but I've allready sorted out enough errata to last a lifetime. (Learning Java is far from unique in this regard btw, about average I'd say ... but still, the very first example!?!)

My thanks to all the others for posting thoughts that echo'd my sentiments so that I no longer feel quite so alone (or inept) a voice in the wilderness.

On a more positive note, the CD's NetBeans IDE, though dated, includes a comprehensive help section with TUTORIAL examples that may just save the day. At least so far the examples compile and run!