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After trying all sorts of pdf readers, I come close to the conclusion that reading pdf documents on a PDA is not practical at all and even irrealistic.
Due mainly to the fact that one cannot view an entire page with a readable font size without having to scroll sideways.
I end up converting pdf to lit.
Please, give opinion and eventually solutions.
Thanks all, and take care
Come on folks, just a few words about your experience with pdf...
donno i read a book as pdf once
on my pda
only had to scroll down not sideways
depend on the doc in question really i suppose
pref lit though because of bookmarks and cleartype
and not being as much a res hog as acrobat reader which i used at the time
VGA a requirement
I use an older version of Adobe reader on a VGA screen. My eyes are still good enough that I can zoom out, get a full page on the screen, and still read it. I have read an entire book this way. I am sure there are better ways to do it on a PDA. But my goal is to be able to grab a document off of the web and read it as I travel. If there is going to be conversion between formats, it would have to take place on the PDA.
That being said, it is still easier to read a word or text document than a PDF. But if you have the screen resolution and size to work with, PDF's are not impossible.
Thanks folks, that was my impression.
Answers
There are ways to improve PDF experiance. Using reflow when creating PDFs (available as an option when saving PDFs from OpenOffice, for example) greatly improves things.
Anothr good option is Repligo - you can print / convert PDFs to that format. It uses less space, documents open faster and look better (less jagged fonts).
Believe me, PDFs are annoying even in actual, desktop environments. >_>
That said, I'm using Foxit for the PPC. It loads 15MB++ files faster than Adobe, follows the original PDF format faithfully (doesn't try to rearrange like idiotic Clearvue), yet it is a standalone program that requires no installation.
That said, PDF reading is only for devices with a big screen. Definitely bigger than a Mini, let alone an Atom. Otherwise, at a big enough text to be legible, scrolling to the side is necessary - and that tends to lag a bit with bigger PDFs for devices with only 64MB of RAM or less.
I have train skeds and the Tokyo Metro Map plus a crap load more pdf files
that I use on my X01HT and yes you do have to scroll both ways but I mean
have you seen the detail of the Tokyo Metro Map?!?
It works for me. I actually like it.
Plus I get 'really cool' nods from Japanese when they see me looking
through the Tokyo Metro map on my X01HT because most of them
use the low tech pocket paper fold out.
Yes, I am a gaijin otaku and proud of it!!!
imexp then big pictures makes pdf useless on pda's as they can move the text to scale but in there is a picture in the middle they cant really handle scaling the picture down to match the width of the pda screen
I think converting to repligo is the most elegant solution since images are conserved...but it is not free
Otherwise, if pics are not important, converting to text then to lit and using microsoft reader is an acceptable free solution.
To "AquiEsta!": why don't you use the excellent "metro" freeware?
You can use the free xpdf (pocketpdf). It at least has better zoom functions then adobe and it has the option to read pdf as text files with associated functions. You lose pictures but pure textfiles are a breaze to read...
elio said:
I think converting to repligo is the most elegant solution since images are conserved...but it is not free
Otherwise, if pics are not important, converting to text then to lit and using microsoft reader is an acceptable free solution.
To "AquiEsta!": why don't you use the excellent "metro" freeware?
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I didn't know such a thing existed. Where would I find that? In English
would be great too!
Thanks
AquiEsta! said:
I didn't know such a thing existed. Where would I find that? In English
would be great too!
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://nanika.net/Metro/
You will love it
elio said:
http://nanika.net/Metro/
You will love it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"more than 350 cities covered now"... I'm already in love with it because
I travel a lot and this hopefully will save me time and advils.
THANK YOU!!!
off I go to set it up...
Adobe Reader for PPC 2 works with my HTC Athena/Advantage VGA screen without legibility problems using its reflow function which wraps the text to your screen - no sideways scrolling needed.
Even if your documents were not prepared specifically for this Active Sync will do the necessary conversion when you transfer the docs from your PC (turn it on in file settings). If you bypass ActiveSync your reflow button gets greyed out.
For documents like maps you can switch to sideways scrolling whenever you want.
