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Looking to buy goodReader...

cshmech

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Well I have been researching for a good 'pdf' reader that serve the following purposes: smooth vertical sliding while reading in both portrait and landscape view(like how you find in Dropbox), ability to bookmark a page in a PDF file, ability for annotation with 'free-hand highlighting' option.. I came across the famed good reader app and read some reviews on it... But they dint answer my particular needs.. Can any goodReader user tell me if my expectations would be satisfied by this app? Currently I am using dropbox and I'm satisfied except for the lack of bookmarking and annotation facility.
Thanks
 

Mickey330

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Much as I love Goodreader, I think your purposes would be best served by iAnnotate.

Goodreader does have annotations and bookmarking capabilities (and they work great), but it sure doesn't have smooth scrolling (it's a page by page swipe). To get "smooth" scrolling, you have to put it into reflow mode, which, in my case, removed all images. And, it wasn't smooth as it went from page to page.

On the other hand, iAnnotate ($9.99 USD) defaults to scrolling through the PDF file. I would say the scrolling is smoother than even Dropbox was (in the few seconds I looked at it to see what you meant...). Plus, the app does annotation very well (as it should, given it's name!) and there is an option to bookmarks.

When you are done, you can upload the document to Dropbox (it gets its own folder in Dropbox).

I'd still get/keep/have both, cause Goodreader is an awesome cloud syncing/file management app - but in this case, for your purpose, IMNSHO, I'd go with iAnnotate.

Good luck with your search. Hope this helps.

Marilyn
 

davidalan99

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cshmech said:
Well I have been researching for a good 'pdf' reader that serve the following purposes: smooth vertical sliding while reading in both portrait and landscape view(like how you find in Dropbox), ability to bookmark a page in a PDF file, ability for annotation with 'free-hand highlighting' option.. I came across the famed good reader app and read some reviews on it... But they dint answer my particular needs.. Can any goodReader user tell me if my expectations would be satisfied by this app? Currently I am using dropbox and I'm satisfied except for the lack of bookmarking and annotation facility.
Thanks

Try PDF Expert. It was on sale the other day. I think it will do more than your requests. I just got it Thursday, so a review is not in the cards yet since I am in the learning curve on it. It will let you fill out PDF forms as well as signatures

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...xMX-Bg&usg=AFQjCNFMQ4Za0WLFwjGsqobmMZdJMdYOqw

Sent from my iPhone/iPad using iPF
 
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cshmech

cshmech

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davidalan99 said:
Try PDF Expert. It was on sale the other day. I think it will do more than your requests. I just got it Thursday, so a review is not in the cards yet since I am in the learning curve on it. It will let you fill out PDF forms as well as signatures

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fapp%2Fpdf-expert-fill-forms-annotate%2Fid393316844%3Fmt%3D8&rct=j&q=pdf%20expert&ei=KP_gTcCeN42jtgfaxMX-Bg&usg=AFQjCNFMQ4Za0WLFwjGsqobmMZdJMdYOqw

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I feel $10 is a little too much for a PDF reading app. But if it's worth it I'm ready to buy it. One question: does it have a really smooth vertical scrolling? It would be easy if they develop a lite version of it, so that I could get an idea of the UI and then can decide whether to buy or not! How about 'ReaddleDocs' by the same developer?
 
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cshmech

cshmech

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Mickey330 said:
Much as I love Goodreader, I think your purposes would be best served by iAnnotate.

Goodreader does have annotations and bookmarking capabilities (and they work great), but it sure doesn't have smooth scrolling (it's a page by page swipe). To get "smooth" scrolling, you have to put it into reflow mode, which, in my case, removed all images. And, it wasn't smooth as it went from page to page.

On the other hand, iAnnotate ($9.99 USD) defaults to scrolling through the PDF file. I would say the scrolling is smoother than even Dropbox was (in the few seconds I looked at it to see what you meant...). Plus, the app does annotation very well (as it should, given it's name!) and there is an option to bookmarks.

