Appendix B. Troubleshooting and Maintenance

The iPhone is a computer, and you know what that means. Things can go wrong. This particular computer, though, is not quite like a Mac, a PC, or a Treo. It's brand new. It runs a spin-off of the Mac OS X operating system, but that doesn't mean you can troubleshoot it like a Mac. There's no collected wisdom, no massive list of Web sites filled with troubleshooting tips and anecdotal suggestions.

Until there is, this chapter will have to be your guide when things go wrong.

First Rule: Install the Updates

There's an old saying that's more true than ever: "Never buy version 1.0 of anything."

The very first version of anything has bugs, glitches, and things the programmers didn't have time to finish they way they would have liked. The iPhone is no exception.

The beauty of this phone, though, is that Apple can send it fixes, patches, and even new features through software updates. One day you'll connect the phone to your computer for charging or syncing, and—bam!—there'll be a note from iTunes that new iPhone software is available.

So the first rule of trouble-free iPhoning is to accept these updates when they're offered. With each new software blob, Apple removes another few dozen tiny glitches.

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