I have the 64 GB version of the original iPad, without 3G networking.
The first thing to know is that the reason I bought an iPad was for doing PDF annotations. I use iAnnotate PDF and really like it a lot. I have over 800 pdf files in this software including lots and lots of papers a few theses that I've marked up on the iPad and a few books (e.g., some from O'Reilly).
For PDF markups I started by typing in comments but after using Note Taker HD and the idea of zooming into a portion of a document to make comments I've switched and largely just write comments onto the PDF, then I mail those comments to people. I've 2-3 thesis this way and this seems to have worked well for me and as far as I know for the students and their supervisor(s). It's really nice to be able to give both the student and their supervisor a marked up copy of the thesis.
For paper reviews for conference I will still type up the comments that I want to form the basis of my review and then export (via mail) the typed comments that I can edit and include in my review.
It turns out that I use it for other things too:
I have the 64 GB version of the original iPad, without 3G networking.
- a big downside with this is that apps must explicitly enable the use of VGA and most do not (KeyNote does).
I bought this so that when I travel and need to do lots of email or access remote machines I can use this small, lightweight bluetooth enabled keyboard. When I travel I put it in the original small box and carry it in my laptop case.
NOT RECOMMENDED + I like the different ways to use it as a stand. - Sharp edges makes it really uncomfortable to hold (so much so I'm looking for a replacement). - This got so bad that I had to replace it. I use the iPad 3-4 hours a day when I'm reading lots of student work and papers and this was just unusable.
I looked at lots and lots of cases and what I really wanted was something that was comfortable in my hands when I'm holding the iPad for lots of hours each day. I found the uncovered device really irritating because the edges are too sharp. I needed something and although this isn't ideal it was the best thing I could find in terms of comfort.
+ Decent integration for copying photos onto iPad. - I'm not sure it retains the original files (may be transcoding to a lower resolution before storing?) - Not clear if it can be used for much else, unless the app explicitly supports file transfer via USB (most do not)
+ works + I really like using this with the Note Taker HD and iAnnotate PDF apps. - not a very sharp tip (I don't think a sharp tip is possible with the iPad) - ridiculously expensive for what it is - others seem to get better reviews, I haven't tried them yet but plan to
+ Seems to get good reviews but read my next point. - I tried this one and used it for a number of months and I thought I liked it. Recently I noticed that my apps felt like they were getting really slow and not keeping up with my writing. It turns out it was this stylus. I've switched back to the Pogo and it is working much better for writing.
I don't own one of these. I tried a colleagues the other day and it could be really good. The problem is that when reading reviews it sounds like they are probably still having some quality control issues that need to get worked out. I'm very tempted to try this because it provided visibility to a very small and fine point that looked really nice. But I may wait until they can improve some of the quality control issues that have been reported.
+ support for many forms of annotation in ways that allow others to view them with a number of different viewers (not just Acrobat), e.g., attach notes, underline with comments, strike through with comments, etc. + write notes or type them + the key is to zoom in before writing, this allows me to write in the margins of the text so that it can be read by others + seems to work reasonably well + provides folders for organizing papers + easy to import pdfs from web pages, email, and itunes - a few minor bugs here and there (but support seems to respond to bug reports) - some inconsitencies in user interface that are annoying (e.g., can't use two fingers to reposition when using pen/ink mode but can when using highlighting mode). + You can add blank pages to insert more comments or a bunch of comments at the front or end of the document. (This was something added in a recent versions)
+ The key to this app is the zoomed in area where you can do your writing. This allows you to write smoothly and neatly with fairly smooth writing in a way that it is readable. allow others to view them with a number of different viewers (not just Acrobat) + the key is to zoom in before writing, this allows me to write in the margins of the text so that it can be read by others + seems to work reasonably well + provides folders for organizing papers + fairly responsive to feature requests/bug reports + quite good at adding useful new features - some people are disappointed that there is no handwriting recognition - the typical swiping motions on the iPad don't work - can not create directories/folders to organize your documents
I bought Keynote and Pages, mostly for compatiability and to try them out. I haven't used them much. A couple of fairly large and powerpoint talks imported reasonably well (I don't use animations). A few font and location issues had to be fixed but it certainly wasn't seemless.
iBooks, Kindle, kobo readers are all free. I think iBooks is the best -- I've grabbed ePub versions of conference publications which works quite nicely.
Created:
Wed Jan 5 18:50:09 EST 2011
Last Updated:
Wed Nov 16 14:08:56 EST 2011