iAnnotate PDF vs PDF-Notes & PDFpen

MacWorld had an article on a new app PDFpen which allows users to annotate PDF files.  pdf-notes and PDFpen are very similar to iAnnotate and identical in cost ($9.99).  iAnnotate PDF iPad App Review provides an excellent review of the iAnnotate app. What is very interesting is a free (ad supported) version of pdf-notes. Of course, I am always looking for free productivity tools for students who encumber great expenses while attending college, as well as others.  A brief comparison of the apps is noted below:

• All include an comprehensive User Guide with screenshots and explanations.  Since the User Guide is a PDF file, users can try out the features while reading the guide.
• All allow the users to link to their Dropbox to retrieve PDFs.  iAnnotate allows users to also connect to WebDAV, or a webpage.  I have only used Dropbox.

What makes pdf-notes distinctive is the the Settings function includes links to the pdf-notes blog, introduction in YouTube. You can also customize the bookshelf theme and change the icon color.  One other feature of pdf-notes is that it allows for mirroring of the iPad2.  Since it is a free app and the ads are not terribly annoying, it is certainly a worthwhile use.

iPad 2

OMG - love the iPad2!!  Have had it for only 1 week.  Plan to have grad students in one of my courses this fall to use it to see what they discover (Yes, Debbie - I picked up on your lead with the RN-BSN students).

The front facing camera works really well with Skype.  It will be a great way to have virtual office hours this fall semester.

The Emerging Technologies for Online Learning Conference emailed the conference program book and attendance list.  Rather than print it, I saved it to the Dropbox and then opened it in iBooks.  I won't have to print anything and will have the program book the entire conference. 

Please share your experiences and apps with an iPad (1st or 2nd generation).