Product Description

Adobe® Acrobat® 7.0 Professional software is the advanced way to create, control, and deliver more secure, high-quality Adobe PDF documents. Assemble electronic or paper fileseven Web sites, engineering drawings, and e-mailinto reliable PDF documents that are easy to share with others using free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software.

Features:

• Enjoy improved performanceWith improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
• Extend commenting capabilities Enable anyone who uses free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software to actively participate in reviews.
• Easily design Adobe PDF forms Use Adobe LiveCycle™ Designer 7.0 software (now included with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 ProfessionalWindows® only) to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace. Incorporate business logic, such as calculations and data validations.
• Organize Adobe PDF documents Quickly find a list of Adobe PDF documents you have recently opened. View them as thumbnails, and drag and drop files into related collections.
• Enjoy improved attachment capabilities Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document.

Features

• Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document
• Enable anyone with free Adobe Reader 7.0 software to use highlighter, sticky note, pen, and other commenting tools
• Create PDF files with the click of a button from Microsoft applications and AutoCAD
• Create a single Adobe PDF document from multiple sources, including portions of Web pages and previously combined Adobe PDF documents
• Use the included Adobe LiveCycle Designer 7.0 software to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace

Reviews (13)

BEWARE - massive compatibility issues
That's right if you have fillable forms created in a previous version and expect to change them, your out of luck.I thought compatibility was the cornerstone of Acrobat.

Our firm does over $300 Million worth of business a year.We thought that Acrobat Professional ability to create fillable forms that could be shared, updated, and filled out by clients was a blessing.We not have dozens of worthless forms. And then there's the embarrassment when a client with Acrobat 7 can't fill out a form.THINK OF THE COST!

Adobe's site doesn't even mention the issue (although, their site search and help system is so poor that it may be their somewhere - who knows.)

At first, I thought I was doing something wrong.But, when I called support I was told that forms were not compatible.The service person then told me that she thought there might be a fix.However, without a service plan we'd have to pay to talk to Technical Support.We paid good money for this software (we buy multiple licenses) and only had this version for two days.

Considering the magnitude of this issue.I'm guessing there are other major problems with this release of Acrobat..

Adobe should fire its entire staff of software developers and the arrogant managers who let this software hit the market without providing fully functional compatibility.

So Far, So Good
This is actually my review for the upgrade product, but I can't seem to edit my original review there to add my update.So, I'm posting it here just so it's available online:

So far, I'm very pleased with this upgrade from my Adobe Acrobat Standard 6.0 to Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0. The installation process went flawlessly and everything still works. Also, this version seems to start up MUCH faster than the previous version. It might be due to the "Adobe Acrobat Speed Launcher" which is now in my XP Home Startup Group, but since that doesn't seem to lengthen my Windows boot process, it's transparent, and welcome, to me. A couple of other very welcome changes are that 1) Acrobat appears to have linked into Windows Explorer: using the Thumbnail view, Windows Explorer now displays the first page of PDFs instead of just the generic Acrobat logo, and 2) the Organizer tool gives Acrobat the ability to do some PDF-related document management. Combined, these two capabilities might give enough functionality to let me stop using Scansoft's PaperPort for my document management needs and just use Acrobat. I'll keep looking into it.

UPDATE:After working with Acrobat as my PDF document manager for about a week and having gone through its entire help file (793 pages), I've decided to use it instead of my previous Scansoft PaperPort 9/OmniPage Pro 14 setup.It's not the best in the world, but it's workable.My document management needs are simple:I need to scan in my receipts and account statements to PDF format, OCR them so they're searchable, and manage them so I can find them.For various reasons that are unimportant here, Scansoft has irritated me into trying alternatives:Adobe Acrobat appears to be it.I can use Acrobat's Create PDF function to scan my documents and OCR them.I can then use its Organizer to see those PDFs in one of three ways:1) grouped under various History folders, 2) organized into a directory tree with options to set up Favorite folders, or 3) in various collections that I can produce which include links to documents of my choice.For text searching across my disk, I still use Copernic Desktop Search (free) as I did with Scansoft (though I could set up a Search Index in Acrobat, instead).My only complaints are that 1) the scanning/OCR process is slower in Acrobat since it opens and closes my scanner's interface for each page (instead of leaving it open), 2) Acrobat's OCR results aren't as accurate as Scansoft's, and 3) if I scan to a Searchable Image, Acrobat doesn't give me an opportunity to correct Suspect words.If I scan to Formatted Text & Graphics, I can edit Suspect words, but I end up with Acrobat's attempt to recreate the document instead of an actual picture of it with searchable text hidden behind it.Oh, well.I can live with that since it will allow me to get rid of two applications and the PDF it produces is about half the size of what I was getting with Scansoft.

