iPad app for reading IBM manuals

yankinwaoz · New User Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 4 Location: California

Finally bought an iPad. I like the idea of using it as a reference manual, so I dropped a few IBM PDF's into iBooks. But I am very dissapointed in the reader experience. I can't get a table of contents.

I install the Adobe Acrobat Reader app. This is much better, which a TOC. However, there is no place to store the manuals. It is just a reader that you use from other other apps that give you the option of opening a PDF, such as email.

What I want is a reader that works well with IBM reference manuals. Two features in particular:

(1) Organize manuals.
A way to store and organize the library of manuals. I want to group the CICS manuals together. The DB2 manuals together, the Assembler manuals together, etc. There should be a hierarchical storage structure for the library.

(2) Table on Contents:
Once open, the ability to quickly find the section I am looking for. In most cases, I am looking up the syntax or details of command or utility. On the PC, the Adobe Reader does this well by having the TOC in a pane on the left, and the content page on the right. Something like that would be awesome on the iPad.

(3) Links
I want to be able to follow the links in the IBM PDF's to other sections. It would be nice to link to other books, but I can live without that. But I need to be able to browse the index and jump to the paragraph I need instantly.

I browsed the App store. I was overwhelmed by the number of PDF apps. However, none of the descriptions and reviews really told me what I was looking for. The prices were all over the map.

I don't mind paying up to $10 for a good app.

Your experience and recommendations are appreciated.

Thank you.

dick scherrer · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:37 pm

Hello and welcome to the forum,

Have looked to see if Adobe has an iPad app?

Escapa · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 6:33 am

I use documents 2
itunes.apple.com/us/app/documents-2-free-email-google/id314894105?mt=8

have a look at it...

yankinwaoz · New User Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 4 Location: California

I found a good one that is free and does everything I want.
Stanza
itunes.apple.com/us/app/stanza/id284956128?mt=8

I allows me to assign a book to multiple "subjects". For example, I can assign a book to both zOS and CICS. From iTunes I can add books to the app from my file system.

It also has a popup TOC.

However, links in the document do not work. I can't go to the index and tap on a word.

But... this app does lock up on me. Grrrrr.

yankinwaoz · New User Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 4 Location: California

dick scherrer · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:49 pm

Hello,

yankinwaoz · New User Joined: 04 May 2006 Posts: 4 Location: California

OK. I figured it out.

Use Adobe Reader. It is free.
itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-reader/id469337564?mt=8

The Adobe Reader can store documents. You do that function from within iTunes on the desktop.
In iTunes, select your iPad device.
Select the Apps tab.
Go down to the File Sharing section
Select "Adobe Reader" app.
Then on the bottom right, click the "add..." button.
Select the PDF version of the manual you want.

Once you have added all of the documents, you can organize them from within the app on the iPad. You can create folders and move PDF's around.

Here is the nice thing. When inside a PDF, you can pull up the TOC and click on a section. And the best part. The links work. So I can go to the index and tap on the subject that interests me.

dick scherrer · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:27 am

Thanks for the followup

I expected that an offering from Adobe would surely do these things.

d