How to Do Everything with Your iPhone

Reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher

Authors: Jason Chen & Adam Pash McGraw Hill Osborne http://www.osborne.com Released: November 20, 2007 Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media Pages: 296 $25 USD, $ 29 CND, 15 GBP ISBN-10: 0071497900 ISBN-13: 978-0071497909   Strengths: Nice tips and tricks for using the iPhone. Nice reference and IPhone exciting features listings on the inside of the back cover is handy to read and discover quite ideas to learn now. Unlocking your iPhone for use with different carriers is a great section/read.   Weaknesses: Black and white only. Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

 

Introduction

The IPhone is a hit. People are snapping them up since the first day they arrived. While iPhone users find it easy to use, some want some help in learning how to use it to the fullest before you buy the iPhone or after you discover you want to learn more. In some cases you will wish you had gotten your hands on the iPhone first, "How to Do Everything with Your iPhone" is a good one to try.

 

The two authors have integrated their efforts to produce an easy to read and informative book. Chen is a freelance technology and consumer electronic/gadgets writer. Pash is a freelance technology and consumer electronics writer and programmer. They both have combined their skills to write an book that covers a lot within its 296 pages.

 

This book makes for a good read and is divided into 5 section/parts which cover most of what you will want to know in 16 chapters. There is a good index which helps. There is no glossary though. There is only black on white text, screenshots, figures and illustrations are large enough to read and understand.

 

There is a fabulous 22-page section in the middle of the book entitled, “Hack your iPhone”. This is exactly what I wanted to know as I heard so much about hacking the iPhone but never understood the process. I mean you can’t ask an Apple or AT&T salesman, so there is where you can find what you want.

 

Need to learn how to activate your iPhone, modify settings etc. without using AT&T? Then this section is for you. Basically it covers all your want to understand the installing of third-party software on your iPhone, unlocking it and using it with non AT&T carriers. I mean, I understand why Apple had to go with one carrier (for now). But if I was thinking about getting one, which I might, I would need this information first, because I won’t use AT&T for wireless even though I use AT&T for cable and TV and they work great! Things change, but for right now you can do something now if you want.

 

Learn to Sync your data to your iPhone and contact others. Use your music and video working while getting help with the iPhone and iTunes, access email and the internet. Use your email and the Internet (with Safari) is also found here as well as learning ways to send, receive, and manage email and SMS messages. Synching with your appointments, takes pictures, using Google Maps, You Tube have easy to read sections. There are tips that help you become more productive. The section on troubleshooting which covers four chapters and p. 221- 267 is very well done and will help many iPhone users, especially when you are having problems.

 

Conclusion

There are some good hints, notes, shortcuts and good visuals to supplement the text. It might not have color, but the instructions and information are well done and cover much of what you will need to know and in-depth. The troubleshooting section and the hacking section are well worth the price of the book itself which is a good price for what you get.