For those interested, my upgrade process is below:

The first thing I did was uninstall my previous copy of Acrobat (version 6, standard). I did this through Start | Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs and uninstalled all the Acrobat stuff in the reverse order I installed it. I then rebooted (just to be sure) and ran this version's SETUP program. After I entered this version's serial number, it asked me for my previous version's CD for verification (it also gave me the option of verifying my upgrade status by phoning Adobe). I put the CD in the drive, it recognized it, and finished the installation. It then prompted me to activate the product over the internet (which I did without problem). Again, just to be sure, I rebooted (which wasn't necessary), and started up Acrobat. It immediately prompted me to register via the internet (which I did without problem) and asked if I wanted it to automatically check for critical updates. I said "yes" and it went out and got the current 7.0.1 update. I installed that, rebooted (not necessary), and was up and running. I started up all my programs which might use Acrobat files, opened a few of them, and all looks good.

Even though Acrobat's OCR process isn't as accurate or as fast as I'd hoped, everything else looks good. So, I'm giving the product a rating of 5 stars out of 5.

Improved again.
As a user of Acrobat from version 4.0 I have to say that once the use of a new version becomes familiar, there has always been a definite improvement. New users, of course, don’t have any choice about what version they will be using, so comparisons to previous versions is rather pointless for them.

Users of version 7 should be aware that many of 7.0’s features will only be readily available to those using Windows and Acrobat Reader 7.0 to view their documents. Yes,Acrobat Reader 7.0 is now available for Linux, but the installation does not automatically link to any media players installed, andmany embedded media files will most probably not be available. Cross document and many other links should also be given due consideration, as they will fail in a Linux installation. If in doubt, check.

The ‘Reduce File Size’ is a useful feature carried over from 6.0. This should be used to downgrade an Acrobat 7.0 file for users who will be using Acrobat Reader 5.0 - which is a lot -to eliminate the alert pop up about Reader incompatibility, even though there may be no incompatibility. This will apply to any .pdf with only images and text, etc. Not doing so has been frequently known to cause a recipient to panic and refuse to open the .pdf. This feature will also have a surprisingly beneficial result for the size of a .pdf. Reducing from 250 - 150 KB. is not unusual. But be sure to check the effect on image quality, if this is an important consideration.

The extra integration with MS-Office is more of a nuisance than a convenience, I find. But maybe casual newbies will appreciate this.

Anyone using Word for publishing purposes should consider InDesign and Framemaker instead, as they are more properly integrated with Acrobat in the first place.

The price of Acrobat has certainly increased dramatically since the days of 4.0. But then it’s no more expensive than a decent colour printer, and is a lot more versatile.

Acrobat is the Cornerstone of Knowledge Management
I train over 100 people per month on Acrobat. It is the only program that can bring the output from all programs together in one format and maintain document integrity. All the students are loving the improvements in Acrobat 7.
The adding of macros into Office Products is a great productivity tool that is universally accepted by all my students. I get several questions per month from students wanting to add the macros when Windows security is set too tight for all the macros to be added. Just printing PDF through the distiller does not create all the intelligence that is available in a PDF document.
Adobe is real good about asking for comments from the user community. If you want new features or changes in the next edition there is a portal on the Adobe website for your comments.
ISO is adopting numerous standards around PDF. PDF-A (archival) will be realeased in the next couple months. It will be the only format that can handle text, raster and vector. ISO PDF-E (engineering) is under development - it will revolutionize engineering. Acrobat 7 allows creation of 3-D PDF files that can be annimated and viewed in the Acrobat 7 Reader. Adobe publishes the PDF spec and encourages developers to expand the program. You can purchase third-party plugins to expand the functionality.
Finally we have a common format for the computer world to communicate. It will not replace other programs, but will allow us to communicate in one format. Imagine a 3000 page file with outputs from AutoCAD, Word, excel, microstation, scanning and numerous other programs. Now imagine searching everyting including drawings in 2 seconds. With Acrobat 7 you can do it.

Don't buy Version 7!
I paid full retail price for Acrobat 7.0 based on my assumtion about Adobe's reputation.What a huge mistake!Acrobat 7 will take over your machine and spread its tentacles into nearly all of your applications. The arrogance of Adobe is truly amazing.I couldn't make it work with Netscape, but I also couldn't remove it and use Reader 6.0 either.It seems they know best how you want to use your computer, and they enforce their methods upon you.Good luck if you have any problems or questions: the technical support people wanted $40.00 to answer a simple question, and this was immediately after I purchased and registered the product.I finally had to uninstall Acrobat completely from my machine.I've just wasted $450.00.

