Converting files into EPUB file format can be troublesome and inaccurate. For another alternative to reading ebooks stored in PDF or Microsoft Word format, you can simply attach the PDF or Microsoft Word file to an email message and then send that email message to an account you can open on your iPad. Alternatively, if your PDF file is online, you can simply read it in Safari, the iPad's web browser.
Note
To receive email on your iPad, you'll need to set up an email account as explained in Chapter 16.
Some PDF email attachments may be too large for the iPad to open. If you find yourself working with particularly large PDFs, you may want to buy a third-party PDF reader app. To learn how to install apps, read Chapter 12.
To read a PDF or Microsoft Word file sent as a file attachment, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Mail.
Choose the email account that contains the PDF or Microsoft Word file sent as a file attachment.
Tap Inbox. The Inbox window opens, listing all your messages. Messages with a file attachment appear with a paperclip icon, as shown in Figure 19-3.
Tap the message that contains the file attachment. The message appears, displaying the file attachment as an icon.
Tap the file attachment icon. The contents of the file appear on the screen. Now you can scroll up or down to read your PDF or Microsoft Word file.
If you want to view and edit Microsoft Word documents using Pages, Apple's word processor, flip ahead to Chapter 38. If you find that emailing a PDF file to your iPad is too clumsy, you can buy the GoodReader PDF app (http://www.goodiware.com), which makes it easy to read a PDF file on your iPad.