Torn between Apple IPad and Onyx boox 9.7'' devices

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by tommyer

Pencil, pen is yet another important aspect. Of course, I would like to be able to do some handwriting in pdf-articles on the margins and elsewhere, not just highlighting. I had a conversation today with a retailer, telling me that they have a pen for Ipad (ca 60€, fineline, can't remember name) that you can do handwriting with similar to paper. But didn't seem too sure.

I want to make clear that I expect handwriting short sentences & phrases in a pdf-article to be possible in a new device.

I did not expect pen to become a problem, because in the video below handwriting seemed fair enough to me. Until now I have not planned to do lots and lots of handwriting on blank pages, i.e. using the device as a notebook. But hey, if I can have it, I would like to as well.

Video specs

App: GoodNotes
Stylus: Bamboo CS 160 [it's not even fineline, guess this can make a difference]
Device: (only) IPad Air [hope the IPad to be better in this respect]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6yIdmUYRdE&t=1m59s

Bamboo Fineline 2? I bought one and returned it immediately. It was actually WORSE than my old non-bluetooth stylus on my iPad Mini 2. It actually encouraged me to go buy a Windows tablet with pen support instead. Apple Pencil is even better than what's on my windows tablet. I'd try 'em out if you can.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by joblack

Android is even better because you can also install 3rd party apps without app store.

For PDFs an Onyx Boox e-reader is the best option.

Just because you don't need an app store does not mean the apps are better. For PDF, iOS is better.

As for PDF, you are so very wrong. For what the OP wants to do, an eInk Reader isn't going to do well enough. An iPad Pro would be very well for what the OP wants to do. The apps exist and you don't have such on an Onyx Boox or Android tablet.

Sorry, but you are way out in left field.

[tommyer]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Bamboo Fineline 2? I bought one and returned it immediately. It was actually WORSE than my old non-bluetooth stylus on my iPad Mini 2. It actually encouraged me to go buy a Windows tablet with pen support instead. Apple Pencil is even better than what's on my windows tablet. I'd try 'em out if you can.

Have you seen the part of the video I made a link for in #29? That handwriting is far from perfect, it has considerable latency. But I think it is enough for some word or short phrases. And it will take patience and some adaptation by the user to write longer things and more often, if it is possible at all, especially if there is not much space.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by tommyer

Have you seen the part of the video I made a link for in #29? That handwriting is far from perfect, it has considerable latency. But I think it is enough for some word or short phrases. And it will take patience and some adaptation by the user to write longer things and more often, if it is possible at all, especially if there is not much space.

I didn't because I was on mobile. I actually own goodnotes. I could never get used to the zoom writing thing. If you can it might be an okay option, but I found it frustrating and annoying. With an active pen you can just write. But then again I was planning to use it more like a digital notebook than just PDF markup.

[tommyer]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

I didn't because I was on mobile. I actually own goodnotes. I could never get used to the zoom writing thing. If you can it might be an okay option, but I found it frustrating and annoying. With an active pen you can just write. But then again I was planning to use it more like a digital notebook than just PDF markup.

I can see that the zooming thing & write could turn out to be annyoing. In the video, you could see the guy using GoodNotes as kind of a notebook, blank pages filled with handwriting. But I guess I see your overall point. I draw from your response that you differentiate between a stylus on the one hand and pen/pencil on the other and that you prefer pen. But I can check that out for myself.

[tommyer]

Originally Posted by joblack

...
For PDFs an Onyx Boox e-reader is the best option.

Why do you think an Onyx Boox e-reader is the best option for PDFs?

[tommyer]

I have ordered tablet Galaxy Tab S2 9.7’’ and will test it for a couple of weeks. But it's only a test, not a final decision.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tommyer

I have ordered tablet Galaxy Tab S2 9.7’’ and will test it for a couple of weeks. But it's only a test, not a final decision.

Cancel the order. That's a HUGE mistake. The apps for dealing with PDF are not nearly as good as Goodreader on an iPad. Ask HarryT, he'll tell you as well. Do you want some third rate app or do you want the best app? The best app runs on iOS and iOS runs on an iPad and not Android. Have you actually been reading this thread and seeing that those suggesting an Android tablet have given no apps to use and have not said they are better than an iPad? If you want something that's going to do what you want, you want an iPad. If you want something that won't do what you want, go Android.

