PDF Reading and Creating
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Adobe Acrobat Reader is a lovely free program that opens and reads PDF files. If you’re not sure what PDF files are, you will encounter them sooner or later (probably sooner). You can think of it as a generic file format. Only problem is you need a PDF reader to read PDF files. That’s where Adobe’s Acrobat Reader came in. It is free and almost universally used.
The problem with Adobe Acrobat Reader is that it has grown to be HUGE. It is a gigantic sloth of a program that you would think is sponsored by computer manufacturers for the express purpose of slowing down your computer enough so that you will want to buy a new computer every 2 years. If you use Adobe Acrobat Reader you might as well pour molasses into your computer. Why a program to read PDF files needs to be so huge and cumbersome I’ll never understand. Thankfully there are alternatives and my favorite alternative is Foxit Reader. It is a small program that opens up almost instantly. They describe themselves as the “No Bloat PDF reader” - and that is exactly what they are.
To learn about other options, beside Adobe Acrobat Reader, check this link.
On the other hand, you may want to create a PDF file. Why would you do that? Well, let’s say you want to send a document that is not meant to be edited; for example, minutes from a meeting. You can create a PDF file and send that instead of sending a regular document file. Creating a PDF file is very easy. To do so you basically install a program (and there are plenty of free ones) that will install a PDF “printer” on your computer. Whatever you are able to normally print on paper, you’ll be able to make into a PDF file by changing the printer from your regular printer to your PDF “printer”. Sounds confusing, but it’s not all that difficult. The program I’ve been using to create PDF files is “PRIMOPDF”.
For more options and reviews on choosing a good PDF writer, check this link.
Bottom Line: Avoid Adobe’s Acrobat Reader like the plague. Use Foxit Reader to read PDF files and use PrimoPDF to create PDF files.
The problem with Adobe Acrobat Reader is that it has grown to be HUGE. It is a gigantic sloth of a program that you would think is sponsored by computer manufacturers for the express purpose of slowing down your computer enough so that you will want to buy a new computer every 2 years. If you use Adobe Acrobat Reader you might as well pour molasses into your computer. Why a program to read PDF files needs to be so huge and cumbersome I’ll never understand. Thankfully there are alternatives and my favorite alternative is Foxit Reader. It is a small program that opens up almost instantly. They describe themselves as the “No Bloat PDF reader” - and that is exactly what they are.
To learn about other options, beside Adobe Acrobat Reader, check this link.
On the other hand, you may want to create a PDF file. Why would you do that? Well, let’s say you want to send a document that is not meant to be edited; for example, minutes from a meeting. You can create a PDF file and send that instead of sending a regular document file. Creating a PDF file is very easy. To do so you basically install a program (and there are plenty of free ones) that will install a PDF “printer” on your computer. Whatever you are able to normally print on paper, you’ll be able to make into a PDF file by changing the printer from your regular printer to your PDF “printer”. Sounds confusing, but it’s not all that difficult. The program I’ve been using to create PDF files is “PRIMOPDF”.
For more options and reviews on choosing a good PDF writer, check this link.
Bottom Line: Avoid Adobe’s Acrobat Reader like the plague. Use Foxit Reader to read PDF files and use PrimoPDF to create PDF files.
