My Android Tablet (My...series) 1st Edition

This book could be exactly what you are looking for, or it could be the one thing you don't need.It has an unusual marketing line, "...getting and keeping your Android tablet working just the way you want."It could be just me reading it wrong, but this leads me to believe the target audience are in-depth "hard core" Android users who want to really get the most out of their device. At the least I expected an in depth look at the changes that Google has made with Lolipop, and how that translates into the device/app operations compared to prior iterations of the OS.Really though, the book is more geared to people who are just getting started with an Android device.Mind you, I don't think this is a bad book. I just think it needs to be clear who it is talking to.For my experience (and hence perspective) I jumped into the Android world "late" in the game so to speak, but have since worked my way through iterations since Gingerbread. Most of my experience is in the Ice Cream Sandwich and Kit Kat phases, and I currently run an older tablet (Asus TF700t) and phone (Galaxy S4) on various versions of Cyanogenmod (both Kit Kat and Lolipop respectively).If any of that means anything to you, then you definitely don't want this book.If you have no idea what I am talking about, then read on.This book is a great introduction into Android. It is practically a user manual that should have come with your device. (Remember when devices came with big user manuals?)It handles the set up and operation of your device, with very clear and descriptive instructions, and points you in the direction of basic/typical tasks you would be performing.If you think about it, that is a pretty major feat to pull off. This is a single book that covers setting up your device no matter what you are using.If you are not aware, Android is a great OS because it can be customized so well and in so many ways. It is also one of the weaknesses for new people jumping in because nothing is ever the same or standard (though in my opinion, standardization is one of the strategies behind the release of Lollipop). Android changes between versions can be great, and to top it all off every device manufacturer alters the OS to suit their needs. Not to mention there could be some minor variations between mobile carriers as well.Yet this book does a good job at defining the foundation of it all and giving instruction from there. I am actually quite impressed by how well it is done, and simply too.You'll also note that I keep referring to your "device" rather than tablet. While the book is geared toward tablets, what it covers really applies to phones as well. I think the choice of narrow wording in the title is misleading and may sway a phone user from getting it. That shouldn't be the case.There are some strange idiosyncrasies throughout the book that I view as an odd approach (or occasionally just wrong). That isn't to say the author is not qualified in his instructions, but it is to say that he is human and some things might not match up just right or you may question something.A couple quick examples:When speaking about accessing the common settings from the lock screen, he instructs to swipe downward with two fingers. Technically, you only need to use one finger. I don't know where the other one came into play because one will suffice (I've tested on my S4 as well as a Nexus 6 to confirm).The process for closing apps is described as going into settings/apps/stopping the app.Technically this is correct. But there isn't discussion about the quick close feature by holding the home button then swiping away.Another interesting thing that stuck out to me was the keyboard discussion. He talks about the keyboard in great length, but never distinguishes a "Google" keyboard vs another preloaded one, or the fact that it can be changed, etc... This could be really confusing if somebody has another keyboard preloaded (which could be very likely with the various phone manufactures out there). With all the many variations of Android on devices I can completely understand not being able to cover it all, but it simply seemed odd that there are portions of the book that spend a lot of time talking about variations (like the home button for instance) but then no distinctions were made for the keyboard, which is a critical component that may vary greatly.All in all though, these "shortcomings" of the book really don't take away from what it is.If you are just starting out, I recommend this book. In fact, my father got his first smart phone about a year ago and this would have been perfect for him to get acclimated to the entire OS.Like I said early on though, if you already know Android on some level and want to know it more, I don't think this is the book for you.

It is fine