Archive for the ‘eBook Readers & PDF’ Category
PDF Reader Pro iOS app now converts to PDF, supports annotations no comments
The PDF Reader Pro app for iPhone and iPad just got an update. 
Version 2.6.2 adds the ability to convert various file formats to PDF on your iPhone or iPad. This seems to be a very rare feature when it comes to the iOS PDF viewing apps. You can purchase a dedicated file converter like Convert to PDF Pro ($5.99 at iTunes), but you will then need another app to view and annotate your converted PDF files.
The new version of PDF Reader Pro also adds a standard set of annotating abilities — highlighting, underline and strikethrough.
Other features include:
- Typed notes in a box and sticky notes.
- Freehand drawing.
- Scan from camera.
- Access files via Dropbox, Mobile ME, Google Docs and iDisk.
- WebDAV support.
- Compatible with MS Office files, images, audio and video files, HTML and Safari files.
There are a number of iOS apps for reading PDF documents. Some, like iAnnotate (see my iAnnotate review, but there have been many updates and new features added since my review) have very robust annotating capabilities. But if you need the ability to not only view and make a few notes on your PDFs, but also to be able to convert other file formats to PDF on your iDevice, PDF Reader Pro might be worth looking at. $5.99 at iTunes.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle DX 2 – PDF no comments
I’ve just made a video of viewing a PDF file on the latest generation Kindle DX (Kindle DX 2). The Kindle DX is the best e-ink based ereader I’ve seen so far for handling PDF files.
With its larger screen, in many cases zooming in will not be required – especially with the magnification that the landscape mode provides.
I’m really happy with the Kindle DX. I do find that I like reading on a larger screen, but in my case I mostly use my ereaders at home, so portability is not really an issue for me.
It is rather suspicious that Amazon is out of stock of the Kindle DX for several weeks. Is a new DX incoming? If so, I imagine more than a few people who purchased the “latest generation” Kindle DX will be unhappy that their generation was so short-lived.
If Amazon is about to release a new Kindle DX 3 it will probably have only incremental improvements. There will no doubt be a Wi-Fi only version that will cost less, and the PDF handling improvements introduced with the Kindle 3 (contrast adjustment, annotations and dictionary lookup on non-scanned PDFs) will also be included.
Hopefully the better PDF handling features can be ported over to the Kindle DX 2 as well – this should only be a matter of a software update.
Possibly Related Posts:
PDF on the iPad – iAnnotate Review – Annotations! no comments
Probably the most well known app for reading PDF documents on the iPad is 
GoodReader which does work quite well. The problem with GoodReader is that if you need to make notes or annotations you are pretty much SOL.
Enter iAnnotate. This app is from Aji and lets you bookmark and make text notes as well as supporting markup annotations such as highlighting, underlining and strikeouts. Freeform drawing is also supported – and you can choose multiple colors for all of these functions to use.
This is probably one app that could benefit from the use of a stylus that will work with the iPad rather than resorting to finger painting when precision drawing is called for.
iAnnotate uses toolbars for the various annotation and navigation functions. You can customize each toolbar by adding and removing individual tools and moving the toolbars to different positions on the screen. The size and opacity of the toolbars can also be adjusted.
Documents that you have loaded into iAnnotate are displayed as tabs at the top of the screen which allows you to switch between them quickly. Page locations are remembered when you switch between documents. You also can perform searches in your document and search through your annotations. All of the standard iPad gestures are supported so that pan and zoom, etc. work well.
Search functions allow you to search through your entire PDF library.
Getting Your Documents Into iAnnotate
You will need to download and install the Aji PDF Service for either your Mac or PC so that your iPad can connect to and retrieve PDF documents from your desktop. The Aji PDF Service not only is used to transfer documents but also processes and extracts the metadata of your PDF docs, so while you can transfer files from other iPad apps such as Goodreader you probably won’t be able to use the annotating tools if you do so. The documentation indicates that it may be possible to bypass the Aji Service in the future, but at any rate it is a free download and worked fine for me.
Sharing Your Annotated Documents
Your annotated documents can be shared using standard PDF annotations and can be viewed in a standard PDF viewer such as Adobe Reader. There are plans to allow email of annotated documents and text-only annotation summaries in future updates. At the moment you can upload your annotated documents to your computer via Aji Reader Service.
