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Free “iPad Basics” Ebook Introduces Full iPad Documentation

Since our iPads arrived in April, they’ve consumed nearly every waking moment, but we haven’t been lolling around reading ebooks, streaming Netflix, and eating bonbons. Instead, we’ve been working feverishly to bring you not one, not two, not three, but four new ebooks about the iPad. The first one – Tonya’s “Take Control of iPad Basics” – is totally free, and the other three pick up where it leaves off, helping you use your iPad as a media machine (Jeff Carlson’s “Take Control of Media on Your iPad”), do all sorts of productive work (Joe Kissell’s “Take Control of Working with Your iPad”), and go under the hood with networking and security details (Glenn Fleishman’s “Take Control of iPad Networking & Security”).

You can buy any of the ebooks individually, or buy them together in a discounted bundle. Here’s what the new ebooks are about:

  • Take Control of iPad Basics,” by Tonya Engst: The iPad is easy to use, but it’s also completely unfamiliar for many people, and we made this ebook completely, totally free in order to help new iPad users become comfortable more quickly. Also, by covering the basics in this ebook, our other Take Control books about the iPad can focus more deeply on their topics. The ebook covers how to decide which iPad and accessories to buy, and it helps you understand the iPad’s buttons and ports, learn multi-touch gestures, download apps, sync data and media, find your stuff, and avoid newbie mistakes. The ebook wraps up with a discussion of how to impress your friends with a
    great iPad demo! 109 pages, Free
  • In a blog post, technology consultant Tony Lawrence wrote, “I strongly recommend ‘Take Control of iPad Basics’ for all new and prospective iPad owners. I’ve been using my iPad night and day for weeks and I still learned things!”

    We’re serious about wanting to make this free book available to any and all new iPad users, so please feel free to download a copy from our site and then redistribute it to friends, colleagues, clients, user group members, and anyone else you like. If we can help in that process, just ask.

  • Take Control of Working with Your iPad,” by Joe Kissell: We’ve all wondered whether it would be possible to get real work done on the iPad, and in this title, Joe answers that question. Joe started thinking he’d focus on Apple’s iWork suite – Pages, Numbers, and Keynote – and the ebook does cover those apps, but he ended up looking at many third-party apps as well. You’ll learn to manage contacts and calendars, take notes and write documents, create spreadsheets and presentations, and much more. Special topics include printing from the iPad and moving documents among apps and devices! 111 pages, $10
  • Take Control of Media on Your iPad,” by Jeff Carlson: Relax with your iPad! Jeff’s in-progress ebook goes beyond the basics while explaining how to download and read ebooks in iBooks; useful tricks for listening to audio in the iPod app; and how to use an iPad as a remote control for iTunes, the Apple TV, and consumer electronics. A free update will soon add coverage of videos, photos, and more. We made this ebook available a little early so that the bundling options would work out for customers. 65 pages, $10
  • Take Control of iPad Networking & Security,” by Glenn Fleishman: In this detailed and practical title, Glenn looks deeply at how to network an iPad and keep its data safe from prying eyes. Along with Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth network advice, Glenn explains how to transfer documents to and from your iPad, control remote computers, and reduce the chance of your iPad being hacked or stolen. 152 pages, $15

If you’re interested in more than one of these ebooks, we have several ways you can buy them in discounted bundles. First, the Improve Your iPad IQ Bundle includes the four new iPad ebooks plus Joe’s recently released “Take Control of Mail on Your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch” for a total of over 500 pages of real-world iPad advice. Normally these books would cost $45, but you’ll save $15 by buying the bundle for only $30.

And, if you already own “Take Control of Mail on Your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch,” you can click through to any of the book pages linked above and use the Bundle Discount checkboxes in the left margin to save 30 percent on any three ebooks (one of which can be the free “iPad Basics” ebook). Be sure to scroll down to click the Buy Selected Ebooks button.

Even more so than with Mac-related topics, we anticipate the iPad world changing, so be sure to click the Check for Updates button on the covers of these ebooks to read blog posts about new information and download any free updates we may release.

Finally, we’re getting a lot of questions about EPUBs and the iBookstore, and we’ve tried to answer them all in a Take Control News post. In short, EPUB versions will be coming shortly, and we’ll notify all readers when they’re available. And although we’ve signed up to sell our titles in the iBookstore, technical problems are currently preventing us from uploading – we’re working with Apple on a solution.

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