When you are done, you can upload the document to Dropbox (it gets its own folder in Dropbox).

I'd still get/keep/have both, cause Goodreader is an awesome cloud syncing/file management app - but in this case, for your purpose, IMNSHO, I'd go with iAnnotate.

Good luck with your search. Hope this helps.

Marilyn

Looks like a deal to me cuz of the two reasons: 'smooth scrolling' and good rating than the other app suggested. But still I feel $10 is too much. I don't wanna buy two apps... I have got two questions for you: why would you still keep/need GoodReader if iAnnotate PDF is such an awesome app? If it does not have a smooth vertical scrolling I definitely don't need it! And why were you not so honest in your opinion? :p Cudn stop wondering....

Thanks for the reply guys...
 

mobi1

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Also check Neu.Annotate. It is free.

For reading PDF, besides iBook, check Cloud Reader as well.
 

Mickey330

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Looks like a deal to me cuz of the two reasons: 'smooth scrolling' and good rating than the other app suggested. But still I feel $10 is too much. I don't wanna buy two apps... I have got two questions for you: why would you still keep/need GoodReader if iAnnotate PDF is such an awesome app? If it does not have a smooth vertical scrolling I definitely don't need it! And why were you not so honest in your opinion? :p Cudn stop wondering....

Thanks for the reply guys...

IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion. Which is the direct opposite of IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). To be humble or not ... that, sir, is the question! 'Cause I've never been accused of being humble by those that know me... :D

Anyway, back to the question - why have Goodreader if iAnnotate is so awesome.

It's more about Goodreader than iAnnotate. I don't need the smooth scrolling that you require, which is the only thing (IMNSHO - :D), that iAnnotate is better over Goodreader. Goodreader annotates very well, provides for bookmarks and is a great PDF reader, if you want to do page turn by page turns.

Goodreader is also an excellent file cabinet, if I may be allowed to stretch an analogy. It is easy to download any file from Dropbox (even ones Goodreader can't read) and then use Goodreader to "Open In" in another app. For example, I have epub e-books; Goodreader cannot read them. But, I can download them into Goodreader, then open them in, say, iBooks. Plus, you can put files into subfolders all day long in Goodreader, directly connect it to a PC (that has iTunes), use it to play movies or MP3s, etc. It's just very versatile and it's an app that I use almost daily.

Given my requirements, I'd pick Goodreader any day over iAnnotate, because it can do so much more. Yet, you want a smooth scrolling for PDF files, similar to Dropbox's previewer. Goodreader can't give that to you. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought iAnnotate before I bought Goodreader. I still use it, just not as much as Goodreader. And I cannot tell you ('cause I haven't used it enough) that iAnnotate isn't just as effective at the things I said Goodreader can do. I'm just happier using Goodreader.

So, if you give up the smooth scrolling, I'd recommend Goodreader at $4.99 (USD) in a heartbeat. Else, as far as the apps I know of - it's iAnnotate at $9.99 (USD).

Actually, I'd rather have a reader that does a proper re-flow of PDF files (like my Pocketbook 360 e-ink reader), but so far, nothing. But, that's a tale for another day.

Hope this answers your question(s). Got more - let me know.

Marilyn

P.S. I also have neu.annotate. Yeah, it's a very nice app, but it does not have the smooth scrolling you want... I also have ReaddleDocs. It does vertical scrolling, but it's page by page, not continuous scrolling. Yeah, I like reader/word processing apps. Can you tell? :eek:
 
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cshmech

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Mickey330 said:
IMNSHO = In My Not So Humble Opinion. Which is the direct opposite of IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). To be humble or not ... that, sir, is the question! 'Cause I've never been accused of being humble by those that know me... :D

Anyway, back to the question - why have Goodreader if iAnnotate is so awesome.

It's more about Goodreader than iAnnotate. I don't need the smooth scrolling that you require, which is the only thing (IMNSHO - :D), that iAnnotate is better over Goodreader. Goodreader annotates very well, provides for bookmarks and is a great PDF reader, if you want to do page turn by page turns.