The iAnnotate app gives you lots of tools to work with in lots of colors. Currently you can purchase the iAnnotate app for $6.99 from iTunes, but Aji says that the price will go up to $9.99 when version 1.1 update is released, which will probably be in the next week or two (it has already been submitted to Apple for review). Version 1.1 will include iTunes/USB transfer, Web downloads, ability to attach annotated PDFs to emails, brightness control slider and other fixes.
Possibly Related Posts:
PDF on the iPad Using GoodReader no comments
GoodReader is one of the most popular apps for reading PDF files on the iPad, and at only $.99 is a good value (presuming, of course, that you have already spent $500+ for an iPad).
GoodReader not only handles PDF files but also MS Office, iWork documents, images, video and audio. The current version also supports Apple’s Document Sharing.
The iPad’s color screen is great for viewing graphic-rich documents, and its speed and responsive touchscreen make it quite adept at doing things like panning and zooming. The downside is that you cannot scribble or make annotations on your documents with GoodReader. This fits pretty well with my overall impression of the iPad so far – great for viewing content, but less well suited for authoring and editing. You can get the GoodReader app from iTunes.
Below is a video I made with the GoodReader iPad app.
Transferring PDF Files From Your Computer to Your iPad
Before you can read your PDF files using GoodReader, you will need to get them onto your iPad. GoodReader lets you search on your iPad for files, browse the Net for files to download, or connect to a local Wi-Fi network.
You can of course also connect your iPad to your computer using the dock connector to USB cable and download files. This is quite easy using iTunes. The following shows how to transfer files using the USB connection.
First connect your iPad to your computer using the dock connector to USB cable and start iTunes.
- Click on your iPad in iTunes.
- Click on the Apps tab at the top.
- Scroll down and you will find the File Sharing section. Click on the GoodReader app.
- You can either drag and drop your PDF files into the GoodReader Documents section or click on the Add button at the bottom to browse for the desired files. If you elect to browse for your files just click on Open when you have selected the files you want to add to your iPad.
- When you have finished adding the PDF files that you want to transfer click on the Sync button in the bottom right corner of the iTunes window – don’t forget to do this!
Possibly Related Posts:
Irex DR800SG Ereader Update – First Impressions no comments
I love reading books on the DR800SG. The e-ink screen with its 16 grayscales and 768 x 1024 resolution is gorgeous. I also find that I much prefer reading on the 8.1 – inch screen to the usual 5 – 6 inch ereader screens. The larger screen does add a little width to the device though, which may impact portability for some.
I am also a fan of the minimalist design of the DR800SG ereader which does not waste space and which is devoted to and complements the display screen. I hope other designers of new ereaders will take a close look at Irex’s design choices here and maybe stand on Irex’s shoulders, as Steve Jobs would say. The DR800SG definitely has some qualities worth emulating. I would like to see some more ereaders with this screen size format for one thing. That being said however, the DR800SG’s design as executed does lead to some control awkwardness that I think could have been avoided by Irex.
Page turning and menu navigation are accomplished via the flipbar on the left
side of the bezel and the Menu button underneath it. If you hold the flipbar to one side for a longer period it will turn five pages at a time instead of just one.
To use the DR800SG with one hand you will need to hold your ereader in your left hand and use thumb power to turn pages. This works fine, unless you want to shift hands for awhile. This control scheme will also not work if you are left handed and want to hold the ereader in your right hand so you can have your left hand free. Adding a couple of small page turning buttons on the right bezel might have impacted the aesthetics of this ereader, but it would also have greatly increased its functionality.
You can navigate through most menus and make selections without the stylus by using the flipbar and menu button, but sometimes it does feel a bit awkward. Since there is no docking bay for the stylus on the ereader it is good to be able to do as much as possible without it.
Unlike most ereaders that come with a stylus, you cannot turn pages with a swipe or touch of the stylus on the edge of the screen. There are a couple of small arrows at the very bottom of the screen (you can just see them at the bottom of the picture) you can touch with the stylus for page turns, but they are quite small and inconvenient. It feels as though the Wacom digitizer is minimally implemented at best.
There’s Not Enough “There” There
The DR800SG has five four different font sizes to choose from, but only one font style. The
pic shows the largest font size, which is about 3/16 inch height for capital letters. You can also set the page margins from 0 to 1/2 inch.
