[iPad Mini] iPad mini for reading scientific papers (pdfs) - Page 3

iBurger · Dec 14, 2012, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Its portability EASILY trumps the screen factor for me, and I honestly don't think the screen is particularly bad (especially once you get rid of a retina iPad that might be lying around collecting dust after you get the mini). Science papers are actually remarkably easy to read with zoom, and the best part is that many of the PDF readers recognize columns; double tapping on a column perfectly fits the width of the column to the display.

Nikhil72 makes an excelent point. The two-column layout makes it possible to read articles on the iPad Mini. However, you are spending 329 bucks anyway. I would chip in another 170 and get the best, most advanced ipad model out there. Then, I'll buy an iPad mini retina when its available.

bogatyr · Dec 14, 2012, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iBurger

Nikhil72 makes an excelent point. The two-column layout makes it possible to read articles on the iPad Mini. However, you are spending 329 bucks anyway. I would chip in another 170 and get the best, most advanced ipad model out there. Then, I'll buy an iPad mini retina when its available.

Retina doesn't equate to the best for all. It's purely subjective which model is the best.

marklock142 · Mar 12, 2013, 12:19 AM

I recently buy my new ipad mini. I think it is very good to read articles when you free and rest on your bed. Yeah its quite good to read .pdf papers. I also read my office document in my ipad and read mails in it.

Luis2004 · Mar 12, 2013, 09:26 AM

I spend a lot of time reading multi-column, text-intensive PDF's as well, and I think it works perfectly on the mini.

Yes, you can tell it's not retina. But if Retina is a 10, the mini's display is between 8 and 9 for PDF's. It's pretty negligible. The biggest difference I see in retina vs. non-retina is while browsing the web.

PDFs (I use goodnotes), iBooks, and videos are wonderful on the mini.

Essenar · Mar 13, 2013, 05:28 AM

Go full size.

iPad Mini is good enough for fiction/biography books.

Science papers and equations? Diagrams? You'll want the full size.

kendlegentilo12 · Mar 20, 2013, 01:38 AM

I've got iPad Mini and I'm trying to read pdfs on it, mostly PDF papers. The problem with those is that they are usually A4 sized, and have ridiculous margin around text. So in result the text font is very small. Tried some readers where you can zoom in but it's very discomfort.

So does anyone read PDFs on iPad Mini? And how do you deal with similar problems?
Reading Locksmith

Loge · Mar 20, 2013, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kendlegentilo12

I've got iPad Mini and I'm trying to read pdfs on it, mostly PDF papers. The problem with those is that they are usually A4 sized, and have ridiculous margin around text. [/URL]

GoodReader (and maybe others) let you crop the page, which means you can eliminate the margins.

Han Solo 1 · Mar 20, 2013, 07:39 AM

If you are going to be reading PDFs for long periods of time in one shot, go for the full-sized iPad. The mini's screen isn't even on par with the Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7. It's a joke, and it really rears its ugly head upon reading PDFs and web browsing.

Yes, you don't think it's a big deal for the first five or ten minutes, but the lack of clarity becomes more and more of a distraction as time goes on.

mortenandersen · Mar 20, 2013, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DyingBreed

I use the mini incessantly in med school. I type my notes in Word on 12 pt font and export as PDFs to Dropbox. I annotate my notes using iAnnotatePDF, which I highly recommend, using Bamboo stylus. I use my mini in portrait mode almost exclusively, without zooming. No headaches, no eye strain, no seizures.

As I read that you are using Word, I wonder what program you are using?

mortenandersen · Mar 21, 2013, 09:24 AM

"[...] we are still allowed to have different views."

We don't care whether your perhaps excellent vision makes you see pixles all the time "everywhere"...

The poster who you have made your "opponent" is acting polite and square, so your attitude is really inappropriate here, and your points of views (perhaps we shall call them "visions") are of little or no importance, IMO.

But, of course, also these points of views have perhaps their "right" to be here in the Forum, but NOT in this - for many of us, I will think - quarrelsome and bothersome way of expressing them.

Luis2004 · Mar 21, 2013, 10:47 AM

Ignoring the 2 children bickering for the moment, I have to adjust my rating on the mini's display that I posted a little higher up on this page.

I think the mini is still wonderful, but about 40 textbook study sessions later, I do miss the Retina, I have to admit. Some of them are scanned pages and some are pdf's that look a bit better. But yeah, I do miss my iPad 3.

So if Retina is a 10, I would say mini is a 7. Still great for iBooks and movies (I actually don't notice any difference in movie watching), but for PDFs, it's kind of a downgrade.

maflynn · Mar 21, 2013, 12:25 PM

[MOD NOTE]
Stop the bickering and stay on topic.

