The reputation of Symbian OS C++ development as being unfriendly (to say the least) is undeniable. On the other hand, the platform is also extremely powerful.
If you only want to code personal programs or little freewares/sharewares, another platform could be better suited to you. If you are trying to find an operating system that can sustain a professional career in software development, Symbian, J2ME and, to a lesser extent, linux are your best bets.
The documentation and tools of Symbian are evolving with every new versions. Using Symbian OS C++ is getting incrementally easier (but it still has a long way to go).
A little relevant advert : Symbian Press latest effort to introduce developers to the Symbian ecosystem.
http://www.quickrecipesonsymbianos.com
It can be used as an 80 hours step-by-step course.