Steer clear of Version 7! ... Read more

Product Description

Collect, produce, and share Intelligent Documents

Adobe® Acrobat® 7.0 Professional software is the advanced way to create, control, and deliver more secure, high-quality Adobe PDF documents. Assemble electronic or paper fileseven Web sites, engineering drawings, and e-mailinto reliable PDF documents that are easy to share with others using free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software.

New features

• Enjoy improved performance
  With improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
  
  
• Extend commenting capabilities
  Enable anyone who uses free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software to actively participate in reviews.
  
  
• Easily design Adobe PDF forms
  Use Adobe LiveCycle™ Designer 7.0 software (now included with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 ProfessionalWindows® only) to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace. Incorporate business logic, such as calculations and data validations.
  
  
• Organize Adobe PDF documents
  Quickly find a list of Adobe PDF documents you have recently opened. View them as thumbnails, and drag and drop files into related collections.
  
  
• Enjoy improved attachment capabilities
  Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document.

Features

• Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document
• Enable anyone with free Adobe Reader 7.0 software to use highlighter, sticky note, pen, and other commenting tools
• Create PDF files with the click of a button from Microsoft applications and AutoCAD
• Create a single Adobe PDF document from multiple sources, including portions of Web pages and previously combined Adobe PDF documents
• Use the included Adobe LiveCycle Designer 7.0 software to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace

Reviews (3)

Massive compatibility issues - Beware!
That's right if you have fillable forms created in a previous version and expect to change them, your out of luck.I thought compatibility was the cornerstone of Acrobat.

Our firm does over $300 Million worth of business a year.We thought that Acrobat Professional ability to create fillable forms that could be shared, updated, and filled out by clients was a blessing.We not have dozens of worthless forms. And then there's the embarrassment when a client with Acrobat 7 can't fill out a form.THINK OF THE COST!

Adobe's site doesn't even mention the issue (although, their site search and help system is so poor that it may be their somewhere - who knows.)

At first, I thought I was doing something wrong.But, when I called support I was told that forms were not compatible.The service person then told me that she thought there might be a fix.However, without a service plan we'd have to pay to talk to Technical Support.We paid good money for this software (we buy multiple licenses) and only had this version for two days.

Considering the magnitude of this issue.I'm guessing there are other major problems with this release of Acrobat..

Adobe should fire its entire staff of software developers and the arrogant managers who let this software hit the market without providing fully functional compatibility.

Interested in followup
David,
I'd be real interested in your experience with the Organizer tool and document management.Thanks.You can also email me at LHouseman@HousemanSeeligson(no spam).com

So Far, So Good
So far, I'm very pleased with this upgrade from my Adobe Acrobat Standard 6.0 to Adobe Acrobat Professional 7.0. The installation process went flawlessly and everything still works. Also, this version seems to start up MUCH faster than the previous version. It might be due to the "Adobe Acrobat Speed Launcher" which is now in my XP Home Startup Group, but since that doesn't seem to lengthen my Windows boot process, it's transparent, and welcome, to me. A couple of other very welcome changes are that 1) Acrobat appears to have linked into Windows Explorer: using the Thumbnail view, Windows Explorer now displays the first page of PDFs instead of just the generic Acrobat logo, and 2) the Organizer tool gives Acrobat the ability to do some PDF-related document management. Combined, these two capabilities might give enough functionality to let me stop using Scansoft's PaperPort for my document management needs and just use Acrobat. I'll keep looking into it.

UPDATE:After working with Acrobat as my PDF document manager for about a week and having gone through its entire help file (793 pages), I've decided to use it instead of my previous Scansoft PaperPort 9/OmniPage Pro 14 setup.It's not the best in the world, but it's workable.My document management needs are simple:I need to scan in my receipts and account statements to PDF format, OCR them so they're searchable, and manage them so I can find them.For various reasons that are unimportant here, Scansoft has irritated me into trying alternatives:Adobe Acrobat appears to be it.I can use Acrobat's Create PDF function to scan my documents and OCR them.I can then use its Organizer to see those PDFs in one of three ways:1) grouped under various History folders, 2) organized into a directory tree with options to set up Favorite folders, or 3) in various collections that I can produce which include links to documents of my choice.For text searching across my disk, I still use Copernic Desktop Search (free) as I did with Scansoft (though I could set up a Search Index in Acrobat, instead).My only complaints are that 1) the scanning/OCR process is slower in Acrobat since it opens and closes my scanner's interface for each page (instead of leaving it open), 2) Acrobat's OCR results aren't as accurate as Scansoft's, and 3) if I scan to a Searchable Image, Acrobat doesn't give me an opportunity to correct Suspect words.If I scan to Formatted Text & Graphics, I can edit Suspect words, but I end up with Acrobat's attempt to recreate the document instead of an actual picture of it with searchable text hidden behind it.Oh, well.I can live with that since it will allow me to get rid of two applications and the PDF it produces is about half the size of what I was getting with Scansoft.

