All iPads iPad air as PDF and ebook reader

[Naramis]

Sure the iPad air makes a fine ebook reader however if your primary use case is this you may want to save yourself a few bucks and get a kindle.

For journal articles, textbooks and most PDF documents, the Kindle is useless.

I have a Kindle and it's great for reading novels. But that's all it can do. Hard to justify carrying it around for that single function. Paradoxically, I carry the "heavy" iPad when I'm on the go, since it's a multi-purpose device, and keep the much lighter Kindle only at home for reading novels..

 

[Deliro]

For journal articles, textbooks and most PDF documents, the Kindle is useless.

I have a Kindle and it's great for reading novels. But that's all it can do. Hard to justify carrying it around for that single function. Paradoxically, I carry the "heavy" iPad when I'm on the go, since it's a multi-purpose device, and keep the much lighter Kindle only at home for reading novels..

Your use case is obviously different than OP.

 

[dhokes]

Your use case is obviously different than OP.

Use case may be different but since the OP is considering using the iPad as a PDF and/or ebook reader and so it should be noted that the Kindle isn't very good as a PDF reader. ...Assuming everyone here is referring to the e-ink Kindles.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

If you mean casual reading, seems like a waste of money. E-Ink is superior and a Nook is like $49. D/L the free Calibre program and you can put just about anything you want on it to read.

OTOH, if you edit PDFs then the iPad is very useful there (with the right PDF editing app). Also great w/ reading magazines and any reading material you take notes on or annotate as you are reading. But I couldn't read for hours and hours on my iPad. The backlight is just too much even w/ it dimmed and the background sepia. One thing I find very convenient w/ the iPad...and admittedly its very geeky...is a store all my owner's manuals on them so I have easy accessing and don't have to dig though a pile of paper ones.

 

[dhokes]

If you mean casual reading, seems like a waste of money. E-Ink is superior and a Nook is like $49. D/L the free Calibre program and you can put just about anything you want on it to read.

OTOH, if you edit PDFs then the iPad is very useful there (with the right PDF editing app). Also great w/ reading magazines and any reading material you take notes on or annotate as you are reading. But I couldn't read for hours and hours on my iPad. The backlight is just too much even w/ it dimmed and the background sepia. One thing I find very convenient w/ the iPad...and admittedly its very geeky...is a store all my owner's manuals on them so I have easy accessing and don't have to dig though a pile of paper ones.

I'm planning to do this and I was just going to stick them in Dropbox. Do you use a specific app?

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm planning to do this and I was just going to stick them in Dropbox. Do you use a specific app?

I just store them in iBooks. They don't take up a whole lot of space IMHO to warrant storing on Dropbox.

 

[dgdosen]

I use GoodReader for PDF. Alas, it does seem to be a bit buggy on iOS 7.

More Goodreader love from me - Make sure you use the cropping feature. An easy way to keep pages zoomed in. This is pretty useful on those wide-bordered tech pdfs. I'm talking to you O'Rielly, Pragmatic and Manning...

Another great option for PDF reading - Kobo Aura HD hacked with koreader.

 

[ZBoater]

Another vote for Goodreader. Not only is it a great reader, its a great FTP solution for multiple cloud storage choices. I can move files between cloud storages and up and down the iPad. Goodreader is a great app.

 

[Malone32]

Considering ratio, neither 4:3 nor 16:9 is good in profile position for reading A4 page. You can only read half of A4 page and then scroll to other half what can be very irritating except you have two columns on page.
You have to go landscape position to be able to see well but then you have to scroll down.
You can't see whole page anyway what could be important if you have to learn since for example myself, I remember many things like positions on page. Later I know where to find it and read again if I need...

I tried 12" samsung note pro and that's definitely size of A4 paper so you can see whole page in real A4 size in portrait mode.

So air and samsung 10.1 are kinda the same, both have to be used in landscape for pdf except you like to read small letters and put tablet on your nose, then go with air and read portrait.

 

[kaylerrific]

One thing I find very convenient w/ the iPad...and admittedly its very geeky...is a store all my owner's manuals on them so I have easy accessing and don't have to dig though a pile of paper ones.

Thanks for the laugh! It is very geeky, you're right. But we're all slightly geeky to be on here in the first place!