Palm PDF viewers roundup

Alexander Turcic · 03-10-2006, 01:09 PM

Palm Addicts has a nice roundup of available PDF viewers for Palm OS. Those readers include: Adobe Reader, Metaview, Repligo, and Documents To Go.

Personally I try to convert any PDF document on a PC desktop first (using Adobe Acrobat) - preferably into HTML - and then to use one of the various offline HTML readers (e.g. iSilo or Plucker/Sunrise) to make the document available on my PDA.

Bob Russell · 03-10-2006, 01:24 PM

I haven't used some of the newer solutions like DTG and PalmPDF, but I have been using RepliGo (http://www.cerience.com/products/repligo.htm) for a while now. It's on my list of things to write about, but you know how that goes. So maybe I'll just make a few quick observations here.

Without doubt, RepliGo is an awesome solution, which allows reflowing and various zoom levels and is generally really solid. You have to print the document to RepliGo, so there's a conversion step, but in a way that's a "plus" because you can read ANY document that can be printed, whether it is .pdf or some other kind of file.

The PalmOS version may not be getting a lot of active development, but that's okay because it's so solid, and I can highly recommend it just as it is. And there's a desktop viewer for it also. In fact, once you convert a document, anyone else can read it for free using the free RepliGo viewer for mobile devices, which are available for more than just PalmOS.

I'm really picky about what I keep in my limited Treo memory, but RepliGo is definitely a keeper, and one of my favorite applications!

Colebuddy · 03-10-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alexander

Palm Addicts has a nice roundup of available PDF viewers for Palm OS. Those readers include: Adobe Reader, Metaview, Repligo, and Documents To Go.

Personally I try to convert any PDF document on a PC desktop first (using Adobe Acrobat) - preferably into HTML - and then to use one of the various offline HTML readers (e.g. iSilo or Plucker/Sunrise) to make the document available on my PDA.

Can you please tell me how to do this? I have the basic, free edition of version 7 on my PC but can't find the option to convert into HTML anywhere on the menus.

Alexander Turcic · 03-10-2006, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colebuddy

Can you please tell me how to do this? I have the basic, free edition of version 7 on my PC but can't find the option to convert into HTML anywhere on the menus.

Unfortunately the basic edition ("Reader") doesn't include this option. I have Adobe Acrobat Standard, which allows to extract PDF documents into various formats including HTML. The results are OK; only multi-column documents or documents that use a lot of vector graphics get usually screwed up.

radleyp · 03-10-2006, 01:58 PM

Alexander, what with all the memory now available on expansion cards (I have a 2G one in my T/X) I do less converting that I used to, and if I don't have to convert, I won't. Remember, that with DTG or the new free PalmPDF, I can wirelessly download email and read the pdf attachment. Converting, of course, cannot be done wirelessly, and I think that's where these new pdf readers shine.

BasilC · 03-10-2006, 07:00 PM

I bought RepliGo specifically to read PDFs, but now I find that both DTG8 and Palm PDF not only work better, but can read native files. However, none of these solutions get round the problem of DRMed PDFs - you can only use Adobe Reader for Palm, which is so slow, and handles tables and diagrams really badly.

volwrath · 03-11-2006, 04:00 PM

doesnt mobipocket publisher also convert pdfs?

hacker · 03-11-2006, 10:53 PM

They apparently forgot about PalmPDF, fully OSS, based on Xpdf, and works great on Palm devices.

Chaos · 03-12-2006, 02:11 AM

PalmPDF is probably the best option for anyone who doesn't want to buy something. Works well on my T|X, albeit in it's 'grey' mode (because I don't feel like messing around with some of those hack-like programs such as UnCache or UDMH), just being a little slow to render the PDF to begin with. Once it's loaded, it works perfectly well, redrawing the screen when it's scrolled about as fast as Plucker with one of the antialiased fonts (takes about 0.5-1 seconds at most).

