iAnnotatePDF Review

Whenever Apple launched iWork for iPad earlier this year, it redefined the capabilities of the iPad. No longer is the iPad an output device that provides content - it is now an input device that allows for content to be created easily and seamlessly. iAnnotatePDF aims to take this a step further. And they have.

To get started - you'll need some PDFs. Thankfully, there's no shortage of ways in which iAnnotatePDF can acquire PDF files - be it through iTunes file sharing, the official Aji PDF service, DropBox or even by searching on the web. An in-built browser allows you to search for any document you need, and iAnnotatePDF will work in the background downloading the PDF as soon as you tap on it.

A directory of PDFs is provided with a plethora of ways to search and sort (see screenshots attached). Multiple documents can be opened at once through in-built tabs like a browser, and all documents can be exported via mail and iTunes - fresh with any annotations you may have added.

The annotation tools are equally impressive. The sidebar on the right deals with the main tools: adding a box of text; a pencil for free highlighting; a ruler for addings straight lines; a highlighter for highlighting specific lines of text; and underlining and strikethru options also exist. All are color customizable with a tap. The menu bar on the bottom provides a search; the ability to add a bookmark (useful for longer documents); scrolling between pages; clipboard for copying; and a width-locker which keeps the document at a certain width whenever enabled.

These bars are customizable with some thirty different buttons, as well as custom levels of transparency and overall size. See the screenshots attached for all tools available. One feature worth pointing out is that whenever you select a tool, it will remain selected indefinitely, with a little graphic at the top left hand side of your iPad screen where you can close it. Scrolling is done by two fingers whenever a tool is selected.

The application's only real drawback is its integration. Although the tools themselves work fine, the application feels very third-party. To me, it is like the application was designed and then ported over to the iPad, rather than being designed specifically for

Nonetheless, iAnnotatePDF is an excellent application. Whilst you may not use it every day, when you do you'll remember exactly why you bought it. It's simple to use and has more than enough annotation tools. And we weren't the only ones impressed with it - Stanford School of Medicine have just acquired it.

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