Updated Ebooks for New Users: iPhone and iPad Basics

My father just bought a Verizon iPhone 4; AT&T reception at my parents’ house was weak at best, so an iPhone wasn’t an option until now. While I was helping him with his first few calls, and with a FaceTime video call, he complained, “And of course there’s no manual.”

It’s a little depressing that even my own father wasn’t aware that we have exactly the book he needs: “Take Control of iPhone Basics, iOS 4 Edition.” I sent him a copy in email right away; he said it has answered a bunch of his early questions.

Clearly we need to do a better job with getting the word out about this book, and about Tonya’s “Take Control of iPad Basics,” since we hear fairly frequently from people with a friend or family member who has just bought an iPhone or iPad; they’re writing to suggest that we publish a Take Control book specifically for seniors, or at least for people who have little computer or iOS experience.

We’ve recently updated both books, so if you know someone who’s new to the iPhone or iPad and is asking you questions, it would be great if you could tell them about the books.

Karen Anderson’s “Take Control of iPhone Basics, iOS 4 Edition” helps people decide which iPhone to buy, discusses common accessories, and explains basic setup tasks. It teaches readers about power management, connecting to the Internet, setting up a Bluetooth headset, transferring songs and other media from a computer, buying apps, syncing calendar events and contacts, and more. The just-released 1.1 update incorporates mention of the Verizon iPhone 4; touches on AirPrint and AirPlay; updates the discussion of the iBooks app; and explains how to buy, make, and use ringtones.

Tonya Engst’s “Take Control of iPad Basics” is similar, not surprisingly, helping readers pick an iPad and accessories, understand the iPad’s buttons and ports, learn multi-touch gestures, download apps, sync data and media, find their stuff, organize apps into folders, and more. It carefully describes the iPad’s interface for complete novices and also has a neat section that teaches how to demo the iPad to friends. The latest 1.2 version was updated for iOS 4, and it generally incorporates the changes in the iPad world since the book’s initial release in June 2010.

Both books are available in three formats for reading on different devices. Our native PDF format—which is what you get when you purchase—is ideal for reading on a computer, and it’s also great on the iPad. The EPUB format—available after purchase from the ebook’s Check for Updates page and your account—is best for reading on the iPhone, iPod touch, and other small-screen e-readers. And the Mobipocket version, also available after purchase, can be loaded onto Amazon’s Kindle devices.