Adobe Reader is just bad. I tried it once, for about 10 minutes, on my old Clie... And it was miserable. Just plain bad. Can't really comment on the other viewers, however - never tried any of them.

TadW · 03-12-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hacker

They apparently forgot about PalmPDF, fully OSS, based on Xpdf, and works great on Palm devices.

I second that. Have been using PalmPDF since the very first public release, and it's now my preferred way for reading PDF documents. Plus its free!

03-10-2006, 01:09 PM	#1
Alexander Turcic Fully Converged Posts: 18,175 Karma: 14021202 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Switzerland Device: Too many to count here.	Palm PDF viewers roundup Palm Addicts has a nice roundup of available PDF viewers for Palm OS. Those readers include: Adobe Reader, Metaview, Repligo, and Documents To Go. Personally I try to convert any PDF document on a PC desktop first (using Adobe Acrobat) - preferably into HTML - and then to use one of the various offline HTML readers (e.g. iSilo or Plucker/Sunrise) to make the document available on my PDA.

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03-10-2006, 01:24 PM	#2
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	I haven't used some of the newer solutions like DTG and PalmPDF, but I have been using RepliGo (http://www.cerience.com/products/repligo.htm) for a while now. It's on my list of things to write about, but you know how that goes. So maybe I'll just make a few quick observations here. Without doubt, RepliGo is an awesome solution, which allows reflowing and various zoom levels and is generally really solid. You have to print the document to RepliGo, so there's a conversion step, but in a way that's a "plus" because you can read ANY document that can be printed, whether it is .pdf or some other kind of file. The PalmOS version may not be getting a lot of active development, but that's okay because it's so solid, and I can highly recommend it just as it is. And there's a desktop viewer for it also. In fact, once you convert a document, anyone else can read it for free using the free RepliGo viewer for mobile devices, which are available for more than just PalmOS. I'm really picky about what I keep in my limited Treo memory, but RepliGo is definitely a keeper, and one of my favorite applications!

03-10-2006, 01:58 PM	#5
radleyp Evangelist Posts: 499 Karma: 20623 Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: North Salem & NYC, NY Device: Kindle Global, iphone4, ipad	Alexander, what with all the memory now available on expansion cards (I have a 2G one in my T/X) I do less converting that I used to, and if I don't have to convert, I won't. Remember, that with DTG or the new free PalmPDF, I can wirelessly download email and read the pdf attachment. Converting, of course, cannot be done wirelessly, and I think that's where these new pdf readers shine.

03-10-2006, 07:00 PM	#6
BasilC Zealot Posts: 129 Karma: 60 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: London England Device: Palm Tungsten T3	I bought RepliGo specifically to read PDFs, but now I find that both DTG8 and Palm PDF not only work better, but can read native files. However, none of these solutions get round the problem of DRMed PDFs - you can only use Adobe Reader for Palm, which is so slow, and handles tables and diagrams really badly.

03-11-2006, 04:00 PM	#7
volwrath Guru Posts: 713 Karma: 1001739 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Nashville, TN Device: SGS3/PW2/Nexus72	doesnt mobipocket publisher also convert pdfs?

03-11-2006, 10:53 PM	#8
hacker Technology Mercenary Posts: 617 Karma: 2561 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: East Lyme, CT Device: Direct Neural Implant	They apparently forgot about PalmPDF, fully OSS, based on Xpdf, and works great on Palm devices.

03-12-2006, 02:11 AM	#9
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	PalmPDF is probably the best option for anyone who doesn't want to buy something. Works well on my T\|X, albeit in it's 'grey' mode (because I don't feel like messing around with some of those hack-like programs such as UnCache or UDMH), just being a little slow to render the PDF to begin with. Once it's loaded, it works perfectly well, redrawing the screen when it's scrolled about as fast as Plucker with one of the antialiased fonts (takes about 0.5-1 seconds at most). Adobe Reader is just bad. I tried it once, for about 10 minutes, on my old Clie... And it was miserable. Just plain bad. Can't really comment on the other viewers, however - never tried any of them.

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