[OS X TeX] iPad presentation

[Cecile Hebert]

Hi !

I have been using GoodNotes for teaching purpose for the past 2 years, 
using it to annotate pdf files generated with LaTeX.

The projection mode (full screen) works well, you have access to the 
tools on the ipad, but they are not visible for the audience.

One thing to check when trying an application is if the writing is "real 
time" on the projected slide too. When I was looking for a solution, I 
first tried pdf expert, would have been nice in principle, but the 
written thing would only appear on the projected image after you lift 
the pen, which made a very strange feeling.

Cécile

>> This is quite off topic, but I have noticed over the years that the 
>> contributors to this list have highly eclectic interests and knowledge.
>>
>> I have been looking for years to be able to give lectures using an 
>> iPad. The set-up is trivial in Windows, using PDF Annotator. Buying a 
>> computer for that sole purpose, though, is something I would really 
>> want to avoid. Alas, I have not found the desired setup. Here are the 
>> main features I would like:
>>
>> 1. Project (landscape) PDF file in full-screen mode. (How to connect 
>> to the projector is a different topic, there are solutions.)
>> 2. Make page transition immediate — so that, if another piece shows up 
>> on the page, it does not involve the simulation of a turning page or 
>> some other effect.
>> 3. PDF (slides) can be annotated (using pen) with hand-written input.
>> 4. An extra slide (blank, white, landscape) can be inserted for 
>> additional notes.
>> 5. Page can be advanced remotely — e.g., with clicker.
>>
>> Given the material that I teach, I found latex to be the natural way 
>> to go, which means that I cannot use Keynote, say, which may well have 
>> all the features above (other than PDF). Other things I looked at are 
>> GoodNotes (transitions leave to be desired, can only add yellow (?!) 
>> pages in landscape; I have to try projecting to see how the full-page 
>> feature works then, in what they call the “TV-Out” mode) and Explain 
>> Everything (transitions are really unsuitable, didn’t look any 
>> further). Feature 5 is a problem with all PDF apps I came across, may 
>> have to be sacrificed.
>>
>> I imagine that the world has moved on from this kind of presentation 
>> style, which is why the more “modern” tools (in particular, iOS based) 
>> do not offer the capability; the demand is too low. The Windows space, 
>> the traditional habitat of business, appears to be dominated by PDF 
>> Annotator, which keeps developing; this suggests that there is a 
>> market there, but perhaps not attractive enough to foster real 
>> competition. That said, it may be worth trying to see whether anyone 
>> on this list has come across anything that holds promise. Thanks!
>>
>> Nicolae
> 
> 
> An iPad app called Notability meets most, if not all, of your 
> requirements.  Page transitions might be
> a bit too clumsy for you, but that's probably the main failure.
> 
> To import a PDF into the app, store it first in DropBox from your 
> computer, whence you can download it
> directly into Notability.  You can write on PDF pages, or on blank pages 
> the app create and will store
> on DropBox as PDFs.  Use one of Adonit's JotPro styli (about $20) 
> instead of an Apple pen (~$100).
> [If the stylus' writing becomes flaky, put a drop of conducting 
> lubricant in the ball joint near the tip.]
> 
> If you want, you can altogether give up using a black (white) board and 
> project lecturenotes you hand
> write in class (or your annotated LaTex output) in Notability.  Then you 
> can upload them directly to
> DropBox as PDFs on---which you can make available on the Web.  (DropBox 
> isn't very suitable for the
> latter:  DropBox allows you to make files Web-accessible, but it imposes 
> download limits that a class
> of any size will quickly bump into.)
> 


-- 
Prof. Cecile Hebert, EPFL SB-IPHYS, Batiment PHD2 354
Station 3,  1015 LAUSANNE, Switzerland
cecile.hebert at epfl.ch   tel +41 21 693 05 71
http://www.ncc.at/cecile/photos/index.html