For those interested, my upgrade process is below:

The first thing I did was uninstall my previous copy of Acrobat (version 6, standard). I did this through Start | Control Panel | Add or Remove Programs and uninstalled all the Acrobat stuff in the reverse order I installed it. I then rebooted (just to be sure) and ran this version's SETUP program. After I entered this version's serial number, it asked me for my previous version's CD for verification (it also gave me the option of verifying my upgrade status by phoning Adobe). I put the CD in the drive, it recognized it, and finished the installation. It then prompted me to activate the product over the internet (which I did without problem). Again, just to be sure, I rebooted (which wasn't necessary), and started up Acrobat. It immediately prompted me to register via the internet (which I did without problem) and asked if I wanted it to automatically check for critical updates. I said "yes" and it went out and got the current 7.0.1 update. I installed that, rebooted (not necessary), and was up and running. I started up all my programs which might use Acrobat files, opened a few of them, and all looks good.

Even though Acrobat's OCR process isn't as accurate or as fast as I'd hoped, everything else looks good. So, I'm giving the product a rating of 5 stars out of 5. ... Read more

Product Description

iWork '05 ... Read more

Features

• Integrated iLife media browser and photo masking
• Create, present, and publish work quickly and easily
• Cinema-quality slide presentations; streamlined, yet powerful word processing
• 40+ professionally designed templates with multiple page designs
• Freeform graphics canvas; easy-to-use text styles, charts, and tables

Reviews (17)

Great package for work and efficiency.
I bought this product about a month ago and iWork made my life more efficient with all the easy functionality and integration that Apple has created. It is fully integrated with .Mac and your on-going web\work sites. The main application I use is Keynote which is an easy to use presentation sofware that places all the needed functionality for a quick presentation. Keynote has a very easy to use interface and similar functions to Pages which makes the transition from app to app very easy. The only downside I thought was the ramp up time to understand and get use to the apps.
Recommend it for all Mac users new and veteran.

Don't Underestimate This Program.
A number of reviewers have commented upon how easy this program is and, I suppose, in one sense it is, especially if you stick to using the templates.However, as one who has had occasion to work with "Adobe Pagemaker," this program can do sophisticated page layout and, as such, there will be a learning curve for the inexperienced.

But, the User Manual is good and there are good books coming out, like one from Visual Start in July, that will help people learn.

It is wrong to think of this program as a word processor "in competition with" Word."MS Word" is a robust word processor; "Pages," as its name implies, is a page layout program.Having also worked with "MS Publisher," the real point of comparison and not "MS Word," "Pages" far exceeds "Publisher" in capabilities and yet for relatively simple layouts is as easy as "Publisher" to use.

I have not as yet put any real strain on the program, but at first blush, on my Powerbook G4 1.5, speed of operations is just fine.Yes, as a few reviewers have pointed out, some of the palettes could be more elegantly combined.One tends to get a clutter of open palettes.But, these are refinements that will be made in future editions, I am sure.

Bottom line: If you want to layout pages with a lot of the sophistication possible in the more expensive "Quark" and "PageMaker" programs; if you want to be able to export your documents to universal portable PDF file format and print out beautiful documents; if you want to pay, basically, only about $40 for these benefits ["Keynotes," the other half of iwork represents another $40], then buy "Pages."

And, if you are a novice with respect to not only page layout programs but also to very robust word programs like "Word," don't expect that everything will be simple.You will have to learn, but you will be rewarded relatively quickly.

I almost didn't buy it....
I thought, "I have MS Office for the Mac, why do I need iWork?" Was I wrong!

Okay fine I suppose I don't really NEED it. But it is a great program, and worth the price. The ability to export my work as a .pdf file is worth the price by itself. The Pages interface is much better, cleaner than Word. And the templates are suprisingly useful. I created a web page by costomizing a template and exporting it as HTML. I twas easy and quick and the result looked great. Most of the people I work with are PC users and because they were unfamiliar with pages the web Page looked fresh, not like a modified copy of someone elses work.

