The thought of an Apple tablet sparked imaginations worldwide regarding possible mobile usages in various fields. Since the iPad’s release (now almost two months ago) on-the-go professionals have been reporting various scenarios in which the “magical” device shines and where it comes up short. Recently, the AppSmile team set out on a search for the best PDF app that allows mobile access and annotation of study/research documents. While GoodReader has been getting a lot of attention due to its responsive handling of PDF files, it is simply a reader and not a true mark-up tool. Enter Aji’s iAnnotate PDF. If you’re a student or professional looking for a portable solution to PDF viewing, bookmarking, mark-up, and sharing, we highly recommend iAnnotate PDF.
iAnnotate PDF Pros:
- Flawless handling and mark-up of PDF files
- Responsive interface
- Built-in tutorial system
- Grab PDFs from virtually anywhere
- Customizable toolbars
iAnnotate PDF Cons:
- Other iDevice users may not be able to see your annotations without the app, PC or Mac users with Adobe Reader are fine though
Launching iAnnotate PDF for the first time brings up the built-in user guide PDF which introduces a few of the key features. However, Aji has also included a great tips system that will quickly get any user up-to-date on features as they are encountered. These tips appear in translucent pop-ups at the top of the screen and can be knocked down or disabled at any time. Within the app header reside the file cabinet, send and receive, settings and help icons. Tapping the file cabinet brings up a list of available documents stored in the local iAnnotate library. These files can be sorted and searched for quick access. The receive icon allows users to transfer files from the desktop iAnnotate PDF Service or, better yet, download from the web. We found ourselves using the latter retrieval method more often since iAnnotate PDF contains a web browser for easily navigating to online PDFs. If users receive a PDF as an email attachment, iAnnotate can open it by simply tap-and-holding the PDF from within the iPad mail app. Aji has done a fantastic job providing numerous methods for PDF retrieval.
Once a PDF is opened it gets its own tab under the header bar. Multiple PDFs can be open and accessible at the same time via these tabs. Scrolling through a large file is smooth and nimble. Users can also search a document for specific words or phrases. We primarily tested iAnnotate PDF as we engaged in our Chinese language studies. We’re happy to see flawless handling of the Chinese text right alongside the English with no partiality. By default, two toolbars are active to the right and bottom of the screen. Available annotation tools include highlighting, bookmarking, notation, underlining, freeform pen mark-up, and more. These toolbars can be arranged to include any of the available tools by tapping on wrench icon in the upper right and then the toolbar’s settings cog icon. This activates a master tool menu and allows tools to be dragged to and from the toolbar. Navigation tools include “go to page number”, “next page”, “last page”, “first page”, bookmarks, and a list of annotations.
The highlight and underline tools both work remarkably well. Simply tap the tool and drag your finger across the desired text. Consecutive lines can be highlighted at once without lifting a finger. Separate lines can be marked-up by scrolling through the file before leaving the tool. After the intended mark-up is complete, users have the ability to change the color. This can also be accomplished beforehand with the “Highlight or Underline of a specific color” tool. Adding annotations is a breeze. Tap the Add Note Annotation tool and then tap the desired location on the PDF. This brings up a text box and the keyboard to begin editing. Once complete, the note can be minimized and expanded later. These annotations will also display for quick reference in the file’s master Annotation List.
After the annotations are completed to the user’s liking, the PDF can be shared with others. Tapping on the document’s tab brings up a nice dropdown menu offering the ability to email, copy, or open the document in other capable iPad apps on the device. We emailed ourselves the annotated PDF and were thrilled to see all the mark-ups carry over to Adobe Reader perfectly. Unfortunately, these mark-ups did not display when sending the files to GoodReader or iSilo. They didn’t display in the built-in iPad or iPhone PDF viewers either. But if you’re planning on sending to a PC or Mac user or another iAnnotate PDF owner, everything works fine.
In the time we spent with iAnnotate PDF, we never found ourselves wanting. The annotation and navigation features rock. It even performs well as a simple PDF retrieval and reader app, although the $9.99 price is currently 10 times that of GoodReader. But as a PDF mark-up tool, this thing kicks GoodReader’s butt. Minus the viewing issues in other mobile apps, iAnnotate PDF is a solid 5-Dimple mark-up solution for any student or professional looking for another reason to ditch the laptop.