If you are too late to cancel the order, when it comes, don't accept it. Send it back.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Cancel the order. That's a HUGE mistake. The apps for dealing with PDF are not nearly as good as Goodreader on an iPad. Ask HarryT, he'll tell you as well. Do you want some third rate app or do you want the best app? The best app runs on iOS and iOS runs on an iPad and not Android. Have you actually been reading this thread and seeing that those suggesting an Android tablet have given no apps to use and have not said they are better than an iPad? If you want something that's going to do what you want, you want an iPad. If you want something that won't do what you want, go Android.

If you are too late to cancel the order, when it comes, don't accept it. Send it back.

I think that's being a bit melodramatic. It's not like there's no good PDF apps on Android at all. Xodo is pretty good. Has markup, document tabs, syncing and is free, rendering is good too. Maybe they want the ability to shove a kajillion PDFs on a bunch of microSD cards or whatever and switch between them, maybe they just like Android more.

Goodreader is great but it's not like there aren't good and usable alternatives.

And if the place they are buying from has a good return policy why does it matter really?

[tommyer]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

a good return policy

That sums it up. I have no qualms to test such a device and send it back, if the seller is some giant like Google, Facebook or Amazon. If I didn't get it completely wrong, I can return the device without any problem. This way I save the money I would have paid with a leasing shop. But I get JSWolf's point.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

I think that's being a bit melodramatic. It's not like there's no good PDF apps on Android at all. Xodo is pretty good. Has markup, document tabs, syncing and is free, rendering is good too. Maybe they want the ability to shove a kajillion PDFs on a bunch of microSD cards or whatever and switch between them, maybe they just like Android more.

Goodreader is great but it's not like there aren't good and usable alternatives.

And if the place they are buying from has a good return policy why does it matter really?

Great on iOS. Good on Android. So why go with Android when you can get a great app on iOS?

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tommyer

That sums it up. I have no qualms to test such a device and send it back, if the seller is some giant like Google, Facebook or Amazon. If I didn't get it completely wrong, I can return the device without any problem. This way I save the money I would have paid with a leasing shop. But I get JSWolf's point.

The only way uoi can properly test Android is to also get an iPad and compare the two. You won't know how substandard it is for PDF until you have an iPad as well.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Great on iOS. Good on Android. So why go with Android when you can get a great app on iOS?

Literally any reason to choose Android over iOS. Ease of file management, SD card support, mouse support, ease of installing apps from outside the app store, less restrictive app store, customizability etc.

Why go iPad Pro when a 16GB RAM Surface Pro with Acrobat Pro will crush it in the PDF department?

What is so great about Goodreader that you seem to think all others are complete inferiors and not even worth thinking about? I haven't used it extensively but I haven't been so WOWed with it drop Drawboard PDF on my Windows tablet and switch back to reading PDFs on my Mini 2. Xodo on my Android phone is similarly pretty great, and the Windows version is pretty great as well.

eReader vs. tablet PDF reading I can understand. They can be slow, they can be too small, they can easily render stuff wrong.

Goodreader vs. every other PDF app out there I don't understand.

[Andy_T]

Tommeyer, I would suggest to check if some of your friends, acquaintances or family does have an iPad and can borrow it to you for a week to do a side-by-side comparison.

Also, adding a non-glare screen protection foil can make a lot of difference here.

I have both a very old iPad 1st generation, and a new iPad Air 2, and find that they are both quite good for reading. Yes, my Kindle Paperwhite is better (especially in direct sunlight), but the drawbacks for annotating pdf's would IMO mainly be in the application that you use and the latency of the e-ink screen.

A word regarding memory - was mentioned in your first post - don't worry about that.

The reason why most people think they need 64 GB is because they like to have the last 2 seasons of Game of Thrones in high quality on their iPad just in case they get bored with annotating PDFs. You don't need nowhere near that much for PDFs.

[gwynevans]

Has anyone compared reading PDF's on the 12" iPad Pro vs the 10" one? Can't justify the price for either at the moment but intrigued how they might be for reading textbooks or similar?