I use my Mac for research mostly and the ability to save documents as .pdf files is very valuable as they are searchable. With Tigers ability to search the text within a .pdf I can now save my work as a .pdf and later find everytime a particular work appears in the fines I've created. This has made cross-refrecing very easy and fast. I now use a program called Pyramid to create a "mind map" of my work and create links from the "map" to refrences in the .pdfs.

I don't use Keynote as much. I t more visially appealing than Powerpoint and pretty easy to use. The ability to use Quicktime movies in the presentation is helpful and the ability to export as a Powerpoint file is nice.

Great program if Microsoft can develop an imitation
Keynote and Pages, the two applications included in iWork, were flawless under the Panther operating system. The Keynote app has always suffered from its inability to share with PC users. Oh yeah, I know I can convert a Keynote file to Powerpoint, .swf, QuickTime, or PDF, but the problem is that, especially when converting to PowerPoint, Keynote loses all its buttery-rich goodness. It's a PowerPoint problem, I realize, but without a Keynote viewer, there's no way around it. Thus, Mac folks must rely on Microsoft for slide presentations if they don't want to lug around their Mac laptop.

Also, installing Tiger will mess up the purchased Keynote templates you have saved. Even reinstalling them won't help.

My humble advice is to wait a couple of years until Apple fixes the bugs in Tiger, then MAYBE think about using a Mac. Until then, I'm switching back from a Mac to a PC.

Big time winner!
iWork comes with two programs, Pages (a word processor) and Keynote (Apple's version of PowerPoint).Both of these programs are very simple to use and very effective.Without a doubt, there are better programs available, but their cost several hundred dollars more and for the average user don't provided more bank for the buck.

When I first turned on Pages I thought "How cheesey!"But as I got to using it I found my first impression was totally wrong.It's simple appearance is very deceptive.This is a word processing program that can do everything that is needed for ordinary personal documents and beyond.You have to be willing to explore the program to discover its gems, but once you learn were things are you will find it a very fast and easy to use.The real value of the program is its desk top publishing.The 40 some templates let you create profession grade newsletters, journals, resumes, invitations, marketing brochures, and many other kinds of documents.This is worth the price of the software alone.It seamlessly works with your iPhoto, iTunes and iMovies.This is one powerful piece of software.With it you can produce commercial grade color brochures or newsletters at an entry level price.

Keynote makes wonderful multimedia presentations, and like Pages is seamlessly integrated with iPhoto, iTunes and iMovies.If you are using graphics or want to import photos into your presentation, Keynote is significantly easier, quicker, and simpler to use that PowerPoint.You can't miss with this program.You can even save you presentation as a PowerPoint, Quicktime, or PDF file or post it on the internet for all to see with the easy of a single click.

I have used both Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and keep them on my hard drive but rarely use them.As my skill with Pages and Keynote has grown I have found them to be more than sufficient in producing quality documents from personal letters, teaching handouts, to professional grade overhead presentations.
For the cost, iWorks cannot be beat!And you will not be disappointed.

iWork `05 System Requirements
- Macintosh computer with a 500 mhz or faster Power PC G3, G4 or G5 (G4 for PowerBook); G4 or G5 recommended
- 128 MB of physical RAM (512MB recommended)
- 8 MB of video memory (32MB recommended)
- Mac OS X v10.3.6 or later
- QuickTime 6.5 or later ... Read more

Reviews (62)

Eh... Version 5 was fine.
I've been a fan (and user) of Acrobat for many years, and am continually amazed by the number of organizations that *don't* circulate their documents in PDF format. I don't even *read* Word attachments anymore, for fear of viruses and because I *know* they won't look like the author intended.

However, earlier versions have each added great new features, and the differences of v6 over v5 just don't seem substantial enough to warrant the price or effort of upgrading. For most users, I'd recommend saving dough by finding a copy of version 5, a vast improvement over versions 1 thru 4, and of course a conceptual and practical leap (or three) beyond sharing documents in native formats such as Word.

Really a mess
It's obvious that Adobe feels safe and entrenched as THE maker of PDF creation software, because Acrobat installs like a herd of elephants moving in to your computer. It completely re-worked my MS Word toolbars and would not allow me to restore them the way I want them. (Even after un-installation, there is still something at work against my normal.dot template.) Other applications felt the impact, too. All I want is a way to make PDF files, not a new lifestyle.

Unfortunately, Acrobat 6 could not deliver the PDF files for me. On a P4, 1.8 Ghz system, I allowed it to process my Word document for 5 hours before I gave up and had to get some real work done. I went and found activePDF Composer, which handled the same Word file and delivered my PDF file in just 10 minutes.

