Just as with any form of quilting, I think that different people wind up with different 'gadgets' and different longarming skills. One of the newest things to come along is the Pantovision, offered by Innova for several different longarms. It gives you the ability to use a computer tablet instead of a paper pantograph, also to trace any design using the crosshairs on the tablet as a guide rather than marking your quilt, using the laser pointer, etc. (No, I don't have it - yet - but am considering getting it.)
There are many different ways to load your quilt, too, from pinning to zippers or velcro on the leaders to Red Snappers. They all work, all have their advantages, but for now I prefer the Red Snappers. (Been there done that with the pins and velcro.)
There are several types of boards that you can buy - groovy boards for instance - that let you guide the longarm by moving the stylus through a 'maze' on the board. These can help a lot with designs such as Baptist fan, but they are quite pricy.
As far as resource books, there are many, and none of them can cover everything. Some concentrate on designs, others on specific techniques, others on longarming as a business. I find that I buy another one every few months. The ones that are most helpful to me may not be the ones that someone else likes. There are also quite a few videos on youtube and elsewhere that I have found very helpful.