- Typing text:
Is there a way to just type continuous text on the page, with automatic page breaks? I only found the "text box", which disappears off the page when you type too much.
I'm not sure about this, as I never use note taking apps to actually type. It's all handwriting for me. When I do need to type something out for any reason, I use Pages or the stock Notes app on iPad.
- Handwriting Zoom Window Advance:
I don't like their technique of auto-advancing the zoom window. Notability (and I think Remarks) employ the same concept. Notes Plus and GoodNotes got this one right, IMO. Makes a huge difference for me. If handwriting were very important to me, I wouldn't even consider other apps.
I, too, prefer the auto-advance feature in GoodNotes and Notes Plus. Haven't tried Remarks. You're right, it does make a huge difference, and I don't like the hesitation when you are ready for it to advance.
- PDF's:
Still no importing / annotating PDF's, it looks like?
Nope. It's a crappy oversight. iAnnotate is good for PDF annotation, but right now I'm using PDF Max Pro. Not as full featured as iAnnotate, but I like the feel of it a bit more.
What I do like is their handwriting engine. It's very responsive and looks great.
This is why I've decided to stick with it. If GoodNotes had customizable ink and a Calligraphy pen set (they call theirs "fountain pen" but it's not nearly as nice or realistic), I probably would have been tempted to stick with it. But they don't.
I've been using both Notability and GoodNotes lately, depending on what I need to do. I really want to like Notes Plus for all its features, but the UI is not intuitive, and the performance is too sluggish on my iPad2.
I used Notability when I first got the iPad (3rd generation), but what drove me nuts was the pdf rendering was sluggish. If it had images in it, it would all blank out for a second before rendering. I hated it. That's one reason I'm not so crazy about GoodNotes. They have the same problem, although not as bad as Notability.
I hated Notes Plus' UI layout.