The search function so far seems to work quite well. You will need to use the stylus for this. It would have been nice if Irex had added a Go To Page function as well.
You are able to sort through your library or documents by Name (title), Author, Date Added or Recently Added. It is also possible to delete content from the ereader itself without connecting to a computer, which is nice.
With its larger screen, Wacom digitizer and $400 price tag you would assume that Irex is targeting users who need to handle a lot of PDF or other documents with this ereader. Judging by what is missing you would be making a wrong assumption. There are no annotation, note taking or even highlighting functions. Bookmarking is as good as it gets. It kind of makes you wonder why Irex bothered to use Wacom technology on the DR800SG at all. At the moment it seems like the digitizer is wasted.
PDF zooming is unavailable on the DR800SG as well. Even viewing a PDF in landscape mode does not seem to achieve any magnification – you just get the same size doc with very wide margins. With PDF’s made up only of text you may be able to enlarge the font as long as there are no graphs, schematics or tables, etc.
So far my take is that the DR800SG is a wonderful ereader for general book reading. But is that enough to justify paying $400 for it – especially in view of all of the soon to be released competition? True, Irex will hopefully have a firmware update soon that will add some of the missing functionality to their new ereader, but I can not recommend buying one based on that expectation/speculation alone.
If there were a dictionary on this ereader it would probably have a picture of the DR800SG next to half-baked.
Possibly Related Posts:
enTourage eDGe eReader/Netbook no comments
Entourage has an interesting device they are calling the eDGe (somebody really needs to get ereader names under control), which is supposed to be available in February 2010.
As you can see from the photo, it is half netbook and half ereader.
The netbook has internet browsing, can play movies and lets you view pictures from books you are reading on the ereader in color. It has a 10 inch screen and also comes with a video camera and audio recorder. Wi –Fi is built-in, but 3G requires an optional EVDO or HSDPA modem. There is a virtual keypad, but BlueTooth is also included, so you could add an external keypad. There is an SD card slot and you can also use a USB flash drive. The eDGe is based on Google’s Android. Battery life is not that great, but the battery is removable so you could carry a spare.
The ereader has a 9.7 inch e-ink screen with Wacom tablet technology. This gives you a stylus based touchscreen without glare issues. There appears to be a robust set of study tools including annotations and freehand drawing, etc. Your are also able to email your notes and journals to others.
Currently only ePub and PDF are supported. Entourage says they will have their own ebook store, but support for Adobe Digital Editions would add access to DRM’ed content.
Obviously at 2.5 lbs the eDGe would not be good for reading in bed, or for carrying around in your pocket, and all the bells and whistles the eDGe comes with are not cheap. The eDGe will sell for $490.
What interests me is that Entourage was able to put together a package like this for the same price as the Kindle DX. And if you just look at the ereader half of the eDGe equation it is pretty impressive. Full on study tools like the eDGe’s ereader has are what are needed in order to be embraced by students in the classroom. If Amazon is serious about being accepted in schools and used for etextbooks the DX needs to have features like this. And with Amazon’s much larger resources and sales volume they should be able to bring it to us at an acceptable price.
Possibly Related Posts:
Reading PDF Files on the Sony PRS 600 no comments
I’ve been experimenting with several PDF documents on the Sony Touch Edition ereader, and I have to report mixed results.
The default display mode for PDF pages on Sony’s new ereader is to display the whole page on the screen. This makes the font so small that it is impractical to read on the PRS 600′s 6″ screen. You can zoom, of course, but this worked a little differently on each of the three documents I’ve tried so far.
First of all I tried a text only PDF. As should be expected, reflow worked fine on this: I could use the font size keys to enlarge the text and there were no chopped off words, etc. Reading this file was pretty much like reading an ebook in any other format.
Things were not so easy when I moved on to an aeronautics text with schematics, charts and equations. First of all, if I used the font size keys on this document most diagrams and equations where not shown at all or were Sony PRS600 Touch Edittion PDF Zoom and Panmessed up. Also words were chopped off at the right margin and unceremoniously finished on the next line. The best results were acheived with this file when I used the
zoom-in feature with the screen in landscape mode. You can see this in the short video I made.
