Adobe Reader

CNET Editors' review

by: CNET Staff on November 08, 2008

This free software lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. As the open standard for worldwide electronic document distribution, Adobe PDF files preserve all the formatting, the graphics and the colors of the original document, so Acrobat users know they're delivering the exact same presentation to everyone.

Adobe Reader offers several display options at different zoom levels depending on the documents need for exacting details. A full-screen mode lets you view documents without distraction. You can also complete and submit PDF forms online, a feature that will become more useful as companies adopt the technology.

The collaborative and search tools in version 9 are exceptional, and another welcome addition is Acrobat Reader's integration with Adobe Connect, which lets users instantly comment and collaborate on projects with online presentations and live online meetings. The integration with FedEx Kinko's for remote printing is nice, if you need that kind of thing, but it's subject to third-party fees. We noticed that Acrobat Reader uses a significant chunk of memory in our processes list, but with the way Acrobat Reader is commonly used, memory issues probably won't be a problem for most users.

Overall, Adobe Reader provides users with the ability to view PDF files efficiently, with an interface and tools to make viewing both simple and painless. Though there are other PDF readers available that may take up less space or work at slightly faster speeds, none offer as much of a toolset as Adobe Reader does nor seamless integration with other useful Adobe tools.