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CNET Editors' review
Businesses need affordable PDF solutions that don't require budgeted training time to learn. Soda PDF Professional 2011 with OCR offers itself as the "Smart & Simple" enterprise PDF solution. It proved to be capable, flexible, easy to use, and affordable enough for individuals and organizations that need more than what free tools offer yet can't afford the big-box bundles.
During the installation process, Soda PDF gave us the option to designate it as the default application for PDF files. The program opened with a Getting Started page inside a well-executed interface with attractive, businesslike graphics and an efficient layout. The toolbar contains all the necessary features for using PDFs, including Zoom, Find, Rotate, and View controls, and some extras, such as Bookmarks, highlighted form fields in searches, and a snapshot tool for capturing views of any part of a document. The main window features compact tabs along either edge that open sidebars with pushpins: Page Preview, Signatures, Links, and Bookmarks on the left, and Properties and Search on the right. We could also easily create and customize tabs by clicking Custom on the tabbed menu bar. This menu bar focuses functions in useful groupings: Create & Convert, Edit & Insert, and Secure & Sign. Each tab included a customized toolbar with item-specific controls; for instance, Secure & Sign let us access Digital Signature, Secure Permissions, and Password Security features. Part of the program's appeal is its OCR capability, which proved able to capture data from documents or a scanner.
While Soda PDF certainly lives up to its billing as a full-featured PDF client, it also holds up on the easy-to-use claims; any time we felt a need to start over, we merely clicked the Home tab to return to the essential functions. The program offers considerable help, too, including a multi-age User's Guide. We were impressed with Soda PDF Professional 2011. There seems to be little it can't do with PDFs, and we wonder why you'd pay more.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of Soda PDF Professional - 2011 1.2.82.364. The trial version is limited to 14 days.
Publisher's Description
From LULU Software:
Soda PDF is an exceptionally easy to use, powerful PDF solution. Soda PDF has been developed with the user in mind. PDF Document management simplified. You don't need to read a complicated and boring user manual; with Soda PDF you can open, create, edit, convert and secure PDF documents quickly with just a few mouse clicks. If you're a comic book fan, reviewing contracts or simply reading a lot of PDF documents, you will be amazed by our 3D viewing functionality. With our full-featured version of Soda PDF, working with peers, colleagues and or clients has never been easier. Increase your efficiency and productivity while using our improved editing features and our vast array of collaboration and annotation tools. With Soda PDF's advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, you will have the ability to accurately transform images and scanned documents into editable text. Create digitized versions of printed documents quickly and easily instead of spending hours retyping them from scratch. With tools that are more powerful than our competitors in a package that is easier to use, Soda PDF is the only Adobe alternative. It's time for a change; you are at the center of our solution, we simply listened.
What's new in this version: Version 2012 adds 3D view: View any PDF file in 3D without transformation of the file; Patent pending 3D Reader technology.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 56 votes
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Current version:
3.2 starsout of 6 votes
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My rating:
Write review
Results 1-6 of 6
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"Grinds everything to a halt"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
when it works has good functionality BUT...
Cons
So resource hungry and slow that it often dies a death
Summary
Something not right with this software
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"Buyer Beware Default Takeover and Slow Operation"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
Less expensive than Adobe Acrobat
Cons
1. Installation of this product changed my default on new tabs and my homepage on my Firefox and Internet Explorer Browswers. The homepage issue I could solve but I am still stuck having to hit the homepage again to get back to my preferred search.
2. This program interrupted my work with an update that took over an hour to install. I couldn't open PDFs until completing the installation.
3. Opening the program is very slow and has crashed my system.Summary
This program has many more downsides than benefits. The lower price does not cover the lost time and aggravation of of having to reset browsers, change habits, and wait for documents to load. Buying it was a mistake. I regret it. For the billable time I have lost with this program I could have purchased Adobe Acrobat.
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"Activation server not working, no response from Support"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
Worked OK until trail ran out.
Cons
Activation server does not work, no response from Tech Support
Apparently I'm going to have to attempt a charge back to get a refund! -
"I just love the Word to PDF conversion"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
Cheap for what you get!
Cons
Took me a little wile to understand the tabs
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"Tiff format not supported"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
I can't really say as I don't have much experience.
Cons
Even though the articles say it does, it does not accept tiff-s. This is unfortunate as tiff is said to be the best format for OCR.
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"Nice PDF Software!"
Version: Soda PDF Pro + OCR 2012
Pros
Lots of features
Well Priced
OCR is very handy and works well
Free tech support is a nice plusCons
It might not be the fastest thing in the world.
I wish there was a version that would work on my ipad.Summary
Overall I have found Soda PDF to be a great alternative to using Adobe. It has all the features that I need to use for my business. I tried Soda hoping that it would be a good option for my day to day needs as Adobe is much more costly. It has proven to be a solid application and it can handle anything that i throw at it. I have been using it for only a little while now but so far I feel that it was money well spent.
Results 1-6 of 6
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