Customer Reviews

iPhone: The Missing Manual

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow I love this book, it covers all the aspects of the iPhone 4S (and prior models), not just the software. For example a sidebox talks about what the Gorilla glass screen is made of, and there are explanations about where the various sensors are located (do you know where the proximity sensor is?), the antenna band, etc. This book is up-to-date and comprehensive - there are 21 pages devoted to Siri, an 11 page chapter just for iCloud, and info regarding iOS5 throughout (better coverage than the other books I've seen so far). The appendix contains some interesting sections on accessories and troubleshooting. If you have an iPhone 4S or an older model iPhone running iOS5, then this is a must-have book, especially for the price you can't go wrong!

David Pogue and his team have done it again with the iPhone Missing Manual, 5th Edition, for all iPhones using iOS 5.0.1. This is a terrific full-color book with hundreds of screen captures and illustrations. The topics are logically introduced and explained for the new iPhone user and there are details and secrets of iOS 5 for those who have been using the iPhone for several years. The Missing Manual covers the differences in the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S models as well as the idiosyncrasies between iPhones using AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon when there is a difference. (If you haven't upgraded your iPhone 3GS or 4 to the free iOS 5, instructions are included for doing the upgrade.) The instructions are not all dry and dull as there is a lot of humor in the book (such as "You don't have to say "call" or "dial" in English. The iPhone recognizes the equivalent words in 32 languages. Collect them all! (page 94)). One of the best features of "The Missing Manual" is that it does not go out-of-date, even as Apple releases updates to iOS 5. Page 5 of the book describes the website where you can find errata, corrections, and updates for the book. And be sure to see the inside back cover for "The Missing CD".

The book is extensive in that it covers pretty much all aspects of using the iPhone: phone calls, FaceTime (video calls), texting/messaging, email, Siri (the virtual assistant using voice recognition), settings, how to use the built-in apps (programs), how to find more good apps, navigating with GPS, maps, the camera (taking photos and shooting HD videos), editing photos, the iPhone as an iPod--playing multimedia (including playing music, TV shows, movies, and more), reading ebooks, surfing the internet, iCloud, WiFi connections, tethering (connecting the iPhone to your laptop to access the internet), finding your iphone and locking it remotely if you misplace it, syncing with your computer and/or corporate network, printing (AirPrint), troubleshooting, accessories, and a lot more.

The section on Siri (the virtual assistant on the iPhone 4S) may expand the ways that you use your iPhone. There are more than 250 sample questions and commands for Siri. Some examples are: "call Mom at work," "play more songs like this," "Tell Cindy I'm running late," "Show yesterday's email from Jan," "Reply, Dear Jan,...," "Where's the closest gas station," "How do I get to the airport," "I'm hungry for some pizza," "Remind me to ... when I get home," "Google Benjamin Franklin," "Convert $23 to euros," "Graph x equals 3y plus 12," or "What is the meaning of life?" There are also advanced commands for posting to Facebook or Twitter. [Note: the iPhone 3GS and 4 also have some voice control features.]

I just recently got my first iPhone. I thought all Apple products were supposed to be very user intuitive, so I didn't know there was a secret undo command which is to shake the iPhone (page 57). I really appreciated the keyboard tip on how to select numbers and special characters with only one key press (page 49). My phone locked up once and would not turn on, so it was time to read "Reset: 6 Degrees of Desperation" on page 504. And I had managed to avoid using iTunes up until now, so I'm still trying to learn all the details about syncing the PC with the iPhone when you have 50 gigabytes of media and a 16 gigabyte phone (Chapter 13). The Missing Manual states that iTunes copies contacts and calendars in both directions during a sync. But the Manual didn't explain why after I deleted about 8 contacts on my iPhone, iTunes wanted to delete 77 contacts on my subsequent sync. Nor did the Manual explain why iTunes was taking more than an hour to sync my Solitaire app.

This is the fifth Missing Manual book that I've purchased, and it may be the best.

After 9 months using my iPhone and a new iOS out, I read this book to see if I was missing something, and I was missing a lot. This book and a your iPhone case or bumper should be the first things you should get after buying your iPhone.

After 3+ years of iPhone use, and plenty of time with my original iPhone 4, now 4S, I'm finding out plenty of things I didn't know about my phone. David Pogue and his team have produced another clear, easy-to-follow manual that is actually fun to read. Pages are laid out in the usual Missing Manual style - clear text, simple conventions that show keystrokes, and clear screenshots.

I've got the pages littered with Avery Flags, 0.5 Inch (22569), and I keep making little "aha" noises as I'm reading, even more delighted that I upgraded to the 4S this fall. My plan is to continue implementing the changes (such as adding shortcuts) after each chapter or two, following the trail of flags and highlighting.

I have no idea how the author does his research, but the information he comes up with is instructive to the newcomer, and dazzling to the power user. David Pogue helps you turn your iPhone into the amazing tool it was designed to be. Back when I had a Palm, then a Treo, I'd buy an assortment of these guidebooks - for Dummies, Illustrated, How to do Everything - but now I just get the Missing Manual, knowing it'll be a fun weekend of reading and technology.

I recently bought the iPhone 4S. Although I am pretty savvy when it comes to using electronic gadgets, I have learned that a well written manual can save me hours of time in figuring things out, as well as expose me to things that I probably would not have thought of. This book does all of that in a well organized, well illustrated, and easy to understand format.

David Pogue is a terrific writer who knows how to organize and explain things. He takes nothing for granted. I am familiar with his skills since I previously purchased his missing manual for the Mac OS X Leopard. He does an equally good job with this manual.

This book is great for the beginner as well as the advanced user. It clearly explains literally every aspect of the iPhone 4S and is chock full of interesting ideas and suggestions. For example, I learned that when receiving a face time call on my iPhone 4S, there was a way to see the picture on my TV. That was something that I had not even thought of, and which really interested me since I would much prefer to see my beautiful one year old granddaughter on a big TV screen than on the 3 1/2 screen on my phone. The solution (on p.184) is to buy an Airplay receiver (such as an Apple TV), connect it to a high definition TV with an HDMI cable, and then set up the iPhone 4S to mirror itself on the TV (all of which is clearly explained); this is also a way to see anything that is on your iPhone 4S on your TV, such as photos and music players. Trust me, this is not something you would figure out yourself, assuming you even thought of it. There are lots of other tips and tricks in the book.

Bottom line: This is one of the most comprehensive and through manuals that I have purchased. It was an enjoyable and efficient way for me to get the most out of my iPhone 4S.

Pogue is the king of clear.

512 pages of tips, well explained, easily digested.

You'll regret learning all this later instead of now.
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Update: I found a few passages that are a little incomplete, unclear or flawed. Also things that the index would not help me find. I would still say 4.5 stars, probably the best one available on this topic.

Being very new to iPhone, it has been very helpful. Especially, since I am techno-challenged. But then, I have nothing to compare it to.

I bought this book when I bought the new 4s iphone. It has helped me solve a couple of problems that I had setting up and using a couple of the features. I would recommend it.