Book Review: Palm Pre for Dummies 13

In less than 10 months since its launch, the Pre has generated a number of books (we’ve previously reviewed Palm webOS by Paul Allen and Edward C. Baig’s Palm Pre: The Missing Manual), and as with so many other things, it has also yielded a Wiley Publishing Dummies title: Palm Pre for Dummies, by Engadget’s Mobile Editor Chris Ziegler. Although the rapid pace of webOS development may have eclipsed some of the content (it came out in late 2009), it still serves as a useful introduction to the Pre and webOS. 

Ziegler has organized Palm Pre for Dummies into five sections: Introducing webOS and the Palm Pre; All About Communication; Organizing Your Life; Staying Connected and Playing With the Pre; and the Part of Tens (a standard Dummies feature with lists of ten elements, in this case applications and accessories available as of publication). This book, as with Baig’s Missing Manual, provides step-by-step instructions for the most common user tasks, from creating and reading e-mail to sending text and other messages to Web browsing to telephone calls and voicemail. No prior experience with the Pre is assumed, nor does the book get overly technical, although it does provide some background information when relevant (such as the description of different e-mail account types on pages 86-87, or the explanation of cellphone network types on page 46).

The Dummies icons are in full force here, highlighting tips (targets), things to remember (finger tied with string), warnings (a bomb with burning fuse), and technical stuff (the Dummies’ mascot), making it simple for users to quickly spot relevant information, and there is also a helpful index. The book also uses parallels to other systems to help readers understand concepts (e.g. “Launcher is like the Start menu on a Windows PC or the Applications folder of a Mac; the home base where the icons for all your applications and settings pages live.”) One further fun element is the use of Rich Tennant’s Fifth Wave tech cartoons to open each chapter.

Unfortunately, as with most technology-focused printed books, Palm Pre for Dummies is a bit out-of-date at this late stage - no mention of the Pre Plus or Pixi Plus on Verizon, for example. A pointed omission in this work (as was also true in Palm Pre: The Missing Manual) is any discussion of homebrew apps. While it’s understandable that a book that describes itself as “for dummies” might not want to include complicated instructions about Preware or webOS Quick Install, given curious or more advanced readers may have appreciated a pointer

If you (or someone you know) is new to webOS and the Pre, Palm Pre for Dummies is still a useful resource. Chris Ziegler demonstrates real appreciation for the Pre and its unique advantages over other competing smartphones, and strikes a good balance between beginner’s instruction and technical explanation. The book is certainly worthy of your consideration.

Pros

Detailed instructions

Cons

Somewhat outdated