Two of my office’s most fundamental pieces of software are Acrobat Pro and the Android app, RepliGo Reader. For attorneys using Android smartphones and tablets, RepliGo is the one app you need to purchase. In fact, RepliGo Reader is so important, the app made my 2011 list of best apps for attorneys.
Recently, I spoke with a support person from a law firm who is implementing Android tablets. This person’s problem was that the attorneys using the tablet couldn’t effectively navigate between all of the documents and information during a deposition. Their even bigger problem was that they attempted all this without an adequate PDF reader/editor. Unfortunately, Acrobat Reader just doesn’t cut it.
RepliGo Reader is important because the app functions substantially similar to Acrobat Pro on your desktop. With RepliGo, you can highlight, comment, search, and redline, just as you would in Acrobat Pro.
The important key to making RepliGo Reader functional, at least more than a PDF reader, is to make sure you prepare your documents prior to transfer. This includes performing OCR (the single most important preparation you can make). OCR will open up the search, highlight, and comment features in the PDF document. Do not forget this step!
You can open a PDF document on your tablet or smartphone (I always recommend the tablet) directly or indirectly through the RepliGo Reader app. My preferred method to open the documents is directly from my SD card or Dropbox folder. RepliGo Reader will remember all of the documents you open, and the last pages read, so don’t worry too much about that.
The “memory” feature is handy when you want to upload or use multiple documents without having to open each one.
Once loaded, you’ll find that RepliGo Reader reproduces the document nearly like Acrobat (without the mess of toolbars at the top).
You can flow the page horizontally (yes, please, like a book) or vertically. Displayed along the bottom are thumbnails of the pages and your location. This is a fantastic “quick find” feature, if your document pages flow sequentially.
Unfortunately for my law firm, they edited their documents to manageable amounts (i.e. removing pages, etc.). Therefore, when their attorneys tried to find a referenced document (via Bates number) the neat thumbnails and numbered pages were worthless.
They needed a robust search feature to scan the document. What this firm lacked, RepliGo Reader provides. Caveat though, my search feature isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be since it takes about 3 minutes (on a small document) to “complete” the search.
RepliGo seems to enter an abysmal, non-closing search, that takes a significant (and annoying) amount of time to complete. In the screenshot you can see that the program searched all 57 pages, but the search is still running.
My solution is to hit my home button and reopen the app. I like to call it part of that 15% of technology that will piss you off. However, when you finally arrive, search is a life saver.
Aside from my search glitch, all other functions work brilliantly. Highlight a word, sentence or paragraph and select “More…” to access RepliGo Reader’s editing and commenting features.
Highlighting is awesome: 
And I love being able to comment (called “sticky notes”) and cross-out text.
What’s great about RepliGo too, is its ability to save or send documents using a variety of attached applications. Since I use Dropbox regularly, especially when I collaborate with other attorneys and staff, I prefer to save the edited document right back into my shared Dropbox folder. The other parties get notice that the file is updated, and I don’t have to worry about missing someone in the process.
Hopefully you see why RepliGo Reader is one of my choices for 2011′s must-have apps for attorneys using Android OS. While RepliG0 Reader isn’t 100% perfect (name 1 app that is), it will perform 85-90% of your documents needs, and only leave you 10-15% pissed off at it’s lack of functionality. Regardless, next to Acrobat Pro running on my desktop, this is my go-to application for all things PDF. If your law firm isn’t running RepliGo Reader on it’s Android devices, then your attorneys are floundering around wondering why these devices suck.
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