University site pdf problem

[Plisska]

Hello all!

I have tried doing a search and have found this problem has been posted however I feel my issue is unique.

Soo here it goes

My university(the ohio state university) has a webiste where notes and readings can be viewed for class. I believe it is similar to " blackboard" however I have never used that site. My school site does NOT allow me to downdload pdf files. It does however have an "in site" document reader to view the pdfs. Once I tap to open a pdf file, this viewer only shows the first page and a little of the second of a given file. It appears to just cutoff the document at some point. When I hold down on the file link the option to "open java script" appears. I have heard about an app called good reader but I am not sure if it will fix my problems.

Thank you very much!

-paul

 

[DontUnderstandMyIpad]

Goodreader most likely won't be of any help in that situation, as the PDF file never leaves the server as a whole. But if flash is involved, you might want to try iswifter as a browser.

 

[Plisska]

Iswifter didnt quite work. When I opened a file it prompted me to select something to open it with. Which didnt let me actually open thefilewith something else. After the first file I opened the browser never prompted me again.

What other browsers or ideas do you have? Thanks!

 

[twerppoet]

Have you tried scrolling the document on the site? You can often scroll stuff that appears in windows or frame bars by using two fingers instead of one and swiping inside the frame.

 

[Plisska]

No luck with two finger scroll either

 

[Plisska]

to me this problem makes my ipad sort of useless. Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[twerppoet]

Have you talked to your university IT staff to see if they have an alternate method, or know of an app you can use? You are probably not the first iPad user they've had to deal with. It's possible a solution is in place, but poorly advertised.

Even if they don't, every iPad user who asks adds another reason for them to start working on a solution. At some point they're going to realize that tablets are here, not going away, and need support.

 

[mjb389]

I had this exact issue with my Uni's Blackboard website.

Luckily there is a solution, there is an app called OpenItApp - here is the link bit.ly/n2uTF4 (the forums won't let me post a live link). It works around the issues with iPad and blackboard and extracts the document so you can see the whole thing properly. Then you can open it in other apps.

This app automatically goes to the website for Monash University in Australia but if you enter your website manually it should work.

Good luck!

 

[Asharp]

I had this exact issue with my Uni's Blackboard website.

Luckily there is a solution, there is an app called OpenItApp - here is the link bit.ly/n2uTF4 (the forums won't let me post a live link). It works around the issues with iPad and blackboard and extracts the document so you can see the whole thing properly. Then you can open it in other apps.

This app automatically goes to the website for Monash University in Australia but if you enter your website manually it should work.

Good luck!

Can you also upload to Blackboard from your iPad with that app? I've tried 6 different browsers with no success and my institution has no plans of becoming a participating member of the mobile Blackboard community right now.

Transferring files to Mail before downloading and then uploading them to Blackboard on a computer has become so unwieldy that I've now started experimenting with transferring files to iWorks.com before downloading and then uploading them to Blackboard from a school computer to the single online section of a course I teach. It removes the hassle of having to weed through all my mail for files related to my online course but I'm definitely open to a less cumbersome solution.