Here's a fantastic solution for people who own an iPad and want to transfer their GOG (or other) .pdf format game manuals (or any .pdf file for that matter) from their PC/laptop to their iPad and read them on this device instead (which is infinitely more convenient) :

1.Download the GoodReader for iPad app. This costs £2.99 in UK money, so whatever that is in your own currency.
2. Download iTunes for Windows (your version) for your laptop/PC. Make sure you download the latest version.
3. Install iTunes for Windows on to your laptop/PC.

* The install MAY fail. You MAY get a message such as "Installation interrupted". If so try this solution :

Go to Control Panel -> Uninstall Programs. There SHOULD be a program there called Bonjour. Select this and choose REPAIR (NOT uninstall). iTunes should then install, or at least it did for me.

There are then several ways to transfer your .pdf files from your computer to your iPad. I used the USB method (there is also a Wi-Fi method and other methods) :

4. If you haven't done so already, connect your iPad to your PC/laptop using the Apple cable which comes with your iPad (which you use for charging the device etc.)
5. You may have to "sync" your iPad with your PC/laptop. I did anyway.
6. Open the Good Reader for iPad app. The instructions on how to transfer .pdf files from your laptop/PC to your iPad are contained within the app.

Basically, sitting at your computer with your iPad also in front of you you need to drag and drop your .pdf files (GOG game manuals, for example) into the GoodReader app list. If these are contained within a Zip file it is better to open the Zip file first and drag/drop the .pdf file directly into the list. In some cases you may need to drop the file on to your desktop first and then drag/drop it into the list.

I hope those instructions were clear enough and in the right order. Thanks to jjimp for leading me to this app by bringing up the subject of ereaders during our discussion about manuals and printers. This has saved me a LOT of money and hassle and is pretty much the perfect solution : just like having a Kindle (only better) for reading game manuals, wherever I want to (in bed or on the move etc.) 68 manuals all in one place and the display quality is FAR better than you get if you view a .pdf file on the internet : I'm a happy bunny.

It's still an injustice that you need to own an iPad to be able to do this, however.

This is a good idea although in my case I will have to look into using my Kindle for this. One of these days maybe I will move up to an iPad but they are pretty expensive and if I had the money for that, I'd rather get myself an iPod Touch. I'd also like a new MacBook Air! If wishes were horses... ;-)

TinyE!?

TINYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

It was jjimp who gave me the idea really. This site is SO COOL for people giving help out :)

Edit : Missed out the word "site". I'm always missing words out when I attempt to write down a thought. There must be a name for this condition.

Excuse my brash lack of knowledge,
but you can't open PDFs on your iPad without paying money?

Isn't there a way to connect your local files via network for the iPad? I know Apple is kind of restricted, but I cannot believe there is no way to browse your local files via network.

Personally I have an android tablet and can browse my local files via ES File Explorer easily and open the files. To make it more comfortable I also made a folder with all my manuals and sync them via FolderSync (there is also a free Lite version, which should be fine to do this job). For reading I use Moon+ Reader Pro, but I believe a free pdf-reader should also be fine.

Edit: Maybe another easy solution would be dropbox or any other service like that. Make a folder for your manuals in your local dropbox folder. Checked it, dropbox for iOS is free, also the Adobe PDF reader.

Yes but :

1. You need to find the relevant .pdf files first. Not ALL game manuals are findable on the internet, unless I'm mistaken.
2. If you do it this way all your manuals / .pdf files will be stored in one place.
3. The display quality is MUCH better.
4. The iPad is portable so you can read your manuals in bed or whatever, rather than having to sit in front of your PC for hours on end in the case of huge manuals such as Alpha Centauri.

It's worth the £2.99 in other words. Well I'm no tech-genius but this solution is perfect for me. There may be other ways but I needed a simple solution - and this is it. It's saved me the cost of a printer (+running costs) and a lot of trees into the bargain !

granted, but I'm using Android and I simply access my Smartphone via WLAN, if that doesn't work I send me eMails with pdf attached and then I can open them.
There are probably even some options to unpack zip and rar files on Android systems so I could directly download from gog's bonus section to get all the manuals.
Anyway, I was just wondering about the iPad, I'm a long time Mac User but I have refrained from using either iPhones or iPads...

I received my iPad as a gift (lucky me), I would not have bought one myself. I have to say that they are very versatile and handy though, especially if like me you are a lazy git and spend a lot of time in bed. I don't know anything about other devices(e.g. Android) but I have read that the iPad is probably the best device for doing things like this. The iPod/iPhone has a very small screen whereas the iPad, while still being portable, has a larger viewing area and is better for reading things such as game manuals.

It's such a pity that there isn't a more convenient way (i.e. all in one place and portable) to read .pdf files without having to own a non-PC device though. Yet another reason why I'm still pining for the good old days of good old games (get off my lawn !) There are games which are simply inaccessible without countless hours of trial and error unless you have access to the manual. But who wants to sit in front of their PC monitor reading, e.g. the Alpha Centauri manual, all day - nay, all WEEK ?! No, you want to have access to the manuals in a more convenient form, so you either have to print it out (which is very expensive and makes people cut trees down) or to have the option of viewing them on something like a tablet so that you can read them anywhere you happen to be and don't have to sit in front of your computer screen all day long.

I simply just put the files I want onto my Dropbox and load them up with iBooks.

Sorry but what is "Dropbox" ? Is that something to do with the iPad ? I don't use it much you see :)

I'm tempted to start another thread on the subject of technophiles vs. technophobes. The attitude of technophiles / tech-heads / people who find all of this stuff easy is VERY varied. Some people who know how to do things on a computer are patient and helpful while others are arrogant and actually make people afraid of posting questions. This is a BIG issue. Also, some technophiles are extremely good at explaining how to do things and would make good teachers, while others talk in jargon, thinking (just a touch arrogantly) that if you don't understand what they are talking about then you must be an idiot. If my post helps even ONE person then I will consider it to have been worthwhile. Most of the glory, though, is due to jjimp, who pointed me in the right direction in the first place. As I said, GOG is a very cool site for getting help.