Get over yourself, Adobe.

Like 6.0 Professional BUT it's causing system problems.
I have only installed the 6.0 Professional and have the proper support structure and space.6.0 Professional works fine but I have a brand new batch of glitches in the rest of my system.

Misrepresentation of Security Features
I spoke with Adobe today and they confirmed my conclusions regarding their "security" features. While they state in their advertising and by phone through customer support that you can disable unauthorized people from saving, using "save as", and emailing files made secure by you, the originator, it is indeed UNTRUE. Confirmed today by phone, after close to a dozen calls, readers of "secure" documents, can indeed use the aforementioned commands to commandeer your proprietary documents and drawings. You can, however, get the features they claim to be included in version 6.0 (and upcoming 7.0) through Adobe Solutions, but to the expense of roughly $2000. As if this wasn't enough, once you get the software and start to use it, Adobe adds a disclaimer that users of some third-party, non-Adobe pdf viewers, can access your "secure" documents. Undoubtedly, the remaining features of their product are of great value, but these misrepresentations and untruths in advertising noteworthily deserve 1 star and a place in the hall of software shame. P.S. Version 7.0, soon to be released, has the same misrepresentations.

Best Acrobat Yet!
This is absolutely the best version of Acrobat that Adobe has released! Whether you are a professional, intermediate or novice, this is the PDF software package for you! ... Read more

Product Description

PDF Converter Pro 3.0 ... Read more

Features

• Combine multiple source files, such as JPEGs,Word files and Web pages, to create a single PDF file to share your work as an integrated document.
• PDF Converter delivers everything the business user needs, including powerful document and form creation, conversion and editing.
• Instantly create 100% industry-standard PDF files that can be read, printed, or processed.
• For the first time you can edit directly within a PDF file. Add copy, rearrange words, even change the position of charts and graphics.
• Convert PDF Files into Microsoft Word, Excel and Corel WordPerfect documents.

Reviews (4)

Better than Version 2...I hope!
Version 2 of this product was highly overrated in my opinion, with PDF-to-Word conversions fair at best.Format preservation is usually mediocre and requires significant post-conversion editing.Upgrade rebate/cost is an insult to users who were, and will be, ScanSoft's beta-testers.Supplied macros often cause Microsoft Office applications to load slowly and/or crash. Updates and needed fixes to Version 2 rarely materialized during its life-cycle.

Better than I had hoped
I have wanted to buy Acrobat for a long time, but couldn't rationalize 300 bucks to get it.Then comes along this beauty for under $100.The PDF to Word with formatting is like magic.PDF for the masses for sure.Saving 200 bucks and getting magic...

Where's the upgrade rebate?
Where's the upgrade rebate for the loyal customers that bought the prior version, which is not as good as the claims? Oh, but this is the company that charges you money to tell them of a flaw in their own program. Incredible how poor these clowns run this company.

A solid alternative to Adobe Acrobat
I found this to be an amazing PDF product - but its not from Adobe.I have used Acrobat in the past, but this does things that Acrobat doesn't do - like turn PDF back into Word, and turning forms into fill-able forms. I use scansoft Paperport too, and this works perfect with the PDF files from scanners. ... Read more

Product Description

Transform PDF files into Intelligent Documents

Adobe® Acrobat® 7.0 Standard software is the simple way to create and share more secure and reliable Adobe PDF documents. Generate Adobe PDF files that accurately represent the original document, and take advantage of robust tools for sharing information and commenting on electronic files.

Features:

• Create Adobe PDF documents from Microsoft Outlook Collect, convert, and organize Microsoft Outlook e-mails into searchable Adobe PDF documents. Include attachments, links, and bookmarks sorted by sender, date, or subject. (Windows® only)
• Enjoy improved performance With improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
• Use enhanced headers, footers, and watermarks Easily add headers, footers, and watermarks.
• Enjoy improved attachment capabilities: Easily attach source files such as spreadsheets and images to an Adobe PDF document.
• Organize Adobe PDF documents: Quickly find Adobe PDF documents you have recently opened. See them as thumbnails, and drag and drop files into related collections.

Features

• Assemble documents—create a single Adobe PDF file from multiple sources—including Web pages and e-mail—to deliver one professional document that anyone can open using free Adobe Reader 7.0 software.
• Protect sensitive and confidential documents—control documents inside and outside the firewall, online and offline.
• Easily create Adobe PDF files—create PDF documents with one-button ease from Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Windows users can also convert to PDF from Access, Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Publisher.
• Enjoy improved performance—with improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
• Create Adobe PDF documents from Microsoft Outlook—Collect, convert, and organize Microsoft Outlook e-mails into searchable Adobe PDF documents. Include attachments, links, and bookmarks sorted by sender, date, or subject.

