How to print from iPad - both to a regular printer and to PDFs? Also, how to read PDFs?

[Stinky The Clown]

I just bought a used iPad 1 - 32GB, WiFi only. I have Pages installed. How can I print to PDFs on the device?

Also, what is the best PDF reader? Is it the Adobe product or is there some app that both reads and prints PDFs?

[ROFF]

1. If you have an email

account ( and who doesn't these days? ), just email the file to yourself. Open it on your main computer and print away.

You may want to download an iPad user guide at

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search&src=support_site.home.search_suggested.search&locale=en_US&q=iOS%204%20user%20guide

The OS has its own PDF reader. I put the User Guide ( a PDF ) into my iBooks library and my iPad2 reads it just fine. It is handy to have the instruction manual with the machine at all times.

Good Luck
Former Apple Customer Service Representative

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Hi ROFF! Thanks for the reply.

I downloaded the manual. That got me to digging and I now have a library of work documents that a PDFs. *Very* helpful. This is better than a briefcase and much lighter and easier to use in the field thank even my little 13" MacBook Pro.

But no way to create and save right on the device a PDF, huh?

Thanks again!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. there are a couple of free PDF readers, and for

really cheap, you can invest in iAnnotate or one of its competitors. It allows you to read PDFs, and more importantly, you can mark them up with notes, highlighters, and more. (and still print the original, or print it via email with your notes attached)

As for Doc docs, Pages is fine. At my office, I dropped all Microsoft products, and use NeoOffice. This is a suite that runs a word processor, database, spreadsheet, and frankly, does it better than the Windows version for macs. Best of all it is free.

However, for your iPad, DO NOT USE NeoOffice. You cannot create or edit documents on the iPad with their program. It is functionally stupid and inert. I have hopes that NeoOffice will come up with a new and improved document, but only time will tell..

A couple of things you may like to add.

Dragon - a free dictation taking app for the iPad. It works fine.
Whistle - a free app that turns your iPad into a phone. Seriously! The only downside is that for the first call, you have to listen to a 30 second advertisement before it connects you.
Wolfram - this is just fantastic. Any equation, any math question, it will calculate or answer.
Exoplanet - a GREAT program for seeing what we are learning about this flat earth and its relationship with those funny points of lights in the sky.
Wunderradio - You like satellite radio? This program's great for your iPad.
Pro Camera connects your iPhone with your iPad, and lets your iPad see what your phone is phographing. Cool app.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. For PDF viewing, I really just need to be able to have the files available

Wow, that iAnnotate looks like a great tool. Right now, I was thinking I only have need to view PDFs (think large architectural drawings), but the ability to free form mark them up and then flatten them to prevent future changes is quite appealing.

I *wish* we could abandon MS Office, but we're stuck with it. We have to be "live file" compatible with our clients, no matter what crap software they use. Office is the de facto standard, wishing otherwise notwithstanding. Fortunately, there is almost no case in which i would need an office compatible word processor on my iPad. The essential form factor of an iPad is, for me at least, just a way to not have to carry around large rolls of drawings and hundreds-of-page-long letter size documents. In the field, even a laptop has become too big to lug. I like the MacBook Air, but having to unfold it and hold it in the open position, even as light as it is, is still too big. I don't need to do a lot of orginal work on the iPad, justt eliminate lugging reams and pounds of paper on which I might make the occasional note.

I have Dragon on my iPhone and I like it a lot.

Whistle - will it work on my non-3G iPad when I am in a hotspot?
I'll look into ProCamera, too. that sounds tres kewl!






A while ago, I had a Windows Mobile device (smart phone-Verizon Pocket PC) that used a stylus to do everything. I don't miss the device at all, but it had one app I **really** still miss. It was an app that allowed me to use the stylus to draw on the screen. I could take hand notes. I could sketch little details. I used it a LOT and still miss it. I can't seem to find an iPhone or iPad app that does this. are you aware of one?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. HA! is there an app? Ewe Betcha, to quote Bible Spice

I've been having great success making artwork with Sketchbook, then Sketchbook Pro. Truly useful, very adaptive, but intuitive. Or you could go the route of PaperDesk App, which allows you to mix sketching with a keyboard entry if you wish.


Sitting in a pub with the IPad, I have sketched many a person, resulting in getting free beverages. Seems to be a fair trade.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Penultimate or Noteshelf

for your notes and stylus, and yes I recommend the stylus

[Lost-in-FL]

7. GoodReader rocks!

You can highlight, write notes and even create folder to organize your files. i do have Penultimate but find myself using exclusively GoodReader.

Don't forget to download VLC Media Player for iPad. You can save videos other than mp4 to watch later. Enjoy your iPad. :hi: