My Complete Guide versions are tested and known to work on:
- Linux, Macintosh, and Windows computers using the free Acrobat or other PDF Reader
- Apple iPads, iPhones, and even some iPods (iOS 9.x or later required for full compatibility)
- Android tablets with PDF readers
- All current Kindle models
My Configuring and Using versions are tested and known to work on:
- Linux, Macintosh, and Windows computers using an ePub reader (macOS does this with Books)
- Apple iPads, iPhones, and even some iPods (iOS 9.x or later required for full compatibility)
- Android tablets with ePub readers
- All current Kindle models
That said, the Complete Guides and Configuring and Using books look and work best on iPads and desktop PDF or ePub readers, respectively.
Due to the proliferation of devices, I can't test and guarantee compatibility on every possible device, however there's no reason why the book files shouldn't work on any device that has an accurate PDF (Complete Guides) or ePub (Configuring and Using) reader, even smartphones. However, smartphones are one category I'd discourage you to use my Complete Guides on: while the PDFs were configured to look fine at tablet size, the small screens of most phones will have you squinting and scrolling a lot. Still, if your phone has a PDF reader on it, the Complete Guides file should work. (Hint: with many small devices, reading in landscape mode often works better than in portrait mode.)
Here are some more specific instructions for iPad and Kindle users for PDF books:
iPad (iOS) Users
The simplest way:
- Complete purchase in your browser on the iOS device.
- Tap on the download link you receive.
- Once the download is complete, the PDF (eventually) opens on the iOS device. You are in Safari and haven’t saved the book yet. The next time the Safari cache is refreshed, the book will disappear! Thus, you must perform the following additional steps:
- Look for the Share icon and tap it. (The Share icon is the box with the up arrow coming out of it.)
- Choose Copy to Books. If for some reason that’s not one of the primary choices, check under the More… icon. On desktop machines, you look for the Save icon if you’re seeing the book in your Web browser, and copy the file to a folder on your computer.
- Once you’ve completed Step 5, the book PDF is saved to the Apple Books library on your iPhone or iPad and can later be opened in Books (you’ll find it in the PDF Collection). If you didn’t perform Step 5, the device will eventually “forget” the download, so make sure you perform Step 5!
- Make sure your iPad or iPhone is backed up. This is either done via iCloud (Settings/iCloud/iCloud Backup) or by a direct cable link on Macs. On macOS 10.14 or earlier, iTunes is used to back up your device. On macOS 10.15 and later, your device should appear in Locations in any Finder window. Third party backups, such as iMazing (recommended!), can also be used. If you don't backup your iOS device and it needs to be restored at some later point, you'll lose access to your book!
My recommended method for iOS users:
- Complete purchase in your browser.
- Wait for the email to come with your download link. Check your Spam/Junk folder, as this email comes from an automated server.
- Download the file to your computer.
- Use AirDrop to copy the file from your computer to your iOS device (make sure you device is active and connected to the same network). When you drop the file on the iOS device your device a pop-up will appear asking your where to put it. Choose Books, and the book will be copied to Apple Books.
Kindle Users
- Download the file to your computer.
- Connect your Kindle to your computer via the USB port.
- Use your computer's file system to find the Kindle; it'll show up like any other computer drive.
- Drag the file you downloaded into the Documents folder on the Kindle.
- Eject the Kindle from your computer as you would any other removable disk drive.
Note: Kindle users do not get all the interactive features in the native PDF viewer due to Amazon's incomplete PDF support. If you transfer your book file to the Kindle via Amazon's "convert" service (via your Kindle's email address), formatting and tables will also be destroyed. Amazon's PDF support continues to lag that of other devices.
If you own a Kindle Fire—it’s an Android tablet—there's a simple solution: get a third party PDF reader application from the Amazon app store, such as the free qPDF. qPDF does support all the internal links in the file correctly (there's also a for sale version that adds features such as annotation).