Goodreader is also an excellent file cabinet, if I may be allowed to stretch an analogy. It is easy to download any file from Dropbox (even ones Goodreader can't read) and then use Goodreader to "Open In" in another app. For example, I have epub e-books; Goodreader cannot read them. But, I can download them into Goodreader, then open them in, say, iBooks. Plus, you can put files into subfolders all day long in Goodreader, directly connect it to a PC (that has iTunes), use it to play movies or MP3s, etc. It's just very versatile and it's an app that I use almost daily.

Given my requirements, I'd pick Goodreader any day over iAnnotate, because it can do so much more. Yet, you want a smooth scrolling for PDF files, similar to Dropbox's previewer. Goodreader can't give that to you. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought iAnnotate before I bought Goodreader. I still use it, just not as much as Goodreader. And I cannot tell you ('cause I haven't used it enough) that iAnnotate isn't just as effective at the things I said Goodreader can do. I'm just happier using Goodreader.

So, if you give up the smooth scrolling, I'd recommend Goodreader at $4.99 (USD) in a heartbeat. Else, as far as the apps I know of - it's iAnnotate at $9.99 (USD).

Actually, I'd rather have a reader that does a proper re-flow of PDF files (like my Pocketbook 360 e-ink reader), but so far, nothing. But, that's a tale for another day.

Hope this answers your question(s). Got more - let me know.

Marilyn

P.S. I also have neu.annotate. Yeah, it's a very nice app, but it does not have the smooth scrolling you want... I also have ReaddleDocs. It does vertical scrolling, but it's page by page, not continuous scrolling. Yeah, I like reader/word processing apps. Can you tell? :eek:

OMG, Marilyn, thanks a lot... I basically bought an iPad just for reading documents/novels/papers.. That's why I'm particular on getting a versatile app that wud suite my needs. At least now i have a clear idea of what I'm supposed to get! I don't have anymore questions(at least for now).. I shud go for the $10 trade anyway I guess..

Thanks again for all who replied.. I do have neu.annotate and not happy with it..

P.S.: if you are not so humble about it, I'm definitely going for it :p
 
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Mickey330

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Ah, reflow! The thing I wish I could find for reading PDFs on my iPad!

What reflow does is take PDF files and essentially make them pure text. No pictures, diagrams, graphs, etc. (usually). Then, you can manipulate the text, font size-wise, to make it smaller or larger and the text will "re-flow" to fit in the viewing area. The key here is that the text only fits within the viewing area. You don't have to pan. Then, you can tap or scroll to read the document.

Re-flow is what you can do on the PC with your web browser when you make the font bigger (on a Windows machine, try holding the Ctrl button and then use your mouse scroll wheel or the plus key). See how it makes the text larger (but not necessarily the pictures)? It's kind of like zoom but it restricts itself to the page width.

Atomic web browser does text reflow quite well. I've attached two pictures that'll hopefully illustrate my point. In the first one, I've merely tapped to zoom in as far as the iPad goes. If you look carefully, there are two icons in the bottom right, A+ and A-. Those are for zooming. The second picture is where I've tapped the zoom in button three times. See how the font gets bigger, yet I don't have to pan around to read the whole article? That's reflow.

If you have access to an e-ink e-reader, most will do PDF re-flowing. I just want an app that'll let me do the same on the iPad. And so my search goes on.

Hope all this made sense.

Marilyn

P.S. And by the way, ReaddleDocs will do reflow. Just not as well as my e-reader...
 

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cshmech

cshmech

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Hi,
I think I found a better app. How about 'PDF Reader Pro'? Try this.. It's awesome and just for $1! You can annotate it(although it's not that comfortable), bookmark it and also 'lock horizontal to have the smooth vertical sliding I was asking for. But I have to swith on that every time I open the file. But I have requested them if they can give the UI of Dropbox.. Let's see what happens!
 

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