Adobe Acrobat has rapidly become the cross platform document format, with its files (.PDF – Portable Document Format) offering print-optimised representations of pages. For me this is very useful, especially given the amount of layout work I do where non-standardised characters (e.g. ... Read review
Advantages: Cross platform print optimised layout Disadvantages: too expensive for home use
Adobe Acrobat has rapidly become the cross platform document format, with its files (.PDF – Portable Document Format) offering print-optimised representations of pages. For me this is very useful, especially given the amount of layout work I do where non-standardised characters (e.g. Eastern Europe accents) are needed, and I can therefore include the fonts used as part of the document so that they will appear as intended. Any PDF file with ... ...to them.
Adobe Acrobat Documents also have the advantage of being read-only (I admit that this is hardly a unique feature, as it is easy to write-protect and make Word Docs read only) which means for sending my CV there is no chance that someone opening the document can accidentally delete a line, however this is still not as impressive as the fact that you know your Acrobat file will come out looking just as it did when you sent it. ... more
Adobe Acrobat has rapidly become the cross platform document format, with its files (.PDF – Portable Document Format) offering print-optimised representations of pages. For me this is very useful, especially given the amount of layout work I do where non-standardised characters (e.g. Eastern Europe accents) are needed, and I can therefore include the fonts used as part of the document so that they will appear as intended. Any PDF file with embedded fonts is then viewable on a target machine without that person having to have all the necessary language support fonts, such as Chinese, Arabic etc. installed on their machine. Whilst this does bloat the size of files a bit, it is considerably easier than sending a document to someone and then sending the fonts to them.
Adobe Acrobat Documents also have the advantage of being read-only (I admit that this is hardly a unique feature, as it is easy to write-protect and make Word Docs read only) which means for sending my CV there is no chance that someone opening the document can accidentally delete a line, however this is still not as impressive as the fact that you know your Acrobat file will come out looking just as it did when you sent it. Proof that this is a great product is that there are an estimated 200 Million copies of the Reader in use, due to its cross platform nature, and it has become *the* tool for content that is destined to be shared over the web.
Alongside Acrobat’s latest version, 5.0, there is also a new version of the Acrobat Reader. The Acrobat Reader is freeware, and is a simple download from the adobe website (www.adobe.com). Users of Acrobat Reader 4.0 can still open files that have been created in Acrobat 5.0 although there is now an in-built encryption utility, which requires the latest version of the reader to allow people to open the files. If you use Illustrator 9.0 or Photoshop 6.0 (both of which support the new SVG format) to create your PDF files, then the latest version of the Acrobat Reader is necessary to ensure that PDF files with transparent layers in them are printed and displayed properly. The reader works as an add-in into IE5, which allows you to browse PDF documents from within a browser window, and it is a very flexible viewer. A further improvement taken up by google.com is to search through PDF files so you can now do a search through PDF files as well as web pages, which I have found to often contain the most information.
To date I have had limited opportunities to explore Acrobat 5.0, although I have noticed that it has been easy to use, being very similar in feel to the rest of the Adobe product range, and with connectivity with its siblings, although for the time being at home I will continue to use the previous version of the Distiller until funds permit me to upgrade at home.
Free reader against the full price version what are the differences?
The reader program and the full version perform the same basic functions, in that both of them can be used to view, navigate and print out PDF files, or to fill in PDF forms. However the full version of Acrobat also lets you convert documents from any application into a PDF file – e.g. MS Word docs into PDF files, which makes it very useful for compiling factsheets. Similarly electronic forms and web pages can also be converted.
It is also possible to do online synchronisation/editing of PDF files, such as adding “Post-It” notes to them, comments as well as adding digital signatures and security controls to the document. Additionally Adobe have improved the interface for disabled users, by allowing you to create screen-reader compatible PDF files and the fact that both reader and full program can be controlled by simplified shortcuts makes it easier for people with disabilities to control the program.
The reader software for Palm is a 5.7Mb download, although the file put on your Palm is only 190k – the rest is software that runs on your PC. The software is only in Beta at the moment (29/4/01). Documents are uploaded using the “Acrobat Palm Desktop” and then PDF files are examined for tagging etc. to enable them to be displayed correctly. You can also remove graphics as necessary to keep PDF file sizes down. As samples I put my CV (approx 20k as a PDF file) onto my Palm Vx and whilst it was readable, all tab delimiting was stripped, making it hard to read and far from its original form, and the limitations of my Palm’s display were shown up to a certain extent. The files underwent some bloating (ca. 70k for the above 20k file) The interface was however easy to use, and if you have text only PDF files, this is quite a useful little reader tool, and will doubtless improve.
The latest version of the software is available on Windows 9x, NT, 2k and ME systems with work starting on ensuring that it will work on the forthcoming Windows XP (currently in Beta) and also for Mac OS X. Adobe have also decided to allow people who bought the previous version within 30 days of the launch of Version 5.0 to upgrade their version for free (if they do so within a couple of months).
The costs?
As previously mentioned, Acrobat Reader is free as is the Beta Version of Acrobat Reader for PalmOS, and there are upgrade prices available for the full version when purchased direct from Adobe. According to www.dabs.com, version 5.0 for Mac and Windows costs £169 excl VAT giving you change for a pint out of £200. This is a lot for a domestic user although for business users, site licences make the costs slightly more palatable.
