Prospects for Academic/Scientific PDF reading in the coming year

[soilwork]

I am in academia and so far I am quite satisfied with Entourage Edge (EE) even though it is not quite perfect. Since paula-t and Filark mentioned good things already, I would like to add some gripes about EE.

1)
Weight is quite substantial. Carrying only EE is not a problem but carrying EE with a laptop can be quite hefty. Since EE cannot do everything that PC can do (e.g. powerpoint presentation), I end up carrying both PC and EE. It is not very light (at least to me) since I mostly rely on public transportation. Also, holding EE over an extended period of time can be quite uncomfortable.

2)
EE offers very flexible way of viewing and commenting PDF files (e.g. highlight, memo, and scribble) within EE but you cannot exchange commented PDFs between EE and PC transparently.
The reason is that EE has a closed system of editing PDFs. First, the file should be located or added to its internal storage called 'Library' to add comments. Second, comments made in PDF are saved inside EE, so it is quite easy to read or modify comments within EE but you cannot do that with any other software or device.
You can 'export' the PDF with comments but the resulting PDF consists of page images and loses all the text layers. Such PDF files are not very useful since you cannot search text anymore and also you cannot really edit the exported highlights or scribble since they are just images now. In other words, once you made comments to PDF and took it out of EE by 'exporting', the PDF file is not very useful anymore.
As a user, I would like to add comments to PDF regardless of the file location or device. Combined with cloud sync services like Dropbox, I should be able to add comments on the most recent version of a PDF document across multiple devices. This is not possible with EE.


In sum, if you are mainly interested in reading PDFs and if you are planning to add comments on PDFs using only EE, EE is a very good device and I would highly recommend it. But if you would like to add comments to PDF files across multiple devices, EE is not the machine for you. I still like my EE but I will seriously consider buying a netbook with Pixel Qi screen with long battery life if one comes out.

[julon2000]

Originally Posted by snipenekkid

this device has been pointed out to you already perhaps you missed it?

http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=QhWKR7Fmv4jDLbBY

I didn't miss it, but it's windows-based, which is a no-go for me. I should however check if it's possible to replace the OS with something more decent, free software wise.

And I'm not too keen on multiplying the devices: the idea is to read and annotate PDF's easily. I'm in no hurry, so I guess I'll waiting until something satisfying my needs is released - which could be a long time

[Dulin's Books]

Onyx M90 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=105058

[clangkamp]

Hi,
I have now bought a pocket book 902 (from the Read-Green in Gelsenkirchen) after having been given the opportunity to test it in comparison to a pocket book 903 for about an hour. My benchmark is the 6'' Kindle I will now give to my mum.
1st - I do not need the annotation, I use it simply as a reading device for academic papers. If I want to make notes, I do it with a laptop (or the good old physical paper and pencil).

I decided against the Touchscreen and the 3G as I will not be downloading books, and I also don't want to scratch the surface. Of course the pen is designed not to do that, but as the navigation works well with the buttons, I thought 330 EUR is enough.

The screen is not as sharp as the Pearl screen of the Kindle 3. But the double screen size makes more than enough up for that. I can now read without eye strain, and the difference to the LCD screen is notable. Even the fine print tables of PDF articles of various Journals display fine and without zoom.

I have now all the articles which I (at present) want to read for my doctorate on the device, plus LaTeX, R manuals and a few lecture notes.

The device looks robust, but I still think the production of the Kindle 3 is neater. Time will tell which one dies first on me. The Software is also not entirely finished, but in all honesty I am not entirely confident that I really want to install the new version.

To sum up I am almost certain that a better device will be available at the end of the year, but as this year will be the year where I actually do most of the reading for the doctorate and the comparison is reading on the Kindle 3 (too small / cumbersome when turned by 90°) or the LCD screen of the Laptop / Desktop (eye strain) or logging around dozens of folders of paper I thought that in comparison to alternative investments to prevent further damage to my eyes it well worth the money.

[paula-t]

Hi, Julon.

As you said "sorry if I look paranoid", let me tell you with a smile that, yes, you look a little paranoid!

I feel very comfortable in volunteering environment, I take part in activist movements and donate part of my time to causes I believe in, and I consider myself a willing, enthusiastic member of the society in which I live. In fact, many forums and organizations exist precisely out of the concept that people may help each other out of good will and not because we have a hidden agenda.

(Having said this, of course some people may have an agenda, but it is not my case.)

I have also seen that the more pure-hearted and sincere people are, the more naturally they accept other people's sincerity for what it is, without mistrust. This is a projection mechanism which also operates the other way round. Anyway, please relax and accept my humble reassurance that I do not work for EE and I am not a lobbyist for them.

Yes, it was my first post. At a certain moment of time and space, there will be a given post which necessarily has to be a first post. It is a logical necessity, and I am sorry that I can't change this fact so that you feel less uncomfortable about it, but I would if I could.

