This ebook is available in a preview version: after you shop, you'll download a 1-page PDF. From that PDF, via a button on page 1, you'll gain access to our draft as we go. The draft presently has fairly polished content about how to best purchase, download, sync, manage, delete, and re-install App Store apps, with detailed problem-avoidance advice. It also has sections on MobileMe syncing, using the onscreen keyboard, troubleshooting (with details on resetting, restoring, and recovering), and jailbreaking. It currently looks at iPhone software 2.1.
The iPhone shoehorns a lot of snazzy features into a shiny package, but if you want to feel more in control Take Control of Your iPhone is here to help. The book explains what's happening under the hood so you can use your iPhone more effectively.
More Info
Contents & Intro
FAQ
Take Control of Your iPhone costs only $10.00. That's cheap insurance if you have a problem the night before you take your iPhone on a long trip. —David Weeks, in MyMac.com
This ebook covers the iPod touch as well as the iPhone, though it seemed too awkward to work that fact into the title.
Syncing via iTunes and MobileMe: For help with syncing, consider Take Control of Syncing Data in Leopard, which helps you get set up right and looks at sync conflicts, explaining how syncing works generally so you can understand what's going on and devise a solution. In contrast, Take Control of Your iPhone devotes fewer pages to syncing—the current draft covers syncing via MobileMe, but not iTunes. Take Control of Your iPhone covers syncing basics lightly, offers tips for special cases and quirks, and makes problem-solving suggestions that are more specific to the iPhone and iPod touch. (At the left of the page for Take Control of Syncing Data in Leopard you can build your own bundle and buy both ebooks at a discount.)
Important lessons you'll learn from the preview version (this info is currently available):
How to install apps on your iPhone that were purchased by someone else.
How to delete an app entirely and then (if you like) re-install it.
The relationship between iPhone backups and syncing.
Ideas for handling slow syncing of your iPhone to your computer.
What the deal is with extra copies of an app being stored on your Mac, and what to do about it.
The difference between push, fetch, and manual MobileMe-based data syncing.
Handling problems with data syncing via MobileMe.
How to quickly type numbers and accents, and how to delete text by word.
What to do if you are plagued with pesky crashes.
How to know if your iPhone requires a repair.
How to get the most out of your battery.
Pros and cons of jailbreaking your iPhone.
How to jailbreak your iPhone (this may not work for iPhone software version 2.2)
I think Ted's book is really well done...he not only tells how to use the iPhone but how to fix issues. —Greg
Book Info
Version 2.0 Preview
Last update 11-Nov-08, content online is about 50% complete
ISBN: 1-933671-32-7
About the Author
Thanks to books like Sad Macs, Bombs & Other Disasters, innumerable magazine articles, and the founding of MacFixIt, Ted Landau has become the undisputed guru of Macintosh troubleshooting. He is also a professor emeritus of psychology and in 1984 was the U.S. National Othello Champion.
I really enjoyed "Take Control of Your iPhone." It was very informative, easy to read, and not too complicated. —Brian Henson
Table of Contents
Coming soon!
Read Me First
Welcome to Take Control of Your iPhone. If something goes wrong with your iPhone, if anything unexpected happens while using your iPhone, or if you can't figure out how to make an iPhone feature work, turn to this book to find help. This book was written by Ted Landau, edited by Adam and Tonya Engst, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc.
Introduction
In the second edition of Take Control of Your iPhone I focus almost exclusively on iPhone Software 2.x—with coverage of new features such as the App Store and MobileMe, running on both the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G. I also look at the major additions in the iPhone 3G, such as GPS support and 3G networking.
Although I emphasize the iPhone, I also describe the differences between the iPhone and the iPod touch. However, I don't make any reference to Windows. Given the audience for Take Control books (which are almost entirely Mac users), and the self-imposed limits to the book's page count, it was an easy call to restrict operating-system coverage to Mac OS X.
I've packed this edition with even more crucial information that differentiates it from competing ones. My guiding principle was to retain material that (a) goes beyond the basics of what users generally know already or can find in basic guides such as Apple's free iPhone User's Guide (this guide is truly is the manual that should have been in the box; you can find it at http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iPhone_User_Guide.pdf) and (b) explains how to do tasks more effectively, avoid problems, or gives advice for when things go wrong. For instance, I explain the details of several iPhone features (such as network settings) that, if not understood, can become a source of problems. At the same time, I am confident that anyone who has used an iPhone for even a couple of weeks will have no difficulty with the technical level of this text.
One more thing. I am truly excited about writing this book. I bought my first iPhone in 2007, the week the device was released. I have not felt so enthusiastic about a new product since I got my first Mac in 1984. With the introduction of third-party apps in iPhone 2.0, my enthusiasm continues to grow and, with each day, I find new ways to use my iPhone. With this book, I hope to share some of this excitement with you. Let's get started!
Take Control of Your iPhone costs only $10.00. That's cheap insurance if you have a problem the night before you take your iPhone on a long trip. —David Weeks, in MyMac.com
Does the book cover both using an iPhone with both Mac OS X and Windows?
In the first edition, both platforms are discussed, but thanks to Ted's years of writing about troubleshooting on the Mac, there are more details for Mac users. The Windows coverage includes XP and Vista. However the upcoming second edition will not cover Windows-specific topics.
How useful is this ebook for people who live outside of the United States?
Although most of the information in the ebook applies to everyone, no matter where they are or bought the iPhone, the ebook does assume that you bought in the iPhone in the United States and are in the United States. So, some of the advice about activation and wireless connectivity won't apply if you are elsewhere on the planet.
The iPhone is a lot like the iPod touch... does this ebook cover the touch?
Yes—the wording of the ebook is pretty much entirely iPhone, but the text works with the touch, and if there is a difference, the ebook says so.
Ask a Question
Feel free to ask us if you have a question about this book!
Thanks to books like Sad Macs, Bombs & Other Disasters, innumerable magazine articles, and the founding of MacFixIt,