Tablet PDF / Audio Notes: Is there an App for this?

Acert93

Artist formerly known as Acert93
Legend
My current PC workflow is like this:

* Scan a paper book with my book scanner.
* Convert to PDF.
* Read on my PC.
* Takes notes in Zotero and/or in Notepad and copy/paste into Zotero.


In the past the lack of robust support for scanned PDFs (screen resolution, color screens were horrible for reading books, e-ink stunk for image based PDFs, memory, storage, speed) has turned me off from even exploring using a tablet, especially when they were more expensive. But prices have dropped and resolution, memory, storage, performance, and software has ballooned.

Yet there remains major hurdles for me: I need the scanned PDFs as most of my books have significant amounts of Hebrew and Greek and sometimes other languages that I need to be accurately transcribed. Second is I use the PC because it allows easy note taking as I type ~ 100 words a minute.

To move to a tablet I would like something like this:

* Read my scanned PDF; and either:
* (a) the PDF program has a built in "record audio note" feature, or
* (b) the OS/PDF reader is robust enough to allow EASY in-app multitasking (e.g. push somewhere specific on the screen to enable recording w/o flipping out of the book); also
* (c) MAJOR bonus points if whatever program is recording can be configured to a folder that can be changed (e.g. next week when I start my next book I can change the folder) and stores the notes chronologically.
* Transcription of the audio note into text.


A tablet is a horrible way to WRITE a note; but if I could take audio notes and do audio-to-text without much hop jumping I would be excited about the possibility of studying in places OTHER than my PC. In theory this all should be really simple, and would be on the PC: While reading hit record on an audio app, "Page 3 blah blah blah" and the next time I see something worth noting, "Page 21, blah blah blah" and then use an audio-to-text program and done. I just don't do this because I can type it quite quickly.


So, is there software on Tablets for this? I am not familiar with how good multitasking is or if there is software for this (I see there is a lot of programs doing the reverse where you can write a note and it will sync you to the place in your audio recording). But after looking at the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX 7 reviews (Ars and Anand have some good reviews) I am convinced these are pretty nifty devices and we are getting one for my mom's birthday.

Why buy one if you can buy two for twice the price, amiright? ;)
 
Win8 tablet and keyboard cover? Not as good as a proper keyboard, but sure beats on-screen keyboards!

Anyway, 100wpm typing speed... <-- Jelly! :(
 
Win8 tablet and keyboard cover? Not as good as a proper keyboard, but sure beats on-screen keyboards!

That wouldn't work well on a couch, traveling in a car as a passenger, etc. Oh, and way about $230! Nice idea though.

Anyway, 100wpm typing speed... <-- Jelly! :(

120wpm on a good day :p

Keyboards hate me, but I have transitioned into using only durable business keyboards. The consumer stuff doesn't last more than 6 months.
 
That wouldn't work well on a couch, traveling in a car as a passenger, etc. Oh, and way about $230! Nice idea though.

120wpm on a good day :p

Keyboards hate me, but I have transitioned into using only durable business keyboards. The consumer stuff doesn't last more than 6 months.

120wpm?!? Impressed!!
 
You guys must be newcomers here--how do you think my posts are so long? :p

/me glances at Shifty and Arwin and their powder puff post counts, inflated my trivial one paragraph contributions.

That is one reason I cannot use the note taking via pen on a tablet (too slow, too inaccurate).
 
to be perfectly honest , a surface rt 2 would do what you want to do. The improved kickstand will let u use it on your lap better with the keyboard (which is quite good , I can get to 80wpm which is only 10 shy of a real keyboard for me)

of course something like the surface pro or another haswell tablet will do the job also but they are much more. Go to a best buy and try out the toys there.
 
to be perfectly honest , a surface rt 2 would do what you want to do. The improved kickstand will let u use it on your lap better with the keyboard (which is quite good , I can get to 80wpm which is only 10 shy of a real keyboard for me)

OK, but your reply doesn't actually suggest the software and if it fits my workflow. Just saying, "Hey, Windows RT can do that" -- really? It doesn't use desktop programs so you are stuck in Metro Apps. Is there a PDF reader with integrated voice recording for tens, if not hundreds, of audio notes? Or does it do single screen multitasking / short cutting from a PDF program to an audio application?

Per Surface RT you are recommending spending $200 more (Surface RT + keyboard). So I looked into what I would gain, assuming it has the software:

- $100 more; even more with the keyboard
- Slower/older SoC (Tegra 3); appears less battery life
- Lower resolution screen; worse ppi; Nexus 7 has a nice 1080p IPS display
- Heavier (299g vs 680g) -- HUGE negative for a book reader
- GPS, broader codex support out of the box, many many many more Apps, Google has skin in the game (for all we know MS could bail on RT), etc

The Surface RT does have some benefits:
+ Larger screen
+ MicroSD
+ Flash support

Due to the MUCH more limited software situation on RT I will need to know what programs you have in mind.

RE: See the thread title. "Is there an App for this?"
 
I can't help you with voice recording built into pdf. I don't use such a feature as I simply write notes on the pdf.

But you can run 2 programs snapped next to each other. So you can use a pdf viewer and an audio recording program and save them to the same folder with similar names for easy refrence.

Surface RT is a waste , the RT 2 comes out the 22nd and has an improved kick stand , faster tegra 4 soc and of course the new improved keyboards will hit then too. They are back lit .

What software are you currently using to do pdf viewing and voice annotation ? I can check if its in the store.
 
I don't see any android PDF reader that has voice annotation but you can use app like overlays to make a floating widget and use voice recorder app like easy voice recorder (you can choose folder and file name prefix with this app).
 
It looks like there are at least two applications for Apple products that support showing a PDF and inserting your own audio "notes".

One is PDF Expert, the other is DocAs. I do not see anything equivalent for Android or Windows.
 
RE: See the thread title. "Is there an App for this?"
Not exactly what you're asking, but given your current work flow: Have you considered a tablet with a pen and an active digitizer?

The built in reader app in Win 8 seems to do pretty well for both highlighting and normal annotations via pen input (the handwriting recognition is quite good). It also allows free form doodling/annotating directly on the PDF.
 
Hey, look at that: Bay Trail Tablets for under $300 with real Windows 8.1 and Office. The Z3770 is a nice chip.

I bought an HP Omni 10 for $350. More than I planned but it is an excellent book reader (nice screen, high resolution, 10" 16:10 form factor is great). 300MB scanned books, between the nice screen and ample hardware, are no problems. The addition of Office and ability to run my Windows software on the go is great. In Portrait mode writing in Word is acceptable. Picked up a MS Wedge Keyboard (full size QWERTY part and the cover doubles as a nifty stand). I have been running multiple instances of Word, Zotero on FireFox, Internet Explorer for a couple web resources, Bibleworks (Bib language research program), a 300MB PDF book and audio recorder app all at the same time and it doesn't even blink. 8 hours of battery life on top of this. It is not a desktop replacement by any means but it does all the tablet stuff (Win 8 app store sucks though) like book reading, browsing, movie watching, consumables (bleh), but you are not handicapped as you can access Windows if you wish.

The interface for Windows 8 touch is solid but the lack of apps and crappy multitasking and general lack of features make the RT stuff crappy IMO. I cannot believe MS wants to sell RT stuff at the price they do--the full Win8 experience, cheaper, on stuff like the Venue Pro and Omni etc just blow the Surface RT stuff away.
 
The only app I'm aware of is MWO. Get on it.

We do need to set a time for that. I am a little behind on my MWO diet :???:

Been really swamped with my thesis (yay, feel good enough to go back to school) and family. Good things to be overwhelmed with!
 
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