DesertEagle · Mar 25, 2013, 04:41 AM

A better question would be in the lines of this:

"Assuming that viewing distance is held constant, or corrected for according to screen size at most: at what font-size (text) and fineness of detail (graphics) can one expect to notice a significant difference between iPad 4 and the mini, such that on the iPad 4 it looks astonishing and on the iPad mini it looks horrible?"

In opinion, there is no such font-size in practical use - but I can easily notice the difference as soon as it's less than 12 points. How about the rest of you people?

Mar 12, 2013, 12:19 AM	#53
marklock142 macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2013	[iPad Mini] iPad mini for reading scientific papers (pdfs) I recently buy my new ipad mini. I think it is very good to read articles when you free and rest on your bed. Yeah its quite good to read .pdf papers. I also read my office document in my ipad and read mails in it. __________________ Reading Locksmith
	1

Mar 13, 2013, 05:28 AM	#55
Essenar macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2008	Go full size. iPad Mini is good enough for fiction/biography books. Science papers and equations? Diagrams? You'll want the full size. __________________ 2012 MacBook Pro 13.3" Classic, 16GB DDR3 1600, 750GB Seagate Momentus XT 2nd Gen, OSX 10.8.2 ; iPad 4th Generation, Black, 32GB, iOS 6.1 JB ; iPad 4th Generation, White, 16GB, iOS 6.1 JB
	1

Mar 20, 2013, 01:38 AM	#56
kendlegentilo12 macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2013	[iPad Mini] iPad mini for reading scientific papers (pdfs) I've got iPad Mini and I'm trying to read pdfs on it, mostly PDF papers. The problem with those is that they are usually A4 sized, and have ridiculous margin around text. So in result the text font is very small. Tried some readers where you can zoom in but it's very discomfort. So does anyone read PDFs on iPad Mini? And how do you deal with similar problems? Reading Locksmith
	0

Mar 21, 2013, 09:24 AM	#60
mortenandersen macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2011	Please stop... whether this is trolling or not - it is just plain silly! "[...] we are still allowed to have different views." We don't care whether your perhaps excellent vision makes you see pixles all the time "everywhere"... The poster who you have made your "opponent" is acting polite and square, so your attitude is really inappropriate here, and your points of views (perhaps we shall call them "visions") are of little or no importance, IMO. But, of course, also these points of views have perhaps their "right" to be here in the Forum, but NOT in this - for many of us, I will think - quarrelsome and bothersome way of expressing them.
	0

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Mar 12, 2013, 09:26 AM	#54
Luis2004 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2012	I spend a lot of time reading multi-column, text-intensive PDF's as well, and I think it works perfectly on the mini. Yes, you can tell it's not retina. But if Retina is a 10, the mini's display is between 8 and 9 for PDF's. It's pretty negligible. The biggest difference I see in retina vs. non-retina is while browsing the web. PDFs (I use goodnotes), iBooks, and videos are wonderful on the mini.
	1

Mar 20, 2013, 07:39 AM	#58
Han Solo 1 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Mar 2013	If you are going to be reading PDFs for long periods of time in one shot, go for the full-sized iPad. The mini's screen isn't even on par with the Kindle Fire HD or the Nexus 7. It's a joke, and it really rears its ugly head upon reading PDFs and web browsing. Yes, you don't think it's a big deal for the first five or ten minutes, but the lack of clarity becomes more and more of a distraction as time goes on.
	2

Mar 21, 2013, 10:47 AM	#61
Luis2004 macrumors 6502a Join Date: Dec 2012	Ignoring the 2 children bickering for the moment, I have to adjust my rating on the mini's display that I posted a little higher up on this page. I think the mini is still wonderful, but about 40 textbook study sessions later, I do miss the Retina, I have to admit. Some of them are scanned pages and some are pdf's that look a bit better. But yeah, I do miss my iPad 3. So if Retina is a 10, I would say mini is a 7. Still great for iBooks and movies (I actually don't notice any difference in movie watching), but for PDFs, it's kind of a downgrade.
	0

Mar 21, 2013, 12:25 PM	#62
maflynn Demi-God (Moderator) Join Date: May 2009 Location: Boston	[MOD NOTE] Stop the bickering and stay on topic.
	0

Mar 25, 2013, 04:41 AM	#63
DesertEagle macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: /home @ 127.0.0.1	A better question would be in the lines of this: "Assuming that viewing distance is held constant, or corrected for according to screen size at most: at what font-size (text) and fineness of detail (graphics) can one expect to notice a significant difference between iPad 4 and the mini, such that on the iPad 4 it looks astonishing and on the iPad mini it looks horrible?" In opinion, there is no such font-size in practical use - but I can easily notice the difference as soon as it's less than 12 points. How about the rest of you people?
	0