Book Review - iPad2: The Missing Manual

iPad 2: The Missing Manual

by J.D. Biersdorfer

I can’t fault this book on production quality. Silky, full colour pages of clearly written, well laid out text overflow with lashings and lashings of helpful screenshots and other imagery. Even the most hopeless technophobe could follow this book, never once feeling confused or inadequate in any way whatsoever.

In fact, that is the book’s greatest downside in my opinion. Whom, exactly, is it for? I don’t think of the iPad as an ‘entry-level’ gadget. In fact, one might reasonably presume that the vast majority of iPad owners (if not all) have had at least some previous exposure to a computer operating system, be it a laptop, desktop or smart phone. With that in mind, I think most people could manage quite nicely thank you without an in-depth explanation of what the On/Off, Sleep/Wake button does (the whole of page 2!). The paragraph, on page 3, explaining how to operate the volume up/down button (despite a clearly labelled graphic) continues the theme, and sets the tone, unfortunately, for the rest of the book.

Everything is covered (and I mean everything) - from how to interact with your iPad to surfing the web, shopping the App Store and mastering iTunes. Literally no stone, icon, button or setting is left unturned.

At 313 pages (299 sans index), I guestimate that for your average iPad owner at least 50% of the content is unnecessary. Most of the remaining topics are probably not too difficult to figure out for yourself with a bit of faffing around (isn’t that the joy of a new gadget after all?). For those bits you can't fathom, I’m sure a quick chat with Uncle Google will get you back on track.

A Sterling price isn’t listed on the cover ($25 U.S.), so I can’t tell what this book will retail for in the UK. Unless it’s very inexpensive, or you really want to have everything fully explained to you, I would say save your pennies and go have some fun with your iPad.

The front cover claims that this is “The book that should have been in the box”. But I thought one of the biggest things going for the iPad was its intuitive and user-friendly design. Maybe that’s why Apple didn’t bother with a book? Or maybe I’m just being grumpy.

Reviewed by Kim Rowan