Is the iPad suited for technical PDFs?

[MikhailT]

Guys, check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6nDbE1CK3o

The part with the PDF editing and so on is amazing. Just remember that iPad will be far more flexible than any of the other ebook readers on the market due to the App store. There'll be so many applications just for PDF to match what you need.

@Johannes, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/arxiv/id302515757?mt=8. It's the Arxiv client for the iPhone, you can contact the developer if he's doing the iPad version for it. If he's not, i'm sure somebody else can develop it for you if you ask around.

[emai7s2]

How does one actually transfer PDF's and other files to the iPad? It's a very basic issue, but one I haven't quite grasped yet. I wouldn't want to have to email myself huge files.

[athlonkmf]

Originally Posted by emai7s2

How does one actually transfer PDF's and other files to the iPad? It's a very basic issue, but one I haven't quite grasped yet. I wouldn't want to have to email myself huge files.

On the iphone there are PDF-apps, which can act as a server. You can then just drop PDFs in it through some file management thingie on your PC (like windows explorer)

This one works like that: http://syncdocs.sourceforge.net/

One of these PDF-apps is goodreader, this has a whole scala of options. Like dropbox support, which allows you to sync directly from your main workstation. Or just downloading pdf's from some web address.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by MikhailT

Guys, check this out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6nDbE1CK3o

The part with the PDF editing and so on is amazing. Just remember that iPad will be far more flexible than any of the other ebook readers on the market due to the App store. There'll be so many applications just for PDF to match what you need....

The problem is, no application can make reading a full-size PDF comfortable on a 9.7" screen. My take is, if you want to read full-size PDF, wait a couple of months for the upcoming larger screen Android tablets.

Also, I don't think you'll be able to read any standard DRM-ed PDFs, or EPUBS for that matter (like e-titles available from the library), since the iPad employs a proprietary DRM, incompatible with anyone else.

The Android tablets will most likely have a much more robust format support.

[zetareticuli]

What large screen Android tablets are coming out in a couple of months? Will these have larger than 9.7" screens? I was planning on buying the iPad strictly to read PDFs (LCD does not bother me). Should I hold off and wait for these larger tablets to come out?

[Johannes]

Originally Posted by MikhailT

@Johannes, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/arxiv/id302515757?mt=8. It's the Arxiv client for the iPhone, you can contact the developer if he's doing the iPad version for it. If he's not, i'm sure somebody else can develop it for you if you ask around.

Awesome! I have no iPod nor an iPhone (never bought 'anything Apple'), so was completely unaware. There will be so much to explore and enjoy once I have my iPad...

[Graham]

Originally Posted by zetareticuli

What large screen Android tablets are coming out in a couple of months? Will these have larger than 9.7" screens? I was planning on buying the iPad strictly to read PDFs (LCD does not bother me). Should I hold off and wait for these larger tablets to come out?

The key one is the WePad, with a 12" screen. Their CEO has said it will follow 'soon after the iPad' and he is giving a presentation on April 12 which is expected to include launch dates. The pundits think this will be out in May or June.

The JooJoo has already launched (available from last week), with a 12" screen, but is overpriced for its capabilities. It's also not clear whether you would be able to read pdfs from a USB key, or whether you would have to put them on the web and browse to them, as its OS is based around the web.

Graham

[zetareticuli]

Thanks for the info. The WePad looks great. I will definitely get one once it becomes available. Is there an English version of their website?

[Graham]

There's this link:

http://wepad.mobi/en

but at the moment it doesn't have more information than is in the fact sheet. I'm looking forward to hearing something more concrete on April 12th.

Graham

[zetareticuli]

Graham, thanks for that link. It definitely looks attractive to me. The larger screen is very, very appealing. I added my email to the list to be notified when pre-ordering begins. I live in the US. Hopefully, they will accept orders and ship to the US.

[Prospect]

I guess that the Ipad will be brilliant for reading scans of fiction. The screen is large enough to view the files of most books in their actual size and the processor is fast enough to turn pages etc without any delay.

[Johannes]

Finally got my iPad and installed Goodreader. Just to let y'all know that this for me resulted in a superb reading experience for A4 PDFs. It's the extremely responsive screen that renders PDF viewing beating my initial expectations.