Is the iPad suited for technical PDFs?

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by 54wo

Aji Annotater for iphone may fit your demand. And the developer has begain to port it to iPad.

More info here: http://jbrink.net/annotater/

Yes, this seems like a very promising solution.

I do occasionally get a reference document or textbook in some other format like HTML or ePub, though. I wish I could handle all of these in one app (with the same annotation tools, etc.)

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by nekokami

I do occasionally get a reference document or textbook in some other format like HTML or ePub, though. I wish I could handle all of these in one app (with the same annotation tools, etc.)

Yeah that's what I really want. A tablet that lets me mark up (highlight, jot notes in the margins) with stylus on ANY format of e-book/document.

So that's why I'm hesitant on the iPad generation 1, vs. waiting for a tablet that's built from the ground up around doing that kind of work and has the mark up fully integrated into the OS etc. Rather than being 100% dependent on 3rd party apps.

[sciredz]

I read many full size pdf (8.5 x 11") and subscribed to many colorful
magazines with that size. Has anyone tried viewing this with the
iphone or ipod touch? Is the 3.5" screen an agony to use? I live
in asia and guess the Ipad will be available much later and I plan
to get the ipod touch to read full size pdf.. any negative experience
in this?

[Johannes]

Thanks for the comments and valuable suggestions.

Originally Posted by LDBoblo

... you would have a significant advantage over just about any e-paper device as you can much more rapidly zoom and pan for things you're after. If the display can't very easily show the whole thing at once, it can certainly show the great majority with only a small amount of panning that can be done very swiftly with multitouch.

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

That's an other beauty of this device, it's so fast that scrolling can be as quick as turning a page. You need detail? Do as Cad workers do. Zoom with the most incredibly fast zoom I've ever seen!

Originally Posted by jibril

... you can put it on its side with the wider screen and scroll up/down but at least not left-right.

Indeed, a responsive multitouch display will probably make all the difference. I also realized that a full 8.5 x 11 display (if it gets to the market in the foreseeable future) will be a significantly less mobile device (for the same thickness likely about double the volume of the iPad). A modestly sized responsive screen might actually be the right compromise for me. I will follow jibril's advice and make an attempt to try it in store (if possible, as I will be in Europe the whole month of April, so I will likely have only a few days to acquire an iPad here in the US ).

Thanks again all.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

... If I'm not mistaken the display will show a full page at 90%. Big enough to be legible for reading text. If it's not, turn the display 90 degrees and zoom up until you can read a full line and then scroll the remaining few lines....

I have read portions of a few regular-size PDFs on the Kindle DX, which has the same size screen as the iPad.

With all, in portrait mode, the size of the font was too small, something like 7-9 points, which is way to small to read comfortably for an extended period. Particularly on a screen with a lower pixel density, like the iPad.

Zooming is fine, as is landscape, but I can imagine for most it would get to be a chore after a while. To me, 9.7" is simply not suitable for extensive full-size PDF reading, particularly of the multi-column variety.

I don't get why an diagonal inch and a bit would make a "significantly less mobile device." Look at the Kindle DX, which packs a 9.7" screen, plus a relatively wide area for the physical keyboard, which could be covered by glass, to make for a larger screen. Perfectly portable, IMO.

Anyway, I myself am hoping that within the next 4-6 months there will be some Android choices, without most of the iPad's drawbacks.

[Johannes]

Originally Posted by Sonist

I don't get why an diagonal inch and a bit would make a "significantly less mobile device." Look at the Kindle DX, which packs a 9.7" screen, plus a relatively wide area for the physical keyboard, which could be covered by glass, to make for a larger screen. Perfectly portable, IMO.

Indeed, it depends. I was just doing the math. Going from an iPad (45 sq.in.) screen to letter format (93.5 sq.in.) screen, seems a significant increase that will have its impact on portability and weight.

Yet, if the size of the edges around the screen can be reduced, a letter-format screen might still be packed in a somewhat less mobile but still decently sized device. Those who are patient enough may want to wait for such a future device.

[Johannes]

Maybe I should wait two more years?

[SCION]

Too silly!!!

[Bremen Cole]

That is funny! (and clever)

[nobylspoon]

I held out until all the details were released about iPad before I made a purchase on a device for my tech books. Most of what I read are A4 size and I eventually decided to get an HP Touchsmart TM2 tabletPC. The 12" screen size is perfect for my PDF books and I can flip the screen around and also use it as a fully functional Windows 7 laptop.

Battery life is pretty good too, while it isn't the 9.75 hours that HP claims it is still about 5.5 hours on typical settings, even more with wifi off.

[Johannes]

Originally Posted by nobylspoon

... I eventually decided to get an HP Touchsmart TM2 tabletPC. The 12" screen size is perfect for my PDF books and I can flip the screen around and also use it as a fully functional Windows 7 laptop.

That is an interesting alternative, but the weight (4.7 lb) makes it for me a no-go.

[sciredz]

The best reader for PDF in the Iphone and Ipod Touch seems to be Good Reader
which can load a page in 100 page ebook pretty fast. I wonder if Good Reader
can run in the Ipad or the screen would be incompatible messed up.

Tomorrow I plan to preorder the Ipad with the assumption Good Reader can
run in it or even the built in pdf reader can render the text well in maximum
zoom. If one makes a preorders.. i wonder if one can cancel it later or
the credit card would be precharged already.. (?)

Johannes... are you a physicist, what is your specialty? I plan to get the
Ipad to read tons of scientific PDF papers too (now that the Large
Hadron Collider is gearing up for the next Einstein level breakthrough
about to happen...)

[Johannes]

Originally Posted by sciredz

Johannes... are you a physicist, what is your specialty? I plan to get the Ipad to read tons of scientific PDF papers too (now that the Large Hadron Collider is gearing up for the next Einstein level breakthrough about to happen...)

Yes, I am. What is your field of research?

Indeed a lot is happening these days, and (given a mobile device with a decent screen and pdf-reader) all of it is at our fingertips!

[sciredz]

Originally Posted by Johannes

Yes, I am. What is your field of research?

Indeed a lot is happening these days, and (given a mobile device with a decent screen and pdf-reader) all of it is at our fingertips!

Neuroscience and physics as it relates to organism. There are just
so many resources and pdfs that having a portable to read them
would be very helpful. I have tried reading one paper in an ipod,
there is a lot of scrolling but it is smooth so I'm expecting the Ipad
1Ghertz processor to do better than the Ipod Touch 600 Mhz proc
plus a wider screen. I prefer Ipad over Kindle since I can read it at dim
light and any environment. I just hope they increase the resolution
to better than 1024x768 in future products so texts are even
sharper.

[halogene]

Originally Posted by nobylspoon

I held out until all the details were released about iPad before I made a purchase on a device for my tech books. Most of what I read are A4 size and I eventually decided to get an HP Touchsmart TM2 tabletPC. The 12" screen size is perfect for my PDF books and I can flip the screen around and also use it as a fully functional Windows 7 laptop.

Battery life is pretty good too, while it isn't the 9.75 hours that HP claims it is still about 5.5 hours on typical settings, even more with wifi off.

if it's not too late, you might want to reconsider. as an owner of the tx2 there are some serious limitations to using the tablet as a reader. the aforementioned weight is one issue but the heat generated from the tablet is unbearable. the option to read on the tablet was my main consideration for getting the tx2 but i am now in the market for an iPad. reading scientific pdfs is my main job (genomic research) and reading on the tx2 is mostly done at the desk because of the heat and weight. my suggestion would be, get a nice traditional desktop and supplement it with an iPad with the money saved. just my 2 cents.