There are a number of iPad apps with support for reading PDF files on iPad, including Safari, Mail, and iBooks but so far, I’m finding them all lacking in the PDF management department. One of my biggest problems with using iBooks is that I have to store PDF files on my computer and in iBooks, instead of keeping them in a place where I can read them from anywhere. Safari and Mail both preview PDF files the way you might expect them too, but they don’t really manage documents. There are a number of standalone PDF readers, but I just don’t see the value in paying for most of them.
Two free apps make it easy to store PDF files, read PDFs on your iPad, and also read the files anywhere else.
I’m a huge Evernote fan for storing notes, attachments, photos, and everything I might want to keep in one place to access from all my devices. Evernote is great on the iPad as a note storage solution, but if you upload PDF files into Evernote, it’s also an outstanding way to read PDF files on your iPad. Another advantage of Evernote is it works on iPhone, Android, and in every web browser. If you OCR your PDF files before uploading to Evernote, you can even search inside Evernote for all kinds of data.
The other app I really like for reading and storing PDF files is Dropbox. It’s designed to make it easy to upload and use files of all kinds anywhere. PDF files can be read inside the Dropbox iPad app. If you store video files in Dropbox, you can watch them from Dropbox too. The other advantage of Dropbox online storage is that it’s integrated with a number of other iPad and iPhone apps, so you can easily access files when and where you need them.
Both of these apps make it easy to read PDF files on your iPad. They also include a bunch of other great features if you need them.
