iPhone and iPad in Action MEAP Review + Giveaway (Closed)

In the past few weeks, we have reviewed some of the best Manning books on iPhone programming. iPhone in Practice was all about learning iPhone programming the practical way. Objective C for the iPhone is for those of you who have not had any experience developing native apps with Objective C. iPhone and iPad In Action gives you the best of both worlds. So you can get started with your very own iPhone apps fast. The good news? Manning Publications has been kind enough to offer all three MEAP e-books to one lucky iPhoneness.com reader. So you can get all these amazing e-books in one shot (read the end of this article for more information on how to enter). With that in mind, lets dig in and see what iPhone and iPad In Action is all about.

I got familiar with iPhone In Action a while ago. I picked up the first edition to find out what it was all about. The 2nd edition of this book includes many new topics and latest development information you need to get the best out of iPhone SDK. Writing an iPhone app is more than just writing brilliant code or designing great UIs. A lot of things need to come together for you to build a killer, responsive iPhone application. That’s why focusing only on one area of iPhone development is not an ideal way to pursue a career in this business. iPhone and iPad In Action is written to help you master the fundamentals of iPhone programming while making you familiar with practical examples of how to get things done.

The book starts with an introduction of what iPhone programming is all about and what you need to do to start your career as an iPhone developer. You are going to learn all about Xcode and other technologies that make those killer iPhone apps possible. But before you know it, you are dealing with controllers, events, data, positioning, and other advanced topics. Throughout the book, you are provided with code examples to help you get a better understanding of the topics discussed in this book. 

What I like about this book is the fact that it covers a lot of exciting areas that any iPhone programmer would want to know about. Whether you want to learn how to design a killer UI or just want to add in-app purchase feature to your existing apps, this book has you covered. Here is a summary some of the more interesting topics covered in this book:

• Handling Data: actions, preferences, and files
• Positioning: accelerometers, location, and the compass
• Handling Media: audio and recording
• Networking: Peer-to-peer connections
• App Enhancements: in-app purchasing

As you can imagine, the book covers more than just the basics of iPhone development. And while it won’t make a game developer out of you, it does give you the tools to tackle all kinds of iPhone projects. You might even pick up a few ideas for your first iPhone application. Now here is the exciting part. According to Manning, there are plans to cover iPad development in this book as well. Isn’t that exciting?

Who’s This Book For?

This book takes a different approach to iPhone programing than the other two books that we covered on this blog in the past two weeks. While the book doesn’t make you an absolute master in iPhone game programming and other advanced topics, it does give you what you need to get a fast start in this field. You don’t have to a C guru to take this book and run with it. But prior knowledge of Obj-C programming doesn’t hurt. All in all, a solid book all around that will put you on your path to becoming an iPhone programmer.

Giveaway

Manning has been kind enough to offer iPhoneness readers a shot at winning an e-copy of iPhone and iPad In Action (MEAP), iPhone In Practice (MEAP), and Objective C for the iPhone (MEAP) each . The rules are simple. The contest starts on February 15th and ends on February 21st 2010, 11:59 PM EST, so don’t miss it.

Here are the rules:

• Follow @iphoneness and @ManningBooks on Twitter
• Come back here and leave a comment about what you plan to develop after reading these books.

That’s it. For extra entries, tweet about this contest (include a link to this post in your tweet). Come back here and leave a comment with your tweet URL. Do not leave duplicate comments. If you want to tweet about this giveaway multiple times and get the credit, you should include unique links with your comments. Also, don’t forget to leave a valid e-mail address or your entry is automatically discarded. Finally, don’t forget to check Manning’s website for other powerful programming books. We will use Random.org to choose the lucky winner. The winner will win the electronic versions of all the above books.

Winner: winner has been chosen and will be notified via e-mail shortly.

FTC Disclosure: Manning provided iPhoneness.com with a review e-copy of this MEAP book. The giveaway was sponsored by Manning Publications as well.