I’m a big fan of the Take Control series of electronic books, published by Adam and Tonya Engst, the folks who run the excellent and long-running Macintosh newsletter TidBITS. Take Control books are published electronically as PDF files, which means that there is very little delay between when the book is finished and when it is published, and it also means that the books can be, and are, updated when new information comes along. Every Take Control book has a “Check for Updates” button on the first page of the PDF. Thus, while Take Control books are as comprehensive and informative as other good books, they are unique because they are also great sources for fresh information.
Just last week, two new iPhone-related Take Control books were
released. I was given free copies for review purposes, and I enjoyed
reading both of them.
Take Control of iPhone OS 3 ($15) is written by Ted Landau, a noted troubleshooting guru. (This is a new version of a book that used to be called Take Control of Your iPhone, which I reviewed earlier this year; it you bought the last edition you will be getting information on a discounted upgrade.) This book goes into great detail on the intricacies of syncing your iPhone, using MobileMe, managing third party apps, mastering keyboard and speech input, and using Wi-Fi, Edge, 3G and Bluetooth. Also, because this is Ted Landau, he includes a healthy dose of troubleshooting tips for when something goes wrong with your iPhone. Click here to download a free sample PDF from the book with Table of Contents, Introduction, Quick Start, and section starts.
The other new book is Take Control of Your iPhone Apps ($10) by Jeff Carlson,
the Managing Editor of TidBITS and a columnist for the Seattle Times.
Carlson’s book focuses on the iPhone’s built-in apps with step-by-step
instructions on how to use Calendar, Phone, Contacts, Safari, Mail,
Messages, Camera, Photos, Maps, Compass, iPod and Remote. (Okay,
technically Remote doesn’t come built in to the iPhone, but Apple makes
this free app to control an Apple TV, so it is almost like a built-in app.) This book also has a free sample that you can download to get a feel for the book.
Carlson’s book is aimed at beginners. Landau’s book is great for beginners but has tips that would be appreciated by more advanced iPhone users as well. The iPhone is so easy to use that I know that many people get by just fine without ever reading anything, but if you (or someone who you knows) could use just a little more information—even if it is just to confirm what you think you already know—these are both very useful e-books.
Because the books are electronic, you can get instant gratification. Just download the book and in minutes or even seconds, the book will be on your computer and you can start to read it. If you use the links below to purchase either or both books, a small percentage of the sale goes to iPhone J.D. to help offset the cost of running this site.
Click here to get Take Control of iPhone OS 3 for $15.00.
Click here to get Take Control of Your iPhone Apps for $10.00.