Reviews (3)

A Good Upgrade
I upgraded from Version 5. I don't use very many of the features. But the big difference I see is, files sizes seem to be greatly reduced. Something I would scan and be 10mb, now might be 2mb. This is just opinion, nothing scientific. The interface takes some getting used to, a bit different. Overall for the price ($99 - Less $20 Rebate), a great deal.

Great speed, wonderful features
I find that the new version 7 of Adobe Acrobat loads faster than version 5, both stand-alone and within my internet browser.Also, the new version is better integrated with the browser and with Microsoft Office.I believe Adobe heard and responded to the complaints about version 6.There are many other features which I have yet to try but certainly look worthwhile.Kudos for what I see as a substantial improvement.I recommend.

Slow Memory Hog
Why are the newer products getting slower by the version. I still love Version 5. It does not forever to open up in a Web browser.. ... Read more

Product Description

For the busy Mac user who needs access to PC-only files and applications, there's Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac Professional Edition. Boasting all of the breakthrough productivity features of Office Standard Edition, it also includes Virtual PC for Mac Version 7 with Windows XP Professional. It’s the easy way to manage, create and share your brilliance with anyone, including those in the PC world.

For professional users running Mac OS X version 10.2.8 or later who need Virtual PC for Mac to run PC applications on their Mac.

Innovators cross-pollinate ideas and information, and so should their tools. The new features in Microsoft® Office 2004 for Mac aren’t constrained by boundariesin fact, many of them are designed to give you access to your ideas and information from every program in the suite. Thanks to input from thousands of Mac users, Office 2004 contains tools that are more integrated and intuitive than ever.



Features:

Unicode Support:Now you can display most non-Roman fonts with ease and take advantage of the long file name capabilities built into Mac OS X.

Save Image to File:Save embedded graphics to a separate graphics file in GIF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG, PSD or AppleWorks Graphic format.

Formatting Palette Transparency:Make the Formatting Palette translucent so that it no longer obscures your underlying document.

Error Reporting:Automatically generate and send an error report to Microsoft for analysis if an Office 2004 application crashes. ... Read more

Features

• Spend less time managing info and more time using it
• Includes Microsoft Virtual PC for Mac Version 7
• A productivity suite with a host of ground-breaking new features
• Easily share ideas across platforms and around the globe
• Confidently create stunning documents with impressive new tools

Reviews (2)

VP 7.0 is SUITE now that i finally got it installed!
A great bargain - you get full office Professional, VP and full version of Windows for under $300 dollars. After waiting for months and months for Office 2004 Professional to be released, when it finally came out I was ecstatic. One problem: VP 7.0 wouldn't install on my G5, only on my laptop. I called Microsoft support and within minutes they told me that they were working on a patch for machines with over 2.0 GB of ram. I downloaded the update a week later when it came out and everything is now golden. The moral of the story is that Microsoft underestimates the needs of Mac users because they are used to wimpy PCs that have no ram!

Nice suite, but Virtual PC 7 disappoints on my G5
I purchased the upgrade since I'd already bought both Office v.X and Virtual PC 6.1 last year.

The biggest letdown is that Microsoft's promised support for the G5 is nearly non-existent.I have a dual processor G5 with an ATI Radeon 9800 card (Apple), and after trying to install Virtual PC 7 three times, I cannot get a VM to work.It did install (and work) flawlessly on my G4 Powerbook.Googling for reviews finds it's very hit or miss, but if (when) it misses, you'll regret investing the extra $$$ in an immature product. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Project 2003 Professional.Microsoft Office Project 2003 is used by project managers who need a desktop tool to manage their projects independently but who do not require strong coordination with other project managers or the ability to manage resources from a central repository. Project 2003 is designed to improve your ability to organize work and communicate effectively and succinctly through familiar, easy-to-use tools. Organized Work:Better organize and manage work and people to ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget. Compelling CommunicationsConvey your project plans and status effectively and succinctly. Ease of UseEnhance your productivity and effectiveness by learning and applying project management practices easily. ... Read more

Features

• Use for portfolio management, modeling, resource management, and project collaboration
• Microsoft's desktop enterprise project management program
• Used with Project Server 2003 and Project Web Access
• Offers all the tools found in Project Standard
• Provides powerful enterprise project management capabilities when used with Project Server

