Click Here To Purchase iPad 2: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals)

Author: J.D. Biersdorfer
Publisher: O’Reilly Books
ISBN: 978-1-449-30173-6

Thinking about the purchase of an iPad2, but haven’t a clue what it does?  Recently bought an iPad2 and wish you knew how it works?  According to publicity and media reports, it’s quite the device – a tablet computer by Apple that is thinner, lighter and faster than the original iPad that is even equipped with a camera.  With an iPad2, you can surf the internet, send and receive email, read ebooks, listen to music, play games, and even watch movies and tv shows!  How wonderful! 

So now that you’ve decided to purchase one, or have already purchased it, do you know what it does, and if you do, do you know how to get the iPad2 to work for you? New York Times technology columnist and iPad guru J.D. Biersdorfer’s manual may be just the thing you need to help you get the thing to work to its fullest potential.

Her sixteen chapters gently guide any iPad2 neophyte regardless of familiarity with the original iPad.  The first chapter is simply “Get to Know your iPad.”  Subsequent chapters deal with the particulars: Interact with your iPad; Get Online; Surf the Web; Keep in Touch with Email; Use the iPad’s Built-In Apps; Shop the App Store; Read iBooks and Periodicals; Play Game; Get Productive with iWork; Organize and Sync Media Files with iTunes; Master iTunes; Play Music and other Audio; Watch and Edit Videos; View, Edit and Manage Photos; Sync Up with MobileMe.  The two Appendices offer specific tips to Settings and Troubleshooting.

The lay-out of this manual is excellent. Font size is easily readable. Graphics (many in colour) accompany text so the reader can readily understand what the author is conveying.  Most chapter “sections” are complete on one or two pages so there is little or no need to remember what happened on the previous page.  And, there are “tips” at the bottom of many of the pages that are gems like this one in Chapter 2… “Need to select a whole paragraph at once? Tap it quickly four times.” 

After reading this book, Biersdorfer convinced me that I could handle the technology required to make the iPad2 a functioning device and should I run into difficulty, I had her book to walk me through whatever problem I might encounter.  I excitedly went to the store to make my purchase. But first, I decided to give it a try. It was such fun!
Fun, until I tried the keyboard, that is. The keyboard keys are ultra-sensitive and as a touch-typist, there was no controlling them.  Sadly, I won’t be purchasing an iPod2 but a MacBook Air instead. 

Biersdorfer is a gifted writer of manuals so I hope she will write one for the MacBook Air.  If that manual is anything like the iPad2 manual, we can all be assured that we’ll be in good hands as we adapt to the new device … for she’ll provide succinct text, wonderful graphics, handy tips all in an easy-to-read layout.


Click Here To Purchase iPad 2: The Missing Manual (Missing Manuals)