iPad LiquidText

FlorenceArt · 11-19-2015, 04:58 AM

Just found this app on the app store. Like all the apps pushed by the store, it has a beautiful and elegant interface, but I don't know how useful it really can be. I installed it since it's free. It looks very good, with features similar to MarginNotes in a much nicer looking interface. However, it doesn't support ePub, which kind of negates all its advantages. But I will explore it some more.

kyteflyer · 11-20-2015, 07:20 PM

Thanks for the headsup, it looks fairly decent. I have a lot of pdf files in my dropbox and rarely even look at them for lack of something decent to use for it. Goodreader is OK, I guess, LiquidText seems more... umm... accommodating... in some way. I like it.

FlorenceArt · 11-21-2015, 02:58 AM

I guess it depends what you want to use it for. To me, it seems useless as long as it doesn't support ePub. And the export menu is complicated and didn't let me do what I wanted: export my notes in text format to Evernote. The only export format for notes is rtf apparently.

HarryT · 11-21-2015, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

Thanks for the headsup, it looks fairly decent. I have a lot of pdf files in my dropbox and rarely even look at them for lack of something decent to use for it. Goodreader is OK, I guess, LiquidText seems more... umm... accommodating... in some way. I like it.

What do you dislike about GoodReader? I find it to be an excellent PDF reading app; the best I've come across.

FlorenceArt · 11-21-2015, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

What do you dislike about GoodReader? I find it to be an excellent PDF reading app; the best I've come across.

It's a question of taste. Personally I find Goodreader's interface terrible. And it's also slow, or at least it was when I was using it.

HarryT · 11-21-2015, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

It's a question of taste. Personally I find Goodreader's interface terrible. And it's also slow, or at least it was when I was using it.

The user interface is actually what I like the most about it. I don't know of any other PDF app which makes it so easy to have multiple documents (or views of different parts of the same document) open at once, and rapidly flip between them, a feature which is essential when doing academic research. The "tabbed" interface for this works beautifully.

Speed is absolutely fine on my iPad Air 2.

kyteflyer · 11-21-2015, 09:08 AM

I also don't much like the UI. Its clunky. But as always its whatever works for you. I don't need multiple docs open at once, and I rarely take notes. A lightweight reader works for me.

HarryT · 11-21-2015, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I also don't much like the UI. Its clunky. But as always its whatever works for you. I don't need multiple docs open at once, and I rarely take notes. A lightweight reader works for me.

Yes, if you don't need the multiple document interface, GoodReader's probably not the app to choose; that is the "unique selling point" of the app compared to normal bookreading apps, which can only handle a single book at a time. GoodReader is much more targeted as a research tool than a fiction reader, I think.

kyteflyer · 11-21-2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

I guess it depends what you want to use it for. To me, it seems useless as long as it doesn't support ePub. And the export menu is complicated and didn't let me do what I wanted: export my notes in text format to Evernote. The only export format for notes is rtf apparently.

I havent used evernote in ages, but I re-downloaded and tried this. Rather than export I did a straight copy... you can copy all notes as a group but its a matter of shift selecting each one, and then it all goes to the clipboard and wherever you want it after that. I don't want it for epub, I'm a reader, not much of a writer.

FlorenceArt · 11-21-2015, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyteflyer

I havent used evernote in ages, but I re-downloaded and tried this. Rather than export I did a straight copy... you can copy all notes as a group but its a matter of shift selecting each one, and then it all goes to the clipboard and wherever you want it after that. I don't want it for epub, I'm a reader, not much of a writer.

I don't write epubs, I read them. And the time when I want to highlight and annotate is when I'm reading a non fiction book. This is why I read non fiction on MarginNote. Its interface is much clunkier and less elegant than LiquidText, but it does the same and more AND it reads ePub. I only read PDF files when I have no other choice (and even then, quite often I just give up and read something else). But maybe you're right and LiquidText could be a better tool than MarginNote to read them when the need arises.

