[tobster]

Hola everyone!

Lately I have found myself reading a lot of PDF "printouts" of websites, PDF issued papers and PDF books. As I tend to jump back and forth between books (as was the habit when reading from paper was the norm) I have been desperately looking for a solution to keep track of it all. Is there any reader out there that allows me to do that?

In its simplest version I'd like it to just remember the place I stopped reading last time (bookmarking).

I would like however to be able to add the PDF file to a list of some kind, where information about my status regarding the book is stored. For example:

• bookmark: to bookmark the place I was last reading;
• notes: to put in notes of my own;
• revisit: if, for some reason, I would need to read a section again;
• status: finished, started, skimmed-through, etc.;
• links: links to websites, other documents, addresses;
• etc.: and anything else that could relate to the reading.

As you can imagine, the texts I'm referring to are resources by nature. Mostly related to technology of some kind, photography or exercise. But I am looking for something that allows me to keep a track of it all. Even though I try and read fiction books for example, in print, there are times where I acquire them in PDF format.

... for extra credit, if there is a program out there that allows for audiobooks to be added (or connection to iTunes) I'd be even happier.

In a nutshell:

- Minimum requirement: bookmarking.
- Recommended requirement: bookmarking, note-taking, overview, linking.

Tobbi G.

[turtle777]

I think that Adobe Acrobat would let you do most of that.

Also, you can set bookmarks and simple annotations and notes in OS X 10.5 Preview.
Have you looked at that at all ?

Other than that, some document management app like DevonThink might help as well.

-t

[OreoCookie]

Have a look at Papers. It's geared towards scientists, but it also manages your collection of pdfs and allows you to add keywords, notes and such to them.

[tobster]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

I think that Adobe Acrobat would let you do most of that.

Also, you can set bookmarks and simple annotations and notes in OS X 10.5 Preview.
Have you looked at that at all ?

Other than that, some document management app like DevonThink might help as well.

-t

Re. Acrobat: really? I had tried as much as I could. Fact is, I use FrameMaker exclusively during my 9 hours of work per day as a Technical Writer. As a consequence Acrobat is the program of choice for reviewing our documents. And as good as it is, it is good for only that. I pretend to know both Reader and Pro very well, but might be missing something - simply because it is in front of me every single day. If you know of any tutorials that show me what I need to know then please share.

I am looking for something more like a library. Library with markers...

Imagine a big shelf of books. You sit down on a Thursday evening, after a long day at work, grab a book and run through 20 or 30 pages. Throw in a bookmark, book back in shelf and off to bed. Skip to two day slater. Pick a different book, one you had been checking out two weeks earlier. Of course you had stuck in a bookmark back then and could therefore continue where you left off back then. Add into the equation little Post-It notes you can stuff into each spread to comment, emphasize or expand upon. The week after that you might fell like returning to that first book...

... you get my drift I assume.

As far as I can gather Adobe does not offer that. Preview, even less so.

DevonThink seems like a good suggestion. I'll definitely have a look at it.

Originally Posted by OreoCookie 

Have a look at Papers. It's geared towards scientists, but it also manages your collection of pdfs and allows you to add keywords, notes and such to them.

Papers certainly looks the part. Actually, it seems spot on. And a little bit cheaper than Devon.

To extend on my original quest; I would imagine that software such as Papers would become more popular outside the research and scientific community very quickly. With the Kindles of this world many people have no problem with bringing their laptop to bed for reading. I guess I am looking for a Kindle - but in software form. I'd rather pay quite the sum for that than Kindle - especially if it allowed me to import my own PDFs into there.

... and Cookie, a special thanks for you for reminding me of my Oreos in the cupboard. I had totally forgot about them. And they were meant for Friday!!!

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.

- Tobbi G.

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by tobster 

Re. Acrobat: really? I had tried as much as I could. I pretend to know both Reader and Pro very well, but might be missing something...

I'm not sure what Acrobat Pro is supposed to be, but I was referring to Adobe Acrobat, the full blown package, not the Acrobat Reader.

If you google for "Adobe Acrobat Tutorial" + bookmarks, notes, links, stamps, you'll find plenty of tutorials showing how you can use Acrobat for your purposes. Regarding "Status": I think you could create personalized status "stamps". I'm not sure how easy those are searchable or if you can create some sort of a TOC for them.

-t