How to have several .pdf documents accessible at the same time

Gyrobob

Member
Jun 10, 2013
3
0
How do I download, store, then bring up several .pdf documents at once? I bought this Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (model GT-8013)tablet to save me from having to carry around 20 lbs of bulky manuals. I need to be able to have those several documents readily accessible, able to switch among the manuals rapidly. Thanks for any info.
 

leeshor

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2011
6,330
1,037
Welcome to the forum

Someone on a sister forum came up with an interesting solution for this. Install multiple PDF readers. After opening up the first PDF file, go to the home screen (not the back button) and use file manager to open another on one usinmg a different (PDF) app. You can have one open for each app you have installed and juist bring up the recently used list to switch between them. I think one of the apps can actually allow you to have more than one PDF open at the same time using a similar process but I don't remember which one.
 

Gyrobob

Member
Jun 10, 2013
3
0
I am brand new at this. How do I install multiple readers? How do I access file manager? How do I download those files from any of several sources on the internet (dropbox, company website, etc.)?
 

leeshor

Senior Member
Dec 27, 2011
6,330
1,037
I am brand new at this. How do I install multiple readers? How do I access file manager? How do I download those files from any of several sources on the internet (dropbox, company website, etc.)?

Best to take a few at a time;)

On the Google Play Store you will find several PDF readers by inputting PDF reader as the search term.

Your tablet comes with a file manager. it may be called "File Manager" or "My Files" or something close. It's much like Windows Explorer, (not Internet Explorer). It lets you find the PDF files and with multiple readers, (you can start with Adobe Reader), it will ask what app you wish to use to open the PDF file. Many Android word processors can open them as well.

Let's get beyond that first. baby steps. ;)
 

Frederuco

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jul 6, 2011
1,980
503
I saw a video (user has since removed it) but they installed multiple File Managers.

You can then use each file manager to open a file, even in the same app. For instance, I can use ES File Explorer and File Manager HD to open two separate documents in ezPDF, and switch between them.

Here is a link to File Managers at the Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=file+manager&c=apps

My favorite is ES File Explorer, but there are many others that are quite good like File Manager HD, Astro, File Expert, etc.
 

Gyrobob

Member
Jun 10, 2013
3
0
My laptops can open up several documents at once just using MSWord and Adobe,.. a mix of .doc files and .pdf files. I don't know how many can be opened at once, but it is probably way more than I'll ever need.

I just thought this tablet would be able to do the same thing,... have several files open in a word processor, and several files open in a .pdf reader,.. and be able to bounce around,.. just clicking on a file when I need it.

I need this capability for instruction in the simulators at Delta here in Atlanta. Right now I need to have several bulky books sitting out on tables and in chairs just to be able to reference them quickly in the middle of a sim ride.

It would really be way more convenient to have those books loaded on this tablet, get them all opened up, and click back and forth as necessary to research/reference the material real time. The files vary from 1mb to 18mb.
 

Frederuco

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jul 6, 2011
1,980
503
It can be done, but I would say that more than 4 or 5 files may be pushing it depending on the specs of your tablet. If you get too many open, the process can get killed in the background and it may or may not resume to the same spot in the document you had opened. It may resume to the beginning of the file.

It is not as intuitive as doing it on a computer as you need multiple PDF/WORD apps OR multiple file managers to make it work.
 

AuntieParticle

Senior Member
Sep 20, 2012
48
5
I don't know if this will help but you might want to see if you can make use of the Note's multi window feature. The Note 10.1 comes with Polaris Office installed it's a multi window app. I also own OfficeSuite Pro and it is multi window enabled as well. I just opened a different PDF file in each of these app plus 3 other apps (that aren't PDF readers) in cascade mode on the desktop of tablet and it work fine. Now the trick is to find other apps that will open PDF files and are multi window enabled. Of course having all the apps opened at the same time with large files may well cause crashes and may seriously effect battery life.

Auntie
Sent from my Galaxy Note 10.1 using Tapatalk HD
 
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Douvie

Senior Member
Jun 10, 2011
1,030
71
DocToGo is another word processor app that has its own PDF reader. Also not bad at all. Some of the file managers come with their own PDF reader as well. Together with the original Adobe Reader, I believe you can open possibily 10 or more.

You could include readers like kindle, where you can bookmark the page and flick between several books (each having the current page bookmarked). Another is Kobo. The rub is the file formats between the ebook readers may vary.

In this way, you could maybe have as many as 20 or more open.
However, Adobe Reader may have the ability to open several on its own - you may have to check that. You can also bookmark with adobe. Once you've got yourself organised flicking between books will be quite swift.

Douvie.
 
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