Reading RPG PDFs on the iPad

September 22, 2012 12:14 PM

I'm looking for a PDF reader app for my iPad. Challenge level: RPG books. I'm experimenting with using my iPad to read the rules books for D&D, Pathfinder, etc. during the game. Key features that I need: 1) Jump to an arbitrary page number; 2) Find word/phrase within the document; 3) Renders quickly even with large files with lots of graphics; 4) Ability to add bookmarks within the PDF file would be a huge plus; 5) Ability to sort files within the app with folders would be a minor plus. Recommendations?
posted by philosophygeek to Computers & Internet (8 answers total)

Goodreader, which is hands own the best iPad PDF reader out there.
posted by Bromius at 12:31 PM on September 22, 2012

Er, "hands down."
posted by Bromius at 12:32 PM on September 22, 2012

I like GoodReader. It allows jumping, searching, loads pretty quickly, I can't recall if it allows anchors, but the highighting feature works pretty well, and it plays well with DropBox. I use it for reports and RPG books.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:33 PM on September 22, 2012

PDF Expert has the fastest PDF reading engine of all the PDF apps I have tried.

The only pdf files I have that it struggles slightly with are 300mb+ in size and made up of hundreds of high res scans of an art book. - even then it is still responsive & usable.

It has all of the features that you are requesting, it can also open multiple pdfs with nifty bottom tabs - which might be useful if you need to keep say a rulebook & an expansion book or similar open at the same time and keep track of your place in both.

It is $9.99 which is moderately pricey for the app store but seems much better than any other PDF app I have tried and it is regularly updated.

Goodreader gets alot of plaudits but I found it slower & poorly designed.
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 12:36 PM on September 22, 2012

I have also been using Goodreader for RPG books, although I use small enough books that I do most of my hunting by hand.
posted by immlass at 12:50 PM on September 22, 2012

Goodreader. Done.
posted by Strass at 1:15 PM on September 22, 2012

Nthing GoodReader.
posted by StrawberryPie at 12:07 AM on September 23, 2012

I used and loved iAnnotate during my PhD and it saved my ass, though, that said, I've never used Goodreader.
posted by nerdfish at 1:37 AM on September 23, 2012