Lynda.com Review

If you’re interested in learning to code and want a helpful resource that can teach you all about JavaScript, PHP, CSS, and much more, then Lynda.com may be just what you’ve been looking for. As PCMag’s Editors’ Choice for online learning, online developer training doesn’t get much better than Lynda.com.

Established in 1995 by Bruce Heavin and Lynda Weinman, Lynda.com is one of the original innovators of online technology training. Since then, other online technology training programs like Codecademy and Treehouse have come onto the scene, but Lynda.com’s extensive library with hundreds of coding and developer training video courses has continued to make it one of the most popular and respected developer training resources on the Web today.

With a client list consisting of governments, large businesses, and over a million budding coders and developers from around the world, Lynda.com is without a doubt one of the best online training resources available. However, since there are other options out there providing in-depth coding training as well, let’s take a closer look at Lynda.com and hopefully help you decide if its coding courses are right for you.

Lynda.com Coding Training Details

Lynda.com provides video training courses on a number of subjects ranging from Photoshop and Dreamweaver to project management and internet marketing, but the site’s extensive coding training can be found in the “Developer Training” section. In this section, you’ll find a multitude of trainings covering everything from app and web development to game design. In fact, there are courses for every coding language, including:

• HTML • Java • JavaScript • PHP • CSS • C++ • Python • Ruby • Android • iOS

As this list clearly shows, Lynda.com’s training library is truly a complete learning resource for current and aspiring programmers. Best of all, new courses are added each and every week.

Lynda.com Training Courses

Rather than providing you with one long video after another, which makes it difficult to obtain the information you need, the expert instructors at Lynda.com have broken down each course into a series of short and sweet tutorial-style videos.

The typical coding course contains approximately 40 videos grouped together into chapters. The videos themselves feature live action, screencasts, and smart boards. They’re also designed to perfectly make sense on their own, so you can go straight to the video you need rather than going through an entire course. In addition to great course structures, Lynda.com courses are produced by actual professionals who practice what they teach, not just talking heads and paid actors like some of the other online training sites.

While the $25 monthly subscription price for Lynda.com is laughably low, there are free video sections as well, allowing you to preview a course before signing up. There are even free video transcripts and sample files to get you off to a good start.

Since the best way to learn is to actually do, many of the coding courses found inside Lynda.com’s “Developer Training” section place an emphasis on actually creating an application, website, or similar product. Seeing a product through to completion is an important skill for every coder, and the video tutorials at Lynda.com are designed to help you develop this skill.

Lynda.com Videos and Support

The quality of the videos at Lynda.com is quite impressive. Not only is the player large, but there are tabs below for the video transcripts, course details, notes, and FAQs. The video transcript function is even able to sync up with the voice of the instructor.

The image and sound quality of the videos are top-notch as well. Meanwhile, the instructors are informative, easy to understand, and come across as genuine experts. This is a breath of fresh air in comparison to other training sites with presenters that sound more like paid actors than knowledgeable instructors.

Lynda.com also provides excellent support. In addition to online help files and an email contact form, the site also offers toll-free US and International phone numbers for technical support and answers to any questions you may have.

Potential Drawbacks

Although we’ve mentioned a number of Lynda.com’s positive features, like any type of training, the site’s not without a few drawbacks. Due to the fact that it’s larger and more established than other developer training sites, the material is updated less often. That being said, the date of publication is listed for every course. Lynda.com also lacks the community forums found on Codecademy, Treehouse, and other training sites. Unlike Treehouse, Lynda.com also fails to provide career assistance. If you are looking for more information on web developer careers then check my guide on how to become a web developer.

Bottom Line

Lynda.com may lack a forum and career assistance, but if you’re tired of bells and whistles and simply looking for solid, no-fluff instruction, it’s definitely the training destination for you. Whether you want to brush up on your CSS or learn iOS development, Lynda.com has you covered. With the ability to preview every course and a 10-day free trial, you have nothing to lose and a world-class coding education to gain.