I've been working through the online course for After Effects and have found it very helpful. Nice not to have to keep a book open on my desk (plus having a voice attached to the material helps keep it more interesting) or even to have to fumble for a CD or DVD. I'm on a cable modem; don't know how well it would work over a 56K modem. I figure I can use the online service for two months for the price of one real book.