PokatReader for Windows

PokatReader is a basic PDF reader with a few extra features. Although the program works well, the interface could be better, and a lot of the features it seems to have are actually only available by upgrading.

The program's interface is a little too basic for our tastes. The first screen is cluttered with an ad for the Executive version of the software and several other options, making it not entirely obvious how a user should get started. Beyond that the interface isn't bad, and we definitely like being able to flip through the pages of PDF files. However, the program's menus aren't particularly intuitive, and we hate that the program operates in full-screen mode, making it difficult to switch between PokatReader and other programs. In addition to the flip-style reading option, PokatReader has the typical features that one would expect from a PDF reader. The program seems to pride itself on its library feature, which adds all PDFs opened with the program to one central file, but this function wasn't as intuitive as it could have been. The built-in Help file offers some guidance, but isn't exactly thorough. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about PokatReader is that it appears to offer a variety of other features, including e-mailing documents and annotation functions, but these are only available by upgrading to the Executive version.

PokatReader is free. The program installs desktop icons without asking and leaves a folder behind upon removal. We recommend this program with reservations; it's not bad, but there are surely better PDF readers out there.