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Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 10, 2011 at 02:51 PM
Just to clarify what I mean by workflow in this context, here is what I do currently (using a PC). I open EndNote (referencing software), which is a database that has links to each PDF. I open the PDF in PDF-Xchange Viewer and read, highlight text, and annotate by adding the notes within PDF-Xchange. I also have Whizfolders Organizer open and with the “Watching Clipboard” function enabled, so every time I copy any text in the PDF, it is automatically pasted into a Whizfolders topic or as a new Whizfolders topic. So I use Whizfolders to collect quotations basically and also to construct a summary of the article, which then can be worked into an outline etc. I also use Allway Sync to synchronise my annotated PDFs (and everything else really) between my main PC and other PCs, a laptop and a netbook. Occasionally I also use my iPod Touch to read PDFs (and as of yesterday to annotate with GoodReader), but really just at bedtime or while waiting somewhere. It’s too small for serious work.
Originally I thought that I could use my Asus netbook as the platform for reading and working with the PDFs comfortably in an armchair or on a sofa but the screen is just too small and the notebook computer format is not really suitable to read something for hours or pretty much all day in my case.
doctorandus
Posted by Hugh
Jan 10, 2011 at 04:45 PM
In this article http://davidhewson.com/2011/01/07/can-you-really-revise-a-book-on-your-ipad/#more-6685, the author David Hewson semi-recommends PDF Expert for his purposes. And waiting for the iPad 2, which is I think what I’ll do!
Posted by jamesofford
Jan 12, 2011 at 01:42 AM
It has been some time since I started this thread, and I have not taken the leap into the tablet world. However, I do have one update. The company for which I work is beginning to institute an “open space” policy. By that they mean that a subset of the people in the company will not have assigned desks. This means that they will also have no place to store things like the PDFs I mentioned earlier. Those who are currently in the open space are piloting a program whereby they use Ipads to keep documents that they need handy. I am not one of the open space people, but as this goes forward I will try to keep the group informed as to how this works.
Jim
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Jan 22, 2011 at 08:51 AM
Tom S. wrote:
>It isn’t an entertainment device. Its a device primarily
>for consumption of information.
I think that this is the clearest description of the iPad/tablet concept that I have come across.
Posted by Dr Andus
Jan 22, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Even if Apple positioned iPad as an entertainment device (which makes sense from a marketing point of view), I’m still hoping that with the right software it can be turned into a productivity machine. I have not bought mine yet, but so far I figured that I could import my 1500 PDFs into an iPad using DropBox, and then use the iPad as an e-book reader, reading and annotating PDFs with GoodReader or PDF Expert. I was already able to do this on my iPod Touch and the whole process works pretty well. Apparently it is also possible to map the iPad as a drive on your PC, so syncing PDFs shouldn’t be a problem. Also, GoodReader and PDF Expert can directly access servers such as Dropbox, box.net, Google Docs etc. There are also note-taking software with handwriting recognition. The use of a stylus might further increase productivity.
So if iPad can work as an e-book and a notebook (for taking quick notes) and it can free me from my desk and office chair, so I can do hours and days and weeks of reading in an armchair or a sofa, it already sounds worth it. I’ve tried reading off a laptop and a netbook on the sofa, and it just doesn’t work in the long-run. Here I’m talking about reading for work, not for leisure. As an academic, I need to read for 8 hours or more a day sometimes, and so the ergonomics of the whole thing matters a great deal.
I would be very grateful if anyone out there who had a positive experience of using the iPad as an e-reader could confirm that it is indeed suitable as a workhorse for reading and annotating PDFs.