Customer Reviews

iPhone: The Missing Manual

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As easy to use as the iPhone is it still has some secrets up it's sleeve and this is where "iPhone: The Missing Manual" comes in really handy. The book goes step by step through the basics of the phone, mail, browsing and the iPod functionality, as well as all of the other handy applications. And with each of those I found something I had missed along the way.

In addition to handling the basics he also has a lot of handy tips about special numbers to dial, the differences in the various email services, and handy keyboard shortcuts that have allowed me to get much more out of the phone.

This book is definitely worth the money, and I think it's a must have for anyone who has just bought an iPhone. If it's worth several hundred dollars to get the phone. It's worth another $14 to find out how to use it right.

When I first saw the release of iPhone: The Missing Manual by David Pogue, I wanted to review it. Never mind that I didn't yet *have* an iPhone... I just like the style of the Missing Manual series. But when my wife surprised me with my very own 8GB iPhone, getting a copy of this book became a priority. And while it's possible to get quite a bit from just the user interface, there *are* things you'll want to know that aren't covered in the "Finger Tips" documentation. Pogue's book absolutely shines when it comes to taking your experience level up a notch...

Contents:
Part 1 - The iPhone as Phone: The Guided Tour; Phone Calls; Fancy Phone Tricks
Part 2 - The iPhone as iPod: Music and Video; Photos and Camera
Part 3 - The iPhone Online: Getting Online; The Web; Email; Maps and Apps
Part 4 - Beyond iPhone: iTunes for iPhoners; Syncing the iPhone; Add-Ons - Accessories and Web Apps; Settings
Part 5 - Appendixes: Setup and Signup; Troubleshooting and Maintenance
Index

It's a real testimony to the designers of the iPhone that you can pack this much functionality into a device and get away without including a sizable manual. I probably had 60% to 70% of the functions figured out in the first couple of hours with no help. But iPhone: The Missing Manual is perfect for understanding those areas not used as often, as well as gaining some deeper understanding of *why* some things work as they do. For instance, I was a little confused as to why Flash files wouldn't play. But David explains the reasoning behind that (whether you agree with Apple or not is a different story). I also didn't know how much YouTube had done to accommodate iPhone users. And the explanation of how the keyboard works, as well as shortcuts you might not stumble onto yourself, is worth the price of the book alone.

I also appreciated his coverage throughout the book on battery life. That was the first thing I noticed about the iPhone when I started using it. Where I could go a week or so before recharging a normal cell phone, I was now looking at recharging the iPhone every couple of days. Pogue does a very good job in pointing out what features are power hogs, which ones are "battery-friendly", and what you can do to conserve your battery time if you're not going to be able to recharge right away. I now know why my fascination with using the web browser was causing nightly recharges... :)

Yes, you could download the PDF iPhone manual from Apple and learn most of what's covered here. In fact, it's probably a good idea to do so regardless of whether you buy this book or not. But if you want a non-Apple-biased view of how things work (or don't), iPhone: The Missing Manual will give it to you straight.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go spend some more quality time with my new toy and book...

Sat there at a bookstore coffee shop with all the books piled up and went through them to decide which was the best one to get. All the others were too simplistic. This one has humor, treats me like an adult AND acknowledges it will probably be out of date as Iphone updates and directs you to a web site for all the updates to the book that you can get to for free (along with the programs mentioned in the book) The book is written by two people, one of which has been writing Mac Books for more 20 years (and whom I learned how to use a mac from one of his books) Tons of tips (and easy reference to the exact page number of that tip) I highly recommend this book.

For the past few months I've had a-well, I might as well call it what it is-an obsession with the/my iPhone. I was beginning to feel pretty smug about how much I knew about the device.

But since I'm also a fan of David Pogue (never miss his columns nor his weekly e-mails), I decided to buy this book (if only to learn that I had nothing else TO learn about how to do everything the iPhone Can do).

(I'm kidding about feeling smug; I was just comfortable that I"d been getting the most out of my iPhone.)

WOW! Was I wrong!?! This book is incredible! I picked up 4 or 5 new "tips" from the first dozen pages. And lots more since.

Buy it . . . unless you were on the team that designed the iPhone.

I was among the first to buy the iPhone. I had watched all the online tutorials on the Apple website before its release. I went through every screen and option. I read all the reviews. I thought I knew it inside and out. I even gave tips to coworkers who had gotten one. And then I got this book and discovered I had more to learn. Exceptional pictures and illustrations. I read this author's articles in the New York Times regularly. He is great. I love his work. If you haven't seen it check out his video on the iPhone released at the end of June. It is hilarious. This book has tips you may have missed. At the very worst it will remind you of things that you have forgotten. Worth the money.

This book is a decent resource for people getting started using the iPhone. It is as the title states, the missing manual. There's some extra tips and stuff, but not much after the basics. Pogue's writing style makes the book fun to read. Definitely for beginners only.

I love David Pogue and read his NY Times stuff religiously. I suppose if you are not very computer savvy his book is a good guide to get you in the iPhone game. Most of the iPhone is fortunately, fairly intuitive, and the menus and icons will guide you through.
Andy Inhatko's "iPHone Fully Loaded" is like the advanced iPhone course. Plus lots of other stuff in there like how to customize iTunes, rip DVD's to your computer and iPhone(legally), and a great chapter on internet radio.
If you have spent a week using your iPhone and are wondering how to make the most of the world's most advanced handheld, check it out.

"iPhone: The Missing Manual" is definitely a good replacement for the user's manual that was not in the box ... and probably much better than what Apple might have put there. The author covers most if not all of the functionality of the device and includes relevant screenshots and diagrams. His prose is readable and generally devoid of technobabble. It is easy to read, easy to reference, and certainly easy on the eyes.

Pogue's book arguably deserves five of my review stars since the content does indeed follow the title, but it is a little *too much* like the manual in my opinion. While he does present some interesting anecdotes about the development and marketing of the device and some tips you wouldn't ever get from the manufacturer, I expected more from a third party and especially O'Reilly. The troubleshooting chapter is not much longer than one would expect in the manufacturer's version. The "Hacking the iPhone" section, which is where one would think might be the meat in an O'Reilly book, is a disappointing four page appendix.

I wholeheartedly recommend this for the lay user, but the technically-savvy can get all they need from a ten minute perusal at the book store.

I suggest all iPhone users purchase this book -- it's packed with lots of useful info you won't discover inside the iPhone packaging .... and how can you beat the price? Excellent resource at an excellent price. A wise investment for any iPhone user.

This book is great - it had at least half a dozen shortcuts and a dozen tips that I hadn't managed to pick up on my own and probably wouldn't have found so easily. This saves me a little bit of time everyday.