Best way to upload & manage PDF/DJVU library on iPad (w/o Dropbox, cloud, etc.)

[shighhopes]

​I'm quite determined at buying a new iPad in the following weeks, but I still have a few reservations, mainly related to its primary intended use: reading ebooks.


I have a library of considerable size (i.e. tens of Gigabytes) of scientific books and articles in .pdf and .djvu formats. While using an iPad I'd like to be able to access at least a good portion of them - offline.


My questions are:
- What is the most convenient way to upload a library of this size to an iPad? We're talking about Gigabytes and thousands of files here and my internet upload rate is almost negligible so some common solutions involving cloud/Dropbox/mail attachments are out of the question for multiple reasons. Is it possible to transfer them without confining myself to a single application like GoodReader, iAnnotate, etc.? Is it possible for example to upload them to a "manager" app, where I can put them in folders or tag them, etc. and then choose the application I'd like to read/annotate with, preferrably without duplicating the document in the memory for each app?
- I also have many .djvu files, (making up approx. 10% of the library). Is there an application which manages them along with .pdfs? It would be a pain, if I would have to use separate apps for the two filetypes. I know that I could, in principle, convert them to .pdf, but I'd really like to avoid doing that.


On Android tablets these are almost non-issues AFAIK, as I could use a filemanager with some reading Apps; but as far as actual eBook reading is concerned they are not really a match to the 3rd Gen iPad's almost quadruple resolution and more fitting aspect ratio (at least that was my verdict after comparing them in practice at the stores). Also the annotation and management apps for the iPad look amazing.


Thanks for the help!

 

[Bosvaark]

​I'm quite determined at buying a new iPad in the following weeks, but I still have a few reservations, mainly related to its primary intended use: reading ebooks.

I have a library of considerable size (i.e. tens of Gigabytes) of scientific books and articles in .pdf and .djvu formats. While using an iPad I'd like to be able to access at least a good portion of them - offline.

My questions are:
- What is the most convenient way to upload a library of this size to an iPad? We're talking about Gigabytes and thousands of files here and my internet upload rate is almost negligible so some common solutions involving cloud/Dropbox/mail attachments are out of the question for multiple reasons. Is it possible to transfer them without confining myself to a single application like GoodReader, iAnnotate, etc.? Is it possible for example to upload them to a "manager" app, where I can put them in folders or tag them, etc. and then choose the application I'd like to read/annotate with, preferrably without duplicating the document in the memory for each app?
- I also have many .djvu files, (making up approx. 10% of the library). Is there an application which manages them along with .pdfs? It would be a pain, if I would have to use separate apps for the two filetypes. I know that I could, in principle, convert them to .pdf, but I'd really like to avoid doing that.

On Android tablets these are almost non-issues AFAIK, as I could use a filemanager with some reading Apps; but as far as actual eBook reading is concerned they are not really a match to the 3rd Gen iPad's almost quadruple resolution and more fitting aspect ratio (at least that was my verdict after comparing them in practice at the stores). Also the annotation and management apps for the iPad look amazing.

Thanks for the help!

See here for a .djvu reader http://www.pasacreation.com/

And the AppStore has many PDF readers, iBooks is free and also handles PDF quite well, the books / data you simply synch via iTunes to your iPad.

 

[Bosvaark]

Any more questions just ask away....

 

[shighhopes]

Thanks!

After reading more about apps like GoodReader and ReaddleDocs it seems like they give the user a pretty traditional "filesystem" to work in and they can also open documents with other Apps (although this apparently results in a duplicate in the memory for each app, but whatever). I know (at least its manual states) that Readdle can handle any type of file and it can open them with other apps (i.e. i can manage my DJVUs along with my PDFs, using the DJVU reader app you recommended only for reading).
Can Goodreader do the same, i.e. can I import any filetype to it, put them in folders, open them with other apps, etc. (I know that it displays; only certain filetypes)?

 

[Bosvaark]

Thanks!

After reading more about apps like GoodReader and ReaddleDocs it seems like they give the user a pretty traditional "filesystem" to work in and they can also open documents with other Apps (although this apparently results in a duplicate in the memory for each app, but whatever). I know (at least its manual states) that Readdle can handle any type of file and it can open them with other apps (i.e. i can manage my DJVUs along with my PDFs, using the DJVU reader app you recommended only for reading).
Can Goodreader do the same, i.e. can I import any filetype to it, put them in folders, open them with other apps, etc. (I know that it displays; only certain filetypes)?

I don't use GoodReader, which is excellent , I invested in PDFExpert, as I needed other functionality, PDF forms and signatures, but they are so alike anyway, the best way in my opinion to micro manage files is cloud storage, or choose one app that handles all your PDF docs.
I carry all my PDF manuals in PDF expert, my ebooks are in iBooks, so data is not duplicated, dropbox has another gig of data that I refer to on occasion on 3 devices.
Another way to increase your data capacity is the new small battery operated storage device : CloudFTP, 100$ or so, GoodReader supports this external storage nicely.

 

[shighhopes]

I don't use GoodReader, which is excellent , I invested in PDFExpert, as I needed other functionality, PDF forms and signatures, but they are so alike anyway, the best way in my opinion to micro manage files is cloud storage, or choose one app that handles all your PDF docs.
I carry all my PDF manuals in PDF expert, my ebooks are in iBooks, so data is not duplicated, dropbox has another gig of data that I refer to on occasion on 3 devices.
Another way to increase your data capacity is the new small battery operated storage device : CloudFTP, 100$ or so, GoodReader supports this external storage nicely.

Thanks, but with a library of this size and with my barely existent upload speed (even my download is a mere 1 Mbit!) cloud storage is pretty much ruled out. :\ Also, I'd prefer a solution that is as offline, as possible.

Anyone who has experience with GoodReader maybe can tell me about its capabilities (or lack thereof) regarding non-supported filetypes?

 

[twerppoet]

In my experience GoodReader has no trouble downloading files that it can not display. It supports Open In very nicely. As long as the reader app you purchase registers with iOS for that file type, it should work fine.

GoodReader also has the widest support I've seen for downloading files. Besides the various cloud services (which you are not interested in) you can use, iTunes File Sharing, wi-fi via a computer browser, and even direct USB transfer via the third party GoodReaderUSB app on your computer (I've never used this last one).

How will it handle the massive number of files you need? No idea, though I have not heard of anyone complaining about this issue. If you are unwilling to risk it, try contacting the developers and see if they have an upper file or storage limit. I've heard they are fairly responsive.

As a PDF reader, as it's name implies, it's good. There are better apps for just reading PDFs. Depending on your specific needs some apps may be better for annotation. No app combines these with as comprehensive a set of file management features. At least none that I've used or read about.

 

[Bosvaark]

Thanks, but with a library of this size and with my barely existent upload speed (even my download is a mere 1 Mbit!) cloud storage is pretty much ruled out. :\ Also, I'd prefer a solution that is as offline, as possible.

Hi again , your internet speeds are what we experience here in africa, we pay for 4mbits, but likely to only get 1-2mbits down and 512k up, my Dropbox works fine Hugh in these speeds.
Offline solution is as '" twerppoet" suggests or look at the cloudFTP wireless device mentioned , picture attached.

 

[twerppoet]

AirStash is another portable wi-fi storage solution that several forum members use.

Just to expand the options.