Comments on: How do you use PDF’s? http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:18:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: John Mark Ockerbloom http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844650 John Mark Ockerbloom Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:30:54 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844650 I read PDFs on my MacBook, using the Preview program that comes with the machine. Believe it or not, it's my current preferred format for reading most ebooks on the screen. The MacBook screen is big enough to display a page legibly in most cases, the laptop isn't too bulky (and I have it with me a lot anyway); Preview is much more lightweight than the Adobe plugin; and the PDF is self-contained, so I can read a book offline without having to worry about whether I'll have to click on something, and be attached to the network, to read the next part of the book. I can easily move the book as a single file to whatever folder I want to keep it in. Other formats have their advantages as well, but PDF seems to work well for me for most current books. (If there were some equivalent to iTunes or iPhoto to manage books in various formats on one's local machine, that would be great; I don't currently know of one that's as attractive to use.) I read PDFs on my MacBook, using the Preview program that comes with the machine.

Believe it or not, it’s my current preferred format for reading most ebooks on the screen. The MacBook screen is big enough to display a page legibly in most cases, the laptop isn’t too bulky (and I have it with me a lot anyway); Preview is much more lightweight than the Adobe plugin; and the PDF is self-contained, so I can read a book offline without having to worry about whether I’ll have to click on something, and be attached to the network, to read the next part of the book. I can easily move the book as a single file to whatever folder I want to keep it in.

Other formats have their advantages as well, but PDF seems to work well for me for most current books. (If there were some equivalent to iTunes or iPhoto to manage books in various formats on one’s local machine, that would be great; I don’t currently know of one that’s as attractive to use.)

]]> By: Yoda47 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844557 Yoda47 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:30:46 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844557 I avoid PDF's like the plague unless I want to print it. I avoid PDF’s like the plague unless I want to print it.

]]> By: Greg Schofield http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844555 Greg Schofield Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:27:19 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844555 I am having all sorts of problems with PDF manuals, mainly because of the reading screen of my Iliad being too small. I would never use, or recommend a laptop, as I am usually using this when I want open references to the manual, and I just can't read the thing when I most want to (ie in my hand while I am propped up on the lounge. A reader would be perfect, but for the problem of fit. I have used CUTEprofessional to cut out margins making it a bit easier. I tried, and bought a number of software extractors but the results were not reliable. I even tried to use OCR software to convert PDFs to HTML, which worked, but not with the reliability needed for technical manuals -- the problem being the font attributes and rather primitive HTML mark-up which makes clean up tiresome. I like the page format of PDF on the reader when it is matched to screen size (rather than the oddities of HTML - lines cut). I am not happy with any solution at the moment. PDFs as they now stand are not flexible enough for the present handheld devices. I think the solution is to wait for the epub format to mature and have better readers that support headers and footers and actual page breaks. At the moment we are caught between the past and the future. I am having all sorts of problems with PDF manuals, mainly because of the reading screen of my Iliad being too small.

I would never use, or recommend a laptop, as I am usually using this when I want open references to the manual, and I just can’t read the thing when I most want to (ie in my hand while I am propped up on the lounge.

A reader would be perfect, but for the problem of fit.

I have used CUTEprofessional to cut out margins making it a bit easier. I tried, and bought a number of software extractors but the results were not reliable.

I even tried to use OCR software to convert PDFs to HTML, which worked, but not with the reliability needed for technical manuals — the problem being the font attributes and rather primitive HTML mark-up which makes clean up tiresome.

I like the page format of PDF on the reader when it is matched to screen size (rather than the oddities of HTML - lines cut).

I am not happy with any solution at the moment. PDFs as they now stand are not flexible enough for the present handheld devices.

I think the solution is to wait for the epub format to mature and have better readers that support headers and footers and actual page breaks.

At the moment we are caught between the past and the future.

]]> By: Anne http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844530 Anne Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:23:05 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844530 For programming books, I am a huge fan of Safari Bookshelf's subscription service for O'Reilly. I use my laptop in bed on a laptop desk ($20 @ walmart), which is sort of like a hospital bed table, or a WinMo phone. For programming books, I am a huge fan of Safari Bookshelf’s subscription service for O’Reilly.

I use my laptop in bed on a laptop desk ($20 @ walmart), which is sort of like a hospital bed table, or a WinMo phone.

]]> By: Kevin Marshall http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844529 Kevin Marshall Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:20:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844529 If you've got the cash and desire (I don't), I would think that a tablet PC would be the way to go...it's got the most 'book-like' feel to it, and I think it would be a lot less clunky in bed (or other favorite reading spots like a lounge chair at the cafe) than a traditional laptop. If you’ve got the cash and desire (I don’t), I would think that a tablet PC would be the way to go…it’s got the most ‘book-like’ feel to it, and I think it would be a lot less clunky in bed (or other favorite reading spots like a lounge chair at the cafe) than a traditional laptop.

]]> By: Nidy http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844424 Nidy Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:13:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844424 Hi, I'm also developper and waiting for an ebook reader. Here is perhaps the temporary solution, hopping just to get it in a simpler configuration, take a look to this: http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_details.php?id=16351 Regards, Hi,

I’m also developper and waiting for an ebook reader.

Here is perhaps the temporary solution,
hopping just to get it in a simpler configuration, take a look to this:
http://www.akihabaranews.com/en/news_details.php?id=16351

Regards,

]]> By: Johan Aziz http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/07/how-do-you-use-pdfs/#comment-844277 Johan Aziz Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:21:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=11482#comment-844277 I use a normal laptop (ibook) on a bed tray. I use a normal laptop (ibook) on a bed tray.

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