My only gripe is that the characters are a little fuzzy, so I'm looking for a fix for this.
UPDATE: fuzzy characters fixed:
Switch resolution to 95 dpi using RealVGA before opening Adobe Reader. Now works as it was meant to. Only downside is the the resolution switch involves a reset.
For reading articles and such offline I use ScrapBook (a Firefox extension) to capture the page/selection and delete ads/sidebars and then 'Save Page as...' and copy the html and corresponding images folder to my SD card. It's a pain but it's the best solution that I could find.
I use Mobipocket Reader to do the conversion and reading, it's free and works well for me www.mobipocket.com
For PDFs Picel Browser, and Foxit Reader for Windows Mobile are pretty good.
I second the picsel reader. http://www.picselpowered.com
Don't let the number of Cons over Pros put you off.
Even with these problems I still use it on a daily basis, and preferred to buy it over using free alternatives like Adobe.
Proof that mobile apps don't have to look like clunky old windows apps.
Pro
Excellent rendering of PDF files
Fine control over zoom, can use a gesture (tap & drag)
Cons
Out of memory errors with just a few other apps running
Remembers last document opened, but not page
No Search
No way of jumping to a page
pdemoore said:
I second the picsel reader. http://www.picselpowered.com
Don't let the number of Cons over Pros put you off.
Even with these problems I still use it on a daily basis, and preferred to buy it over using free alternatives like Adobe.
Proof that mobile apps don't have to look like clunky old windows apps.
Pro
Excellent rendering of PDF files
Fine control over zoom, can use a gesture (tap & drag)
Cons
Out of memory errors with just a few other apps running
Remembers last document opened, but not page
No Search
No way of jumping to a page
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I back this as well, it is bar far, THEE most impressive on a PDA.
It has no rendering lag, making it the fastest PDF reader on WM.
I would only recommend that VGA users view PDFs, QVGA isn't practical.
Has anyone found a PDF reader that supports 2-up so that 2 pages can be displayed together as you can in the full pc/mac versions?
I have PDF's that have 2 page spread photographs or diagrams that need to be seen a spread to be viewed properly. I think it would be a more viable option for the tab with it's bigger screen and resolution.I understand the text would be probably be unreadable but I would switch back to single view for reading.
I have tried a few of the main crop of PDF readers and have so far found none that support it.
Im looking for the exact same thing! any ideas? thanks
I think that Perfect Viewer from RookieSttudio Can doo that with plugn for PDF
yeah, it really does work, but it crashes very often and its slow... so any other recommendations are welcome!
In what pdf viewer do you guys read magazines? I really miss seeing 2 pages at once!
Hey guys,
I normally lurk the forums as I'm always able to come to some sort of solution, but this time I'm truly lost! I've tried everything to find a PDF viewer for WM7 that has a search function. I need an app that can search for keywords in a PDF by tomorrow and I have tried everything from:
1. DotNetNuzzi PDF Viewer-- incredible lag, completley inoperable.
2. Convert PDF to .doc ( using Adobe Acrobat X Pro, NitroPDF 7) to search keywords in WM7 Office-- PDF formatting goes to complete ruin, no use.
3. Convert PDF to ePUB (using various online converters/standalones) to read via eBook readers from marketplace (Freda, Bookvisior)--PDF formatting goes to complete ruin, no use.
I don't know what to do, and I need to be able to search large PDF files by tomorrow. Please helppp me!
Hmm... normally I wouldn't recommend this, but maybe something like Google Docs (plus, if needed the Find On Page commandlet for IE on Windows Phone)? Another, even hackier option, would be to use RemoteDesktop (an app, does exactly what it says) and open the PDF on a PC instead. Yeah, it would lag, but a "large" PDF is likely to realllly strain the phone anyhow.
Searching PDFs is surprisingly difficult; I believe the default viewer on Android can't do it either. What do you need this particular capability for? There might be a better way. For example, I think the Adobe app lets you jump by page, so you could search text in another tool (that messes up the formatting, so long as it leaves the page breaks) and then jump to the relevant page. Alternatively, does the PDF have headers? You could navigate by table of contents, if the headers are sufficiently fine-grained...
