CNET Editors' review
To put it gently, Adobe Reader is a real pain in the hindquarters. It's monstrously large, slow to load, and includes many features most users will hardly ever need. Foxit PDF Reader 3.0 kills the bloat and throws in some useful features, such as multimedia support and content-sharing options, while still allowing you to quickly access your PDFs.
The interface mimics Adobe's, so you won't have to change your reading habits. In our test, the text readability was similar. The small program starts surprisingly fast compared with Adobe. You might need to fiddle a bit to get it to work with your Internet browser, but you can find help on Foxit's support forums. It's a nice touch that it opens PDFs from the Internet in their own Foxit window, instead of sucking resources from within the browser.
Foxit's biggest flaw in the old version was hogging memory and that has been corrected. Recent updates include fixing the hyperlink problem, multimedia support, printing highlighted-only sections, and tabbed PDF browsing, so you can read multiple PDFs simultaneously and with ease. Overall, unless you're tied to Adobe we strongly recommend this freeware competitor.
Publisher's Description
From Foxit Software:
Foxit Reader is a free PDF document viewer, with incredible small size, breezing-fast launch speed and rich feature set. Its core function is compatible with PDF Standard 1.7. In the past, you've had to download a huge PDF reader from another software company, go through a lengthy installation process and wait for an annoying splash window to disappear just to open a PDF document.
What's new in this version: Version 3.1.4.1125 is a maintenance release.
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All versions:
4.1 starsout of 1,710 votes
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Current version:
4.2 starsout of 208 votes
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My rating:
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"Still much, much better than Acrobat Reader"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
* Small footprint
* loads instantly
* pleasant, uncluttered interface
* can annotate, comment, highlight and insert text
* can navigate using either bookmarks or thumbnailsCons
* some functions that used to be free are now free, but at the cost of a watermark in the upper right corner of the pdf. The watermark goes away if you purchase the Pro version.
* the highlight button and the insert text button have confusing icons.Summary
This is my go-to client for reading and managing PDFs. It's quick and full-featured. Head and sholders above the Acrobat product.
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"Alter-ego of Adobe Reader"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
It takes up less space on HD than Adobe and it operates faster
Cons
Pay to edit, etc
Summary
Overall I recommend over Adobe. It's fast efficient and gets the job done w/o taking up a lot of HD space.
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"excellent stuff"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
free
very fast
has some options like adobe proCons
nothing to complain about but i heard that it crushes when u working with huge amounts of PDF data
Summary
I recommend foxit to everyone who rarely works with pdf files
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"SO much faster than Adobe! Edit AND save pdf files!"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
This is a GREAT alternative to anyone who feels Adobe Reader is slow. IT IS. Foxit reader loads pdf files a thousand times faster.
Cons
Not many - sometimes annoying messages to purchase the "pro" version...
Summary
This is a FAST pdf file reader and editor. You can read all forms of pdf, enter info into pdf "fields" and even SAVE your changes. You can't do that with Adobe Acrobat! Foxit Reader even displays pdf files in your favorite browser such as IE and Firefox (though Firefox 3.6 sucks) super fast (much faster than in-browser files with Acrobat). Uses tabbed viewing, which is helpful. Just a great program and much faster than Adobe Acrobat.
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"Pretty good and light"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
Does the reading part and is lighter than Adobe Reader
Cons
No creation unless you buy the full version
Summary
Good enough for most folks
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"very good the best i know"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
verry fast, small and also friendly like acrobat reader
Cons
i dont like the internet bar
Summary
i install without the internet bar
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"Finally!!!! Can read my pdf files"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
It works. It works
Cons
None so far
Summary
Did the update to 9.3 for Adobe, and it would not work at all. This does. Yay
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""Works great!""
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
Small program, Easy to use loads very fast.
Cons
I don't have any problems with this product.
Summary
Good program for most uses.
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"Very efficient with memory and fast."
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
I have been using Foxit Reader for four weeks and have found it renders the PDF rapidly and Accuratly
Cons
Nothing to dislike with Foxit Reader so far with several dozed documents.
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"Many features you have ot pay for"
Version: Foxit Reader 3.1.4.1125
Pros
Small program, not bloaty.
Easy to use.Cons
Requires you to purchase the Pro version for many features.
Summary
Good program for most uses, but not all.
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