In the zoomed-in mode diagrams and equations were shown as intended, and being able to use your finger on the touch screen to pan around is quite cool. Being able use the stylus to annotate PDF’s on the Sony Touch makes for a great study tool; but you cannot annotate or make notes while you are zoomed in. Another annoyance is that when you turn the page your zoomed in setting is reset and you have to zoom in all over again for each new page. This will probably work fine for a limited number of pages, but I cannot imagine having to read a whole book like this without the process becoming exceedingly tedious.
The last PDF I tried was a Google scanned book with drawings. The font zoom keys had no effect whatsoever on this file. The only way to enlarge this one was to use the zoom-in feature, which worked fine, but again you have to redo the zoom for each new page.
I think that the PRS 600 ereader just has a screen that is too small to work with a lot of PDF files that are filled with diagrams, etc. It is, however, fine for text only files where you can use the font zoom keys, or if you just need to view a few pages with schematics, etc. at a time. On the other hand if you need a portable device to view your PDF files while on the go, then this ereader may well be a good choice for you. If the feature set stays the same, the Daily Edition will be somewhat more practical for graphic rich PDF files because of its larger 7″ screen. The Daily Edition will purportedly cost around the same amount as the upcoming iRex DR800SG and a little less than the Kindle DX though, so it will remain to be seen how those three ereaders will compare when it comes to working with PDF documents. The Kindle DX has a 9.7″ screen and also has 16 gray scales, which means that graphics look better than with the Sony’s 8 gray scales. The iRex DR800SG will come with an 8.1″ display.
Possibly Related Posts:
Reading PDF Files on eBook Readers no comments
If you primarily use your ebook reader for reading fiction, then you most probably are seldom if ever concerned about how good a job your ereader does at displaying PDF files. If, on the other hand, you are a technician, scientist, or work in academia, and use your reader to read technical literature, this feature will become increasingly important to you.
Most of the recent ebook reader models have at least some PDF functionality, but which are best?
Kindle 2
- Send the PDF file as an attachment to your Kindle’s email address. Amazon will convert the file and deliver it via Wispernet to your Kindle. Amazon charges 10 cents per email for this service.
- Convert the PDF file for free by sending it as an attachment to “your kindle email”@free.kindle.com. Amazon will do the conversion and email it back to your computer at the email address on file for your account.
- Convert the PDF file yourself by using MobiPocket Creator . You can also try saving the PDF document as a Word Doc, and then open the new file with Word and save as txt file which you can then transfer to your Kindle.
Conversion often does not result in perfect documents. PDF docs with DRM can cause problems, being difficult or even impossible to convert. The conversion process often messes up charts, tables and images. Formulae and equations don’t fare well either.
Jesse Vincent’s Savory program, which is a hack for the Kindle 2, seems to do a good job of converting charts, etc. Besides PDF files, Savory also converts epub files to the Kindle format. On his web page there is a shot of a converted scientific paper that looks quite nice. If you go this route, be sure to read all of the instructions and warnings.
Kindle DX
Update: 08/18/09; This post on Gadgets and Toys has some nice screenshots of the Kindle DX displaying medical journals on pdf.
Sony PRS-700BC
Foxit eSlick: If reading PDF files with lots of graphs and schematics is the primary purpose you will put your ebook reader to, then this might be a good choice for you. It allows zooming and panning of PDF documents. This ereader is still nowhere as polished as the Kindles or the Sony products, and should probably only be a first choice if you only want to use it for technical PDF document reading. To read files other than txt or PDF format you will need to convert into PDF using your computer.
iRex Digital Reader 1000S
Which of the current ebook readers will perform best for you when it comes to reading PDF documents will depend of course on your specific needs. Are your PDF documents full of intricate graphics and schematics that you need to make annotations on? Also you may want to balance PDF needs against the other uses you plan to put your ereader to such as general reading; unless, of course, you plan on using it strictly for “business”.
My picks would be as follows:
If heavy duty technical PDF document handling with full featured zoom and panning and the ability to add handwritten annotations is the most important feature set for you, and if you can afford it, go for the iRex iLiad.
For light to medium duty PDF document handling with some graphics, but where tilting to landscape mode will be zoom enough, and if annotating on the device is not a priority, and if you also plan to use your ebook reader for magazines, newspapers, and general reading; go with the Kindle DX.
If you want a smaller and therefore more portable device, consider the Kindle 2 with the Savory software.
£149.00
£109
