Comments on: Tools for school – Digital document annotation on an iPad, iPod Touch, or laptop

By: Dav

Dav — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 20:06:26 +0000

Hi Miguel,

I use iAnnotate only on my ipad, never on a desktop/other device.

Just to make sure I understand the question, are you asking if it is full highlighting? I would be happy to send three different highlighted PDF’s to you so you can see the difference (one scanned, one “regular” where text can be selected, and one where I put the text into word and then saved as PDF). In addition, those last two (not the scanned one) I would send what iAnnotate calls a “summary” for you to your email. You can email me at elearningleader@gmail.com if you would like me to send them your way.

I have been using iAnnotate since the iPad first came out, and personally would recommend it to anyone.

By: Miguel

Miguel — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:55:29 +0000

Thanks for answering.
The scanned version of documents, of course, have the limitations you say: the highlights are only marks that can be processed later. But that is not an issue for me.
The thing is that you might be ASSUMING that the selection, copy and paste of words -which many tablets do just fine in PDF readers, Word clones, etc.- does apply to FRAGMENTS OF WORDS too (Palms, for example, have that capacity in their programs and in the sensitivity of the screen, but ALMOST ALL tablets with resistive screen I have tried either does not have programs that can select parts of words OR does not have screens with enough sensitivity).
Are you sure you have done it with your iPad? Would you please -if you have the time and the desire, of course- try to do it in your iPad and tell me if it can be done? (because I need a tablet that do precisely that).
Thanks in advance.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:47:45 +0000

Miguel,

Scanned PDF documents don’t highlight with one highlighter in iAnnotate, so you have to switch to the freehand one. This of course means you can’t export summaries, etc.

For most other PDF’s (have run across a few where you can’t highlight in sequence on the page), iAnnotate works perfectly.

In my PhD program for example, sometimes I just highlight all text, copy and paste to word, and then save as PDF so I can make sure to use the highlights that provide summaries.

By: Miguel

Miguel — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:38:03 +0000

Yes, but: the highlighting goes to ONE LETTER ONLY OR A FRAGMENT OF A WORD too?. Because I use to “transform” the text to make my own summarization, using even fragments of the text.

By: Eva

Eva — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:43:06 +0000

Scott,

Great post. Is it possible to use iAnnotate with Google Docs? I don’t want to get Dropbox or try storage solutions unless it is really necessary.

I got here looking for an annotation app for the iPad but I am hooked on your other posts too. I have just volunteered for my school district’s technology committee and your site is a wonderful read.

Cheers,

Eva

By: Sandra Gulland

Sandra Gulland — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 23:58:25 +0000

Alex, is it possible to save only your annotations? From what I can see in Goodreader, you only have the option of saving the entire document with the annotations. I like that with iAnnotate I can save only my annotations (my highlighted passages).

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 18:09:03 +0000

To annotate PDF files I use Goodreader (0.99). A few updates ago annotation functions were added (e.g. highlight, add notes, draw shapes etc.). These annotations can be viewed and edited in other programs on the desktop (like the Mac preview).
Tap and hold while viewing will reveal the options.

By: Sandra Gulland

Sandra Gulland — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 23:20:05 +0000

Thank you, Dave — that worked beautifully, the Memoirs of Saint-Simon downloaded to iAnnotate in a snap!

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 22:03:43 +0000

Hi Sandra,

When you open up the iAnnotate app on your ipad, hit the down arrow button, select web download, and then enter the URL of the PDF directly, or browse for the pdf file.

I like to have the URL already copied, then I hit the down arrow, web download, and then past the URL into the URL spot.

You can try it by following the above instructions, going to google, and then just google “PDF” and on the first results page you get some pdf files, and you can just hit the link and it downloads it to your ipad.

Hope that helps.

By: Sandra Gulland

Sandra Gulland — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:55:44 +0000

Dave, how do you download PDFs from a website into iAnnotate?

Thanks!

Sandra Gulland