If you are a home user then this might seem a bit steep for some software that you may not have that much use for. If you are after read-only, non-alterable documents, then a better bet is password protection of your word documents to avoid them being alterable. This is available in Word 2000 under the tools menu by clicking on “Protect Document” and using the password protection option will allow you to lock your documents (but of course don’t choose an obvious password!) rather than splashing out on Acrobat 5.0
Advantages: Allows documents to be viewed on different platforms and operating systems, protects intellectual property, reduces use of paper and saves money for businesses, compresses data for effective storage Disadvantages: You can't copy data from pdf files which might be a problem for some people, acrobat reader 5.0 had quite a few bugs
Adobe acrobat is a widely used piece of software that allows documents to be viewed across a range of different platforms. I expect that many people reading this opinion will either possess the Adobe acrobat reader on their computer, or at the very least have heard of this software. The software operates using files in a format known as pdf, if you have ever wondered what pdf stands for it is Portable Document Format. The pdf files are encrypted ... ...two components involved in the Adobe acrobat software, this includes the aforementioned acrobat reader and acrobat distiller.
If you do not already have it Acrobat reader can be downloaded for free from the Adobe internet site, the address for this site is www.adobe.com/acrobat. The latest version of Acrobat reader is version 5.1, this follows on from versions 5.0 and 5.5. Version 5.0 of Acrobat reader was quite a troublesome version, it was riddled ...
gorvifal3 12.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package
Advantages: Cross platform, web and hyperlink compatible, extremely flexible document and page view tool Disadvantages: None
...work across different computer configurations. Adobe in the earlier years (one of the most successful software developers of all time!) invented tools for a species of computer users that was dependent on sharing information about pieces of work: the desktop publishers, graphic designers and advertising agencies. Anything involved in a creation process that needs to be agreed upon, cries for constant communication about content, layout and format. ... ...provider in tools and packages, Adobe took over the challenge and provided a surprisingly simple but highly effective standard for cross-platform and cross-format document exchange that has influenced whole industries and their working habits in regard of document transfer and communication. Experience background
Almost 6 years ago, when Adobe Acrobat 3.0 was released I was the global advertising and promotion manager of a division in my company, ...
NoMeansNo 12.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package
I first came across this program in 1999 when I had to edit a lot of material supplied to my college on CD in PDF format. The ability to create and edit your own PDF files is very useful. You can also add notes and annotations. The form utility is good and I now use it to keep track of student work and progress. Acrobat is not a glamorous program, but if you work with a lot of documents then it is a god send. Another useful facility it has is the ... ...a PDF file. For instance earilir this year I purchased a new kitchen sink. Using Acrobat I was able to download 2 manufacters web sites in about 10 minutes, and then view them off line. Each site equated to about 70+ pages of A4. I have also used this facility to download various other sites, for instance for one course, I needed a copy of the data protection act, and now I have one in a PDF file. ...
darkteckno 22.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package
Advantages: Superb package, easy to use Disadvantages: Cost
...way. Yep it's another fine Adobe creation. There's a couple of ways to create said PDF but my favourite is to use my normal editing package (Word) to create my documents. Once happy, and having finished editing changing editing changing and going back 1 final time to modify the colour of a fullstop you simply print to the Acrobat printer. This will in turn output the desired PDF file. EASY! That's the whole essence of the Acrobat experience. It's ...
AndreBoyle 14.08.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package
Advantages: Create, or just view superb quality PDF files, such as manuals Disadvantages: File sizes can become large in multi-paged documents
Adobe has created an excellent product which is designed to create, display and navigate PDF files, which can be found abundantly on the internet. PDF files are navigable in a similar way to the WWW, but the quality is far superior, so it doesn't matter if you don't have the font that the file was created in - it's embedded. Also, while the file sizes remain relatively small, images and text can be zoomed in many times and still retain good quality.
...
bobsmith 13.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package
Product Information for "Adobe Acrobat 4.0 4.0 Complete package" »
System requirements
OS Required
Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Apple MacOS 7.5.3 or later, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 SP3
Min Processor Type
Intel 486 or higher, PowerPC
Min RAM Size
24 MB, 16 MB, 6 MB
Min Hard Drive Space
75 MB, 60 MB
System Requirements Details
Microsoft Windows 95/98 - RAM 16 MB - HD 75 MB
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 - RAM 24 MB - HD 75 MB, Apple MacOS 7.5.3 or later
Microsoft Windows 95/98
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Peripheral / Interface Devices
CD-ROM
Service & support
Service & Support
Product info support
Service & Support Details
Phone consulting, Phone consulting - 90 days from first call
Manufacturer's product description
When you use Adobe Acrobat 4.0 to convert and distribute your documents in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), you can rest assured that anyone anywhere can view and print your documents exactly as you created them. But the power and utility of Acrobat doesn't end there. A host of features and capabilities, including electronic document markup tools, security controls, interactive forms creation, and much more, help make Acrobat the premier tool for exchanging information with colleagues and customers around the world.
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