If you read the EE forum you will find lots of people who look as if they were EE staff but they are just enthusiastic and generous users. It seems that the audacity of the EE concept arouses passionate responses in people, and those who like it..., well, they really LOVE it. I do not know if the EE will endure in time, if a small company will be able to hold on in a market of giants, but I am determined to extract every possible benefit out of my investment, and so my energy is placed in learning and celebrating the (really) many possibilities that this device offers, which cannot be equated by other ereaders or tablets individually.

So far, I have had no less than 10 issues with my Edge since I got it ten days ago. Every day I post a new question at the EE forum. However, in these 10 days I have been able to solve practically all my issues, and this is why I feel happy about Edge and its environment. The users and the staff provide efficient, lighthning-fast, intelligent replies to questions, and so you feel like you can move on and come to master the EE in a short time.

I also read the Filark comments and questions at the EE forum, and believe me we are both two satisfied users. (But now that I think of it... Hey, Filark, why don't we show up at EE HQ and talk to their Marketing Dept. after all? ).

Yes, EE it is not perfect, but I love the concept (interaction between two units), and I am slowly coming to see the fruits of my purchase decision (in terms of what I need, which must not necessarily be identical to others'). I admire the vision of the people who thought about the EE, and it is a really good, sturdy, reliable device, though it needs some polishing in certain aspects and I am sure will be improved greatly in the future, either by Edge or by other competitors who snatch the concept and start to produce their own dual readers.

No hard feelings on my part, Julon! It is a hard and sad face of reality that people should have to prove their innocence, but it is not anyone's fault. Just how society is. Let's move on and enjoy our gadgets!

[rocep]

Anyone knows about the Hanlin A9 annotation function?

[vxf]

Ipad + iAnnotate and a good stylus...

sure, the problem is that it's still and LCD screen... but aside for that, it works wonders.

And yes, I am a PhD student as well... I use the ipad for PDFs and annotations, a PRS950 for everything else...

[niemba]

Hi guys -

I do not currently own either an eEdge or iPad, but am looking for something to use as I parse the tomes of literature that are relevant to my dissertation project as I attempt to complete my PhD. The Edge and iPad seem to be the best options at this point, and I am hoping to get your help in deciding between the two...

First, my understanding is that annotations can only be exported in pdf format as images - and as a result, the pdf loses its searchability/etc. This would be a serious limitation for me, as I would like to use a tablet of some sort to annotate pdfs, but store and organize them on my desktop (in conjunction with the Personal Brain software), and would therefore want to retain all the original information in the pdf file, in addition to my subsequent annotations... In contrast, my understanding of the pdf annotators on the iPad are that at least some of them are able to export the annotations to the pdf in a format that is readable by Adobe / etc, and so does not result in loss of functionality. Does anyone know whether this is the case?

Second, from the videos I have seen on YouTube of the Edge, it seems that there is a significant delay in annotation between application of the stylus and what appears on the screen... I have not attempted to use an annotator on the iPad yet, but wonder if the delay is comparable between the two?

Third, again from the videos on YouTube, the handwritten annotations on the Edge were all very large - how small can you write using a stylus in the Edge? Is it comparable to how small you can write on an iPad using a higher-end stylus (e.g. the Wacom Bamboo stylus?)

Fourth, for the iPad users, how do you find the process of getting your pdf files back and forth between the iPad and your computer, given the lack of a USB port?

Thank you very much!

[physics]

One quick note-
You mention scientifi
c pdfs, most of which (at least in my field, physics) are compiled from latex via pdflatex. (Even journal papers.) There's a bug in the adobe pdf viewers used on on nearly all e-ink devices where the letter beta is written on top of the previous letter. (Even if it appears fine on the adobe viewer on your computer.) I've verified that this happens when viewing pdfs on:
1) Kindles (DX and 3)
2) Sony E-readers
3) Pocketbook 902/903, if using the adobe viewer. It's fine if you use the fbreader, which is how I was able to track the bug to adobe
4) The Entourage Edge

As someone who was trying to read about the QCD beta function, this was rather frustrating. I don't know what sort of scientific papers you're reading, and whether the letter beta will be important, but it's a reason to favor ereaders that you can at least put different pdf viewers on.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by niemba

how do you find the process of getting your pdf files back and forth between the iPad and your computer, given the lack of a USB port?

It is app-dependent, but many(most?) of these types of apps have the ability to export to one or more of DropBox, Email or Evernote, so it's not as much of an issue as it might seem with a 'stock' iPad.

[Caleb666]

Originally Posted by Dulin's Books

Onyx M90 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=105058

I'd have to second this. As of right now, this is the best device on paper.
It will launch in May and seems to support all the technical file formats you'd ever need (PDF, DJVU, CHM). Plus it supports an SD card so you could carry many more articles/books with you.

Let's hope that the device itself won't disappoint.