I've been looking for an app which organizes pdfs and epub documents and has a reader in-built.
I know iOS has iBooks and I own Samsung Galaxy Tab which had eBooks app - you can see all the recently opened files and it lets you open them too.
Is there anything similar for Surface? What are you guys using for PDFs?
I've tried PDF Touch, Freda, Overdrive Console etc but haven't found them up to the mark.
Thanks!
PS: I don't see a forum for posting Surface Q/A, so I posted it here.
Montastic said:
I've been looking for an app which organizes pdfs and epub documents and has a reader in-built.
I know iOS has iBooks and I own Samsung Galaxy Tab which had eBooks app - you can see all the recently opened files and it lets you open them too.
Is there anything similar for Surface? What are you guys using for PDFs?
I've tried PDF Touch, Freda, Overdrive Console etc but haven't found them up to the mark.
Thanks!
PS: I don't see a forum for posting Surface Q/A, so I posted it here.
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Click to collapse
PDFs open natively and the reader buit into the SAurface is actually pretty good IMO- Annotations, highlights etc. I open large Pdfs from the insurance industry and it does the trick so far..
Regarding a general ebook reader, I am not impressed with anything yet as far as being able to import in my own epubs (as opposed to Kindle and Nook, Kobo, etc which only let you read their conten)t - I have Freda installed and its just so so - It uses the Calibre ebook management system on a desktop Pc which is a hassle, and as far as I can tell there is no way to remove books from Freda once imported in - Not too many features
it seems like the ebook readers are always a hassle on these types of devices (same form my Android) - You always need to have like 3 of them loaded to cover everything if you have your own epubs, and other formats
guitar1969 said:
PDFs open natively and the reader buit into the SAurface is actually pretty good IMO- Annotations, highlights etc. I open large Pdfs from the insurance industry and it does the trick so far..
Regarding a general ebook reader, I am not impressed with anything yet as far as being able to import in my own epubs (as opposed to Kindle and Nook, Kobo, etc which only let you read their conten)t - I have Freda installed and its just so so - It uses the Calibre ebook management system on a desktop Pc which is a hassle, and as far as I can tell there is no way to remove books from Freda once imported in - Not too many features
it seems like the ebook readers are always a hassle on these types of devices (same form my Android) - You always need to have like 3 of them loaded to cover everything if you have your own epubs, and other formats
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The inbuilt reader is okay but not many features. I wish I could choose highlight colors.
On my Galaxy Tab, I have ezPDF reader - what I like is that it shows the recently opened file on a bookshelf. I don't care about the skeuomorphism but it would be nice to be able to see bunch of recently opened files.
On a side note, is there some setting where it asks me what program to open the PDF each time I try to open a PDF file? I know how to set the default program but depending on what I'm doing, I like to use different programs.
We should all contact the maker of Mantano Reader to petition for a WinRT port. The premium version is the best pdf/epub reader I have found for any mobile device yet.
guitar1969 said:
I have Freda installed and its just so so - It uses the Calibre ebook management system on a desktop Pc which is a hassle, and as far as I can tell there is no way to remove books from Freda once imported in - Not too many features
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There will be a couple of further releases in the next weeks - adding various features (including the one you mention - removing imported ebooks). In the current version, you don't need to use Calibre - you can also use a filesystem/SkyDrive browser, and Freda does register itself as able to open EPUB and FB2 - so you can open them direct from internet/file explorer.
I've posted more info on the Freda development roadmap here.
Jim Chapman said:
Freda does register itself as able to open EPUB and FB2 - so you can open them direct from internet/file explorer.
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Click to collapse
I have run into this while using your app and it is a great feature! Yours is the best epub reader available for the SurfaceRT, and I will be keeping an eye on it.
Jim Chapman said:
There will be a couple of further releases in the next weeks - adding various features (including the one you mention - removing imported ebooks). In the current version, you don't need to use Calibre - you can also use a filesystem/SkyDrive browser, and Freda does register itself as able to open EPUB and FB2 - so you can open them direct from internet/file explorer.
