There are a myriad of PDF editor options tripping people on the app store. Which one can annotate? Which one can take signatures? Which one is easiest to use? PDF Reader Pro is a great answer for PDF editing and management on iOS. Offering a litany of options, PDF Reader Pro reigns supreme among the competition.
Design
Like most apps, PDF Reader Pro is navigated with tabs along the screen bottom. When viewing a PDF, there are annotation controls located in the toolbar and a pagination wheel, providing for quick scrolling through long documents. Overall, the app is very simply laid-out with easily understandable icons and, in the most recent update, iPad retina display resolution was added with rendering speed enhancements and sharpened annotation displays.
Functions
A work horse among other more feeble apps, PDF Reader Pro sets the standard. Without the ability to enumerate all of the features within this review, I have chosen the ones most important to me… hoping you will agree. Importantly, viewing larger PDFs does not cause the app to stutter when scrolling, which is made easier with the tab scrolling toggle.
The app can also convert a number of other formats (including .ppt, .doc, .xls, .pages, .keynote) and camera roll pictures to PDF, then annotate accordingly with boxes, arrows, handwriting, text boxes, highlight, strikethrough, and underline. In addition to converting existing documents to PDF, the built-in camera scanner will capture images straight to PDF.
I found the file transfer feature to be the most useful aspect of the app. With the ability to share files via a home WiFi network, USB, iCloud, GoogleDocs, Dropbox, SugarSync, iDisk, and box.net, accessing files across multiple systems is seamless. The only frustrating part about the cloud service system is the download requirement. To edit an item, first it must be copied from the cloud service, then pasted to the iPad, which can be completed in-app, but seems complicated. In addition to cloud service downloads, PDF Reader Pro has a web viewer, allowing direct downloads from webpage links.
For a complete list of features, formats, and options, view the user manual and troubleshooting guide, found on the company website. To truly take advantage of the complex capabilities, I suggest giving it a good once-over before using it for a big project.
Conclusion [rating: 4.5/5]
PDF Reader Pro ($5.99 50% off, $2.99, App Link) is a steal at 50% off. If you constantly finding yourself needing to access, modify, and annotate PDF documents, this is a great purchase. Aside from the added copy/paste trouble with cloud services, the app is a complete package. Often, I find myself needing to mark up or just read PDF documents for work and with the cloud service access, all my files are up-to-date. Considering it is a universal app, pick it up quickly before the price goes back up!
Pros
- Convert a variety of files to PDF
- Cloud service access across Dropbox, GoogleDocs, Sugarsync, iCloud
- WiFi network transfer
- Air Print
- Air Play
Cons
- Must download files to iPad to manipulate, then past them pack to the cloud