One thing that LiquidText does that sounded interesting is work on web pages, but in fact it converts them to PDF first, and all the links are lost. Still, it could be useful for that. But I think in that case I'd rather convert the page to ePub, it's not that hard to do.

And thank you for the tip on copying, I hadn't thought of trying that!

kyteflyer · 11-22-2015, 08:30 PM

What I meant was I dont ever do notes for anything, my days of academia are long gone, I have no reason to be making notes, annotations or whatever. I sometimes play with these tools, just to see how they work and whether I would find them useful, but since I am only a reader with no need to comment on what I am reading... well, there ya go.

FlorenceArt · 11-23-2015, 01:37 AM

Ah, I see! To be honest I don't really need to take notes, I never read them afterward, but I like to. It helps me think, maybe.

harriska2 · 11-24-2015, 06:14 PM

I am also looking for the perfect reader that highlights, annotates, allows notes, and can flip between other files. Until Goodreader upgrades to support the cool stuff in iOS9 (ie split screen, Apple Pencil) it isn't really as useful. I wish they also wouldn't have the main menu as a bar that you have to wait until it goes away before you can read the whole page - especially to get the page number which it hides. The tabbing is great but the implementation on menus is a real pain in the tush.

I downloaded LiquidText. Haven't really looked at it yet. I'll have to take another look at MarginNotes.

johnnyb · 11-25-2015, 03:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, if you don't need the multiple document interface, GoodReader's probably not the app to choose; that is the "unique selling point" of the app compared to normal bookreading apps, which can only handle a single book at a time. GoodReader is much more targeted as a research tool than a fiction reader, I think.

PDF Expert supports tabbed reading as well...

And thanks to OP for the tip, looks nice!

HarryT · 11-25-2015, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyb

PDF Expert supports tabbed reading as well...

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll take a look at that.

11-19-2015, 04:58 AM	#1
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	LiquidText Just found this app on the app store. Like all the apps pushed by the store, it has a beautiful and elegant interface, but I don't know how useful it really can be. I installed it since it's free. It looks very good, with features similar to MarginNotes in a much nicer looking interface. However, it doesn't support ePub, which kind of negates all its advantages. But I will explore it some more.

11-20-2015, 07:20 PM	#2
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone SE2020	Thanks for the headsup, it looks fairly decent. I have a lot of pdf files in my dropbox and rarely even look at them for lack of something decent to use for it. Goodreader is OK, I guess, LiquidText seems more... umm... accommodating... in some way. I like it.

11-21-2015, 02:58 AM	#3
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	I guess it depends what you want to use it for. To me, it seems useless as long as it doesn't support ePub. And the export menu is complicated and didn't let me do what I wanted: export my notes in text format to Evernote. The only export format for notes is rtf apparently.

11-21-2015, 09:08 AM	#7
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone SE2020	I also don't much like the UI. Its clunky. But as always its whatever works for you. I don't need multiple docs open at once, and I rarely take notes. A lightweight reader works for me.

11-22-2015, 08:30 PM	#11
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone SE2020	What I meant was I dont ever do notes for anything, my days of academia are long gone, I have no reason to be making notes, annotations or whatever. I sometimes play with these tools, just to see how they work and whether I would find them useful, but since I am only a reader with no need to comment on what I am reading... well, there ya go.

11-23-2015, 01:37 AM	#12
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	Ah, I see! To be honest I don't really need to take notes, I never read them afterward, but I like to. It helps me think, maybe.

11-24-2015, 06:14 PM	#13
harriska2 Addict Posts: 272 Karma: 8000000 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Corvallis, OR Device: Kindle PW2, iPad Pro	I am also looking for the perfect reader that highlights, annotates, allows notes, and can flip between other files. Until Goodreader upgrades to support the cool stuff in iOS9 (ie split screen, Apple Pencil) it isn't really as useful. I wish they also wouldn't have the main menu as a bar that you have to wait until it goes away before you can read the whole page - especially to get the page number which it hides. The tabbing is great but the implementation on menus is a real pain in the tush. I downloaded LiquidText. Haven't really looked at it yet. I'll have to take another look at MarginNotes.

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