I've posted more info on the Freda development roadmap here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info! Freda is currently my favorite epub reader.
Is highlighting supported for epubs?
Montastic said:
Is highlighting supported for epubs?
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Click to collapse
Well, once the next release passes through Microsoft certification (in the next few days if we are lucky) it will support bookmarks/annotations - so you can select a word, and associate some annotation text with it. Bookmarked words are shown with a diamond-shaped tag, rather than a highlight stripe, though. I have been looking at a feature that would let you select several words or a whole block of text for highlighting, but it's tricky to get right (mainly because the UI for selecting text is complicated).
Jim Chapman said:
Well, once the next release passes through Microsoft certification (in the next few days if we are lucky) it will support bookmarks/annotations - so you can select a word, and associate some annotation text with it. Bookmarked words are shown with a diamond-shaped tag, rather than a highlight stripe, though. I have been looking at a feature that would let you select several words or a whole block of text for highlighting, but it's tricky to get right (mainly because the UI for selecting text is complicated).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the info.
I'm not sure what kind of use case others have, but for me, highlighting is pretty important. I have PDF and epub versions of the same periodical and the only reason I go to PDF is so that I can highlight text.
Thanks for your effort though - Freda is an awesome app and I'm sure it will get better with your continued effort.
I've purchased a Note 10.1 recently but haven't actually opened the box. I first need to know whether the Note is capable of opening 1000 page PDFs with Repligo/iAnnotate/EzPDF etc and annotating them without lag, or is this far too much to ask from the Note? Would an Atom tablet be more capable of this? I wish to use the tablet for reading while on public transport and simply highlighting and writing quick notes in the PDF, and then when I get home, reading through the edited document and making my actual notes in OneNote. I've watched videos of other people annotating documents on other tablets, but I'd like to be certain with the tablet and whether it can handle such large files.
ALSO: Is it possible to open the OneNote web (not mobile) application via an android browser (accessed via SkyDrive). I merely want to view my notes through the web app, but not edit them.
Thanks.
Carrl said:
I've purchased a Note 10.1 recently but haven't actually opened the box. I first need to know whether the Note is capable of opening 1000 page PDFs with Repligo/iAnnotate/EzPDF etc and annotating them without lag, or is this far too much to ask from the Note? Would an Atom tablet be more capable of this? I wish to use the tablet for reading while on public transport and simply highlighting and writing quick notes in the PDF, and then when I get home, reading through the edited document and making my actual notes in OneNote. I've watched videos of other people annotating documents on other tablets, but I'd like to be certain with the tablet and whether it can handle such large files.
ALSO: Is it possible to open the OneNote web (not mobile) application via an android browser (accessed via SkyDrive). I merely want to view my notes through the web app, but not edit them.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Congrats on the new purchase.
Essentially all android tablets are the same from a sofware stand point.
Yes you can easily edit pdf's that are huge that come into many 1000 pages. I use ezpdf now as it seem to offer what i need. But as you said you have to test out yourself and see what suits you the best.
You cannot open onenote in android browser. All you can do is see the files. I tried the default, chrome and dolphin browsers and none of them seem to open one note files.
It might just be easier to use the android app
aalupatti said:
Congrats on the new purchase.
Essentially all android tablets are the same from a sofware stand point.
Yes you can easily edit pdf's that are huge that come into many 1000 pages. I use ezpdf now as it seem to offer what i need. But as you said you have to test out yourself and see what suits you the best.
You cannot open onenote in android browser. All you can do is see the files. I tried the default, chrome and dolphin browsers and none of them seem to open one note files.
It might just be easier to use the android app
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Great! Thank you for the reply. If the worst comes to worst, I'll just have to export all my OneNote files each week for uni...
Carrl said:
Great! Thank you for the reply. If the worst comes to worst, I'll just have to export all my OneNote files each week for uni...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there is an app called mobilenoter in the market. Worth a shot for taking notes.
The editing options are very limited but may be good enough for basic note taking.
Two things ...
1st. For your Purpose Mantano Reader Is Best !!! Am using it since a long period of time.
2nd. OneNote is available in Playstore.
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