iPad with Apple Pencil (iBook/Kindle/etc)

LockLaw wrote:

The device is attached to the internet it is completely reasonable to expect it to have a complete dictionary.

Why?

Do other devices that are connected to the internet have complete dictionaries?

Do even computers which can also connect to the interent come with built in dictionaries?

The answer is No. Never has there been a device that comes with a built in dictionary. Its always been a separate install.

If you need a dictionary, you can download one from the App Store. If you need a specialized dictionary even more so. I'm pretty sure a vast majority of people do not need to have a medical or legal dictionary be built into the device. Why would that be necessary?

iOS does have a spelling and correction dictionary built in which you can use when writing in any app that supports writing or shows the onscreen keyboard for anything.

Beyond that, if you need a dictionary you can download one from iBooks just fine. There are many free ones. Why is that so offensive to people?

I do not understand this aversion to having to download something to a device.

Also not sure what lawyers and doctors you have been hanging around of, but the ones I know love the device, and haven't really expressed any lack of features to me. Most understand its not a computer.

For example: I fell and hurt my wrist, and my orthopedist breaks out his iPad and shows me my X-Ray on a TV screen that is connected to his iPad, and he can zoom in and out of the x-ray and move around it easily. He said that has helped him tremendously in working with patients.

Unfortunately, it is technically not feasible: eBooks (and this is the book format most books are delivered in) are made from a subgroup of the xml-world, where contents is not "fixed" on a page like PDF, but rather flows and is adaptable according to your reading preferences. You can, for example, change the font face, its size or the background colour of a book. This would not be possible on a static page. But to markup sections of a text or draw a line, the object has to be placed somewhere on a page, which is not possible on a free-flowing text.

Bluntly: drawing in an eBook is like painting the sea - the canvas just moves around, but your

painting cannot move with it.

Excellent, complete answer. And this is what I expected.

Makes me wonder if PDF eBooks will become a better solution where you "fix" the elements you want. I tested this with a PDF doc in Notability, and it worked great with the Apple Pencil

Notability is a great tool, so is PDF expert. The latter draws objects on a separate layer, so you can move things around with Preview or Acrobat later (or even delete them) without "damaging the original PDF.

Mainly depends what you want to use PDF for. I'm curious about the next version of Acrobat: from what I heard they try to bridge the gap between the "page" (as in PDF) and the "flow" (as in websites or eBooks).

I have stored whole books, in PDF format, in Notability.

You can do anything you want to them in Notability.

Notability Is my top three notes app! Realy like Notability!

The other notes apps are Notes Plus and UPAD.

I, also, like Noteshelf, but it is not quite as comprehensive as my other 3 go to notes apps.

I am totally surprised and shocked that what I would consider a very basic feature that is of high value for a range of people would be omitted. I am really disappointed, that a company with a trillion dollars in value would simply thumb its nose at this. I really think that it shows the total disconnect with what its customer want. Every single student wants this feature, as well as professionals, People love to draw on things and books is no exception. I don’t want to use a different clunky app that’s not my main reader, so third party apps take away form the whole reader experience. Quite frankly, its not good enough, and I am going to buy a Surface pro instead. Really baffles the mind, I am not sure what happens at apple on a day to day basis but it’s clearly nothing good sadly.

As I stated, you CAN bring entire textbooks into a PDF reader/makup app or entire books into a Notes App and mark it up and still be able to read the entire book!

I use Notability to store PDF versions of manual to mark up and another PDF app called Foxit PDF can do the same for books, also.

You do not HAVE to have the eBook stay in an eReader app to read and markup books.

I really think that it shows the total disconnect with what its customer want.

Freudian slip? You seem to be speaking for your self here.

Every single student wants this feature, as well as professionals,

And you know this because? I'm a professional, whatever you mean by that, and could care less about a pencil.

I am going to buy a Surface pro instead.

It seems you have this figured out then.

Best of luck.

Sorry for being unclear: drawing in PDF documents is possible with a lot of apps. Drawing in an eBook (which is xml), is technically not possible.

The same way you cannot draw on an HTML page like this one - unless you convert it into something page- like (e.g. PDF).

There is no one to blame (much as you wouldn't blame a car maker for not being able to fly with his SUV).

-> If you need to draw on a page, convert it into something with a fixed page layout.

Thank you! That is the correct explanation and it is a technical one. I understand that some people may be technically-challenged or couldn’t care less about the reason why it can’t work but technology is not magic. Some may suggest that Apple, being a billion dollar company, could introduce their own format of ebook format supporting free-form graphics but, to be viable, the entire ebooks industry would need to switch and support that new format. That can’t happen overnight. Besides, the tablet+pen market is still relatively small, so the business incentive is not large enough to undertake this major ebooks overhaul.

As for built-in medical dictionary, that is a silly expectation. There are numerous domain-specific jargons and nomenclatures. Where to stop? Is your TV set supposed to come with lyrics and closed-captions for all content built-in? Is a kitchen supposed to come with all commonly-used and less commonly-used kitchenware? Of course not.

For both of these, the Surface Pro won’t have a fix built-in either.

Not sure where you saw anyone expecting a ‘built-in’ medical dictionary, simply the capacity to download variety of new dictionaries (e.g. medical dictionary). This not a ‘silly’ expectation, since Mac allows for this.

Thank you for contributing.

pepinme01 wrote:

Not sure where you saw anyone expecting a ‘built-in’ medical dictionary,

From Lockjaw's posts on page 1:

Lockjaw wrote:

The device is attached to the internet it is completely reasonable to expect it to have a complete dictionary. Also most doctors and lawyers I know hate the fact that many seemingly simple features are ommitted from this device.

And your own:

pepinme01 wrote:

(2) Lack of medical dictionary (or ability to add other professional terminology) - this is a major deficiency, since students are often exposed to a long list of new terms in each subject area. This concern extends beyond the medical profession.

pepinme01 wrote:

simply the capacity to download variety of new dictionaries (e.g. medical dictionary). This not a ‘silly’ expectation, since Mac allows for this.

Thank you for contributing.

It's not a silly expectation, but its something you can already do. So don't understand then the complaint.

You can already download a ton of different dictionaries, for different fields from the iBooks Store onto the device. And even the App Store has Medical, legal and other specific field Terminology Apps as well.

Having a built-in dictionary for all specific fields is unreasonable.

I see the disconnect in this discussion now. The concern of my colleagues and me is that there does not exist the ability to add terms to the “Dictionary” search that comes up with a hard press in iBooks (defines terms that may be unfamiliar). Also, the auto-correct features on the apple-based software is extremely frustrating when writing medical notes, etc...

I have always been aware that self-contained medical dictionaries exist, but the usefulness of these resources is extremely limited. My motivation for writing this post was to determine whether I could modify the built-in dictionary as I can with my MacBook Pro.

I think we have to open a different thread, because the original question has been answered, afaik. Complaining about medical dictionaries is a different subject.

To answer the last question: the built in dictionary can not be modified as it relies on est dictionaries like the Oxford dictionary. But you may want to extend it by adding a medical dictionary, which is possible: https://www.imore.com/how-to-add-remove-dictionaries-iphone-ipad

or here

http://appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-apps-medical-dictionary

Have u ever found out a solution with writing on ibooks? I have no choice but to buy an ipad for my course as the school designed the course i enrolled in specifically for ipads. Only to find out i can't write on ibooks itself. Yeah u can higlight and type a note but i want to be able to physically write on it just like a real books because that's how i study.