P270-272 of Murphy, 1999 edition, tells you the difference between the 3 box reversal style chart and the 1 box, or as I tend to view them the EoD and the Intraday charts.
Apart from knowing the mechanics of construction are there any magic spells to learn? Like the Cohen/Burke etc 3 box reversal (and variations) I don't see there's that much to write on the subject... one reason I like the new book, having trotted through the usual stuff about drawing charts, trendlines and so forth is that they start discussing what you might do with the info.... that tends to be missing in many popular books.
I still buy P&F books (deVilliers is in the post), there's usually an interesting idea or two in any trading book I read, but it's not that complex really is it?
As for the course review - I'm glad your friends enjoyed it Gruntnoway (honest!) although (there's always an although) the real proof of whether a course is good or not is whether an averagely intelligent trader could improve profits after attending... I attended several Funnymentals courses in 1999 and came away thinking they were really good, I spent the first half of 2000 using TA to get my money back!
That aside I have the greatest respect for Jeremy, I have no doubt that as an intro to the subject he will have done a good job - criticism here from the more experienced tends to ignore the level it is pitched at, if you were presenting a P&F course to people who are generally P&F newbies you'd cover the same ground. It tends to be overlooked, I think, on BBS like this that many of these courses are pitched at newbies - the Updata course price isn't hugely beyond reason, it is not surprising that a hard core trader would find the subject matter a bit noddy.
If you are well up on TA and are looking to turn into the proverbial lean, mean, trading machine then you aren't sitting in a 30 seater room with people who think the mouse is a microphone, you're paying serious bus fare to somebody 1 on 1 in all likelihood.