Import .PDF to Stanza from Mac

[Doju]

I have an ebook .PDF of the last Harry Potter book I'd like to import to read on iPhone. I think my best option is Stanza, no? I could always put it on iDisk then use Air Sharing Pro, but Stanza is made for ebooks, so I'll go that route.

I downloaded the software (Stanza for Mac) opened the PDF and synced it to iPhone, but it didn't sync it very well. No linebreaks, formatting, anything. Stanza did a horrible job.

How can I import it like it shows in the PDF file? The PDF has it in pages and everything, I didn't think it would be this big of an issue. >_>

 

[LostLogik]

Have you tried PDF Expert, seeing as the file you want to read is a PDF.

 

[Doju]

I want an ebook reader.

 

[LostLogik]

I want an ebook reader.

OK, might be a stupid question but what features is it in an ebook reader you want that you think can't be found in PDF Expert? (Genuine interest, as I don't understand what's missing)

 

[Doju]

Easy changing of pages, bookmarking a page, formatted for the screen, remembering the page you were on, among others.

 

[kas23]

OK, might be a stupid question but what features is it in an ebook reader you want that you think can't be found in PDF Expert? (Genuine interest, as I don't understand what's missing)

So, when you read PDFs in PDF Expert, do you have to zoom in and pan around to read a PDF? Can you change fonts/size? Can you tap the right/left of the screen to advance the page? What about invert the white background and black letter?

To the OP, to actually answer your question; open the PDF on your Mac using preview. Go File->select all and copy the text. Then open up TextEdit and paste it there. Covert it to plain text (Format->make plain text). Save as a txt file and open this txt file in Stanza. Hope this helps. It isn't perfect, but for the unfortunate events when you have a must-read book only available in PDF format, this will have to suffice. Ebooks should never be made into a PDF file - they are too inflexible. PDF files are only good to be read on an 8.5x11 or larger screen.

 

[Pika]

PDF Expert is an outstanding app for you and worth buying it.

 

[LostLogik]

So, when you read PDFs in PDF Expert, do you have to zoom in and pan around to read a PDF? Can you change fonts/size? Can you tap the right/left of the screen to advance the page? What about invert the white background and black letter?

To the OP, to actually answer your question; open the PDF on your Mac using preview. Go File->select all and copy the text. Then open up TextEdit and paste it there. Covert it to plain text (Format->make plain text). Save as a txt file and open this txt file in Stanza. Hope this helps. It isn't perfect, but for the unfortunate events when you have a must-read book only available in PDF format, this will have to suffice. Ebooks should never be made into a PDF file - they are too inflexible. PDF files are only good to be read on an 8.5x11 or larger screen.

I would imagine that a plain text file would be a nightmare to read, with no formating or chapters/bookmarks etc. At least with PDF Expert you can double tap to zoom, embedded chapters and links work, you can add bookmarks and the app remembers where you closed so you can pick up where you left off. Downside is page turning would be a scroll up/down, but you can jump to any page. Also, you can't change the font etc but as the original formatting is retained, this shouldn't be a problem.

One big negative for me is that their support sucks. I've emailed them twice about a point and have heard squat from them. I've two simple PDFs that won't display. But, Ive more complicated PDFs that other viewers trip over that PDF Expert handles with ease.

 

[gekkota]

I have an ebook .PDF of the last Harry Potter book I'd like to import to read on iPhone. I think my best option is Stanza, no? I could always put it on iDisk then use Air Sharing Pro, but Stanza is made for ebooks, so I'll go that route.

I downloaded the software (Stanza for Mac) opened the PDF and synced it to iPhone, but it didn't sync it very well. No linebreaks, formatting, anything. Stanza did a horrible job.

How can I import it like it shows in the PDF file? The PDF has it in pages and everything, I didn't think it would be this big of an issue. >_>

The problem is that .epub is the native format for Stanza...you can read pdf ebooks, but, as you have noticed, the formatting does not display correctly. There is really no way to make a pdf look good on Stanza, even with using the Stanza desktop to convert. That's why people are suggesting dedicated PDF readers, because they do a better job of maintaining the formatting. I use Good Reader for ebooks in pdf format, since it is specifically designed for large pdf files. It maintains the chapters, allows you to make bookmarks, and displays images within the body of the text. Of course, it does not have the same "feel" to it...turning the pages, etc.

Just an FYI, the Drinkmalk site has all the Harry Potter books in epub format, so that they can be read on Stanza...

 

[NewGenAdam]

Stanza converts it from pdf to a format that's easily digestible on your iPhone screen.
Since it was a pdf, it didn't have the ebook information like chapters, and some formatting.

I think it's better to deal with these issues for stanza's benefits; speed, usability.
Reading it as a pdf would probably be slow and less practical.


edit:
thumbs up to all the eloquent responses before mine ^_^

 

[kas23]

I would imagine that a plain text file would be a nightmare to read, with no formating or chapters/bookmarks etc. At least with PDF Expert you can double tap to zoom, embedded chapters and links work, you can add bookmarks and the app remembers where you closed so you can pick up where you left off. Downside is page turning would be a scroll up/down, but you can jump to any page. Also, you can't change the font etc but as the original formatting is retained, this shouldn't be a problem.

One big negative for me is that their support sucks. I've emailed them twice about a point and have heard squat from them. I've two simple PDFs that won't display. But, Ive more complicated PDFs that other viewers trip over that PDF Expert handles with ease.

I can't imagine having to zoom in/out while trying to read an ebook. Also, changing font size is a nice luxury. Sometimes, you just need bigger text to comfortably read. And I may be an outlier, but scrolling up/down to advnace pages in any format makes an ebook harder to read. Tapping to advance a page is much more natural and user-friendly.

Reading a txt file is not as bad as one would think - and I've tried both formats. A txt file is like puddy - you can modify it to however you want to fit your needs - it's not stuck in any one form. As for it having no formating for chapters, yes, that is one negative. However, I never see this as a problem because Stanza always bookmarks where you left off last. If you read a novel from front to back, I don't really see the need for jumping to different chapters. For a technical book or textbook, this would indeed be a big issue. As for other bookmarks, you can place a bookmark anywhere you want in a txt file using Stanza.

Therefore, for me, txt files are best for novels/literature and PDFs are best for technical books, scientific articles, textbooks.

 

[LostLogik]

Therefore, for me, txt files are best for novels/literature and PDFs are best for technical books, scientific articles, textbooks.

That probably sums it up best and is why I use Kindle for books and PDF Expert for more complex publications which are in the PDF format.