Adobe Acrobat 5

Richard Price
29 May 2001

Adobe Acrobat is a program that allows users to produce computer documents that can be viewed, shared and printed across a range of hardware and operating systems while still retaining the layout, fonts and images of the original document.

Since it first appeared, PDF (Portable Document Format) files crop up everywhere from on-line help manuals to web sites. Even the local branch of Kinko's will happily print out PDF files - and charge you less because they regard PDF as a rock-steady format.

Many of the new features and enhancements in Acrobat 5 relate to document sharing over networks and the Internet and creating PDF files couldn't be easier.

When you install Acrobat, some applications are immediately given new buttons. Microsoft Word on which I am writing this review has two new buttons this morning - One converts the file to Acrobat PDF format and the other also emails the file as a PDF attachment. Unfortunately this neat feature is only available for Microsoft Office applications running on Windows.

It may not be so easy converting other applications but basically if there is a Print command, you can generate a PDF file using Acrobat's virtual print driver.

It is probably worth pointing out that Acrobat Reader, which is free and allows users to view and print PDF documents, is only part of the application. To create PDF documents you need the full program. Admittedly, some applications let you export to PDF format - but without the full functionality of Acrobat 5.

With more than 220 million copies of Acrobat Reader in circulation PDF documents are certainly accessible. Acrobat 5 builds on this success by including support for eBooks and dynamic forms. Web integration and support for XML make it easier to exchange data within PDF files.

Organisations moving towards a paper-free utopia, can create interactive forms that look just like the printed copy and link them to a database or Web server without having to spend a fortune retraining staff.

Any IT professional in such an organisation should also find Acrobat 5 easier to install and update across a network.

I have used Acrobat since it first appeared and was pleasantly surprised with the new features not least of which is being able to extract content from PDF files.

Acrobat files can be converted in RTF (Rich Text Format) and easily incorporated into other documents. Images can also be extracted and saved in other formats to be used by other programs. This makes it a lot easier to share content and place it into native applications without having to append a PDF file.

Graphic designers will appreciate the integration between Acrobat and other Adobe programs as well as the enhanced controls for outputting PDF files, improved colour management and support for batch processing.

While it is possible to use Acrobat 5 alone, some of the new features only become useful when working with multiple users on a shared network. Acrobat documents can be viewed simultaneously by members in a workgroup who can add post-it style notes from within a web browser.

As if viewing documents across the web was not enough, it is now possible to convert web pages or entire sites (retaining links) to PDF format for archiving. This may take some time depending on the size of the site

Security-conscious users will be pleased to see Adobe offers 128-bit encryption with more protection options. Access to sensitive material can be protected with passwords. Printing, extraction, editing, or opening of documents can be specified or prevented.

Digital signatures, which attach a digital certificate to a document can be used to verify a user's identity.

The printed manual is thin, but the 287 page (A4/colour) manual in PDF format shows what the program can do. It is just as good printed out or read on-line.

Price AU$599
www.adobe.com

By Richard Price, Editor, EnergyME.com

For information on getting a product reviewed email richard@energyme.com