[Athen] Annotating & highlighting PDFs on an iPad

[Shelley Haven]

I also got GoodReader and have been exploring just how many different types of files it can read (with or without VoiceOver).  You're right -- it doesn't do highlighting.  Given that it's currently marked down to 99 cents, though, it's a steal!

- Shelley

_____________________________
Shelley Haven  ATP, RET
Assistive Technology Consultant
www.TechPotential.net



On Apr 8, 2010, at 2:14 AM, Pratik Patel wrote:


> Hello Shelley,

> 

> One of the most popular PDF reading apps on the iPad appears to be

> Goodreads.  I jsut downloaded it last night and just started to play with

> it.  You may want to explore it as well.  From the description, it appears

> that Goodreads probably doesn't do the highlights.

> 

> Pratik

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On

> Behalf Of Shelley Haven

> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 5:02 AM

> To: Access Technology Higher Education Network

> Subject: [Athen] Annotating & highlighting PDFs on an iPad

> 

> I apologize for all the iPad-centric posts lately, but the more I explore

> this thing, the more possibilities I see for the LD students with whom I

> work.

> 

> I came across an amazing app this evening called iAnnotate PDF; think of it

> as Kurzweil's study tools on an iPad.  You download text PDF files to the

> iPad through a simple desktop interface (Mac or Windows).  Open the file,

> zoom in or out to the desired magnification, then highlight text in

> different colors by simply dragging your finger across the text.  You can

> also underline text, strike-through, make freehand (free-finger?)

> annotations with a pencil tool, bookmark, and add different color text notes

> which can be pinned anywhere on the page.  If the PDF is tagged properly,

> the app will also generate an outline for easier navigation.  Marked-up

> files can then be uploaded back to the computer.  In the next version (due

> shortly), text-only summaries of just the annotations can be extracted and

> sent to the user via e-mail.

> 

> Here's a description of iAnnotate PDF, plus a video demo of it in action:

> http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iannotate-pdf/id363998953?mt=8

> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NJTwPPH8Fk

> 

> I had great fun leisurely highlighting and annotating text with the Pogo

> Stylus (http://tenonedesign.com/stylus.php) which duplicates the capacitance

> of human skin -- much more natural than trying to highlight with my

> fingertip.  The developer has a forum where people can post feature

> requests.  Several wanted a dictionary function; I "fourthed" that motion

> for that, and also requested VoiceOver access of the text since Apple now

> allows developers to use VO in their apps.

> 

> Judging from the forum posts and reviews, many of the users (on both iPad

> and iPhone) are grad students in medical or law school who need to read and

> study a ton of text.  Obviously, this has application in the K-12 arena as

> well, perhaps for teachers to mark-up PDFs for students to provide a guided

> reading experience.

> 

> Anyway, just thought some of you might see value in this.

> 

> - Shelley

> 

> _____________________________

> Shelley Haven  ATP, RET

> Assistive Technology Consultant

> www.TechPotential.net

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

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