Product Description

ISI EndNote v.8.0 - Document Management - 1 User(s) - PCUsed by millions of researchers, students and librarians, EndNote 8 expands easy bibliographies to any language, allows you to build libraries of any size and more. With EndNote you can search online bibliographic databases, organize references and images, and create instant bibliographies. Endnote 8 demonstrates ISI ResearchSoft's ongoing commitment to improve core features that make EndNote an essential tool for your research, writing and publishing needs. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theISI 5018 - ENDNOTE 8 WIN SINGLE USER NO RETURNS 8/31/05 and all other ISI Software - Educ ... Read more

Features

• Essential tool for research, writing, and publishing
• Create instant bibliographies; organize references and images
• Build libraries of any size; new reference types and fields
• Add, edit, and display references in any language
• Search online bibliographic databases

Reviews (1)

Don't even think about it
Do not buy this program. Version 8 is a complete rewrite to support Unicode and is definitely not ready for prime time. We tried version 8.0.1 where I work and computers are crashing, libraries are not opening up and saving properly on network drives, the program itself is slow and clunky and annoying even when it's working. I love version 5! After I try version 7 we may make version 7 the standard. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft OneNote 2003.OneNote 2003 is a new program in the Microsoft Office System that enables you to capture, organize, and reuse your notes on laptop computers, desktop computers, or Tablet PCs. It gives you one place to store all your notes and the freedom to work with them how you want. OneNote 2003 also helps you capture information in multiple ways and then organize and use it according to your needs.OneNote 2003 combines the freedom and flexibility of paper notes with the efficiency and power of digital organizational tools, enabling you to work with your notes and information more productively.Capture Information in Multiple Ways Take notes and collect information the way you want. Organize Information Easily Organize your notes the way you want and be more productive. Access Information Quickly Have one convenient place to capture all of your notes and information. Reuse and Share Notes Easily OneNote makes it easy to reuse and share your notes after you have captured them. ... Read more

Features

• Great for in meetings, classes, phone conferences, and more
• Capture and use notes on laptop or desktop computers or Tablet PCs
• Versatility of paper notes; efficiency of digital organizational tools
• Capture info in multiple ways; store in one place; easy to use
• Be more productive anywhere you work with notes

Reviews (11)

Great Product! Does exactly what it promises.
This is an outstanding product. If you check out the Microsoft Office site, you'll see a tremendous amount of support and information.

It does what is promised. You can take virtually any kind of information, arrange it any way you want to, and come back to it later, finding precisely what you're looking for. One of the best feature is Side Note; it stays open with any other application, letting you take notes or paste information. There is even an Explorer add-on that lets you paste whole web pages, or selected material to your notebook, citing where the information came from.

You can move information anywhere you want to, instantly e-mail it from Outlook, or create a Word document from it.

I don't understand the reviewer who says that you can do this with Word and "special" folders. You could do try to do it with a pen and paper, too, but the product is all about efficiency and organization.

In my opinion, this is one of the bes MS Office products--maybe they'll include this in the standard edition next time.

Excellent Product!
Think of this as a tabbed notepad program that can take input from just about any source, index all the words and allow you to search them.(though searching could be beefed up - with that improvement, it could blow away infoSelect or AskSam)

The tabbing has two levels.Across the top are the tabs for different projects. down the side are different pages for each project.

For instance, I am studying for the Teradata Physical Implementation certification test. I created a project tab for the test.I created page tabs for each chapter of the study guide. on each page, I type the learning goals for each chapter (posed as questions) and answer them.I scan in any diagrams that I feel are important.with my Wacom graphics tablet, I write notes and impressions on the charts.I also scan in the chapter test questions and then answer them.for me this has been a very productive study method.

I know it got off to a troubled start, but the 2003 version is VERY good, so don't let old impressions steer your buying decisions.

Very Cool Product for Organizing
Contrary to what some people say, this product is very useful and does exactly what its is advertised to do. I use it to keep writing notes and ideas together. I took 81 pages of Microsoft Word documents and consolidated them into my notebook.It lacks the ability to create a completely separate notebook and does not save one notebook into a complete section rather saves in files and sections.Those two are the only downfalls of the product. Hopefully Microsoft will fix that next time.

so so quality but very bad service
I bought one , but it is not convinient for those that with the touch pad, it is hard to write unless you have pen.
also I bought hope there will be a rebate, but they said the coupon must be original, but they did not send me the one, which means they give you better hope but not real result.
that is bad feeling!!! very bad!! since then I willnever buy one microsoft product privately.

Very efficient and easy to use
This is a very well thought out program, that makes it much easier to stay organized and take notes quickly. I find that I am able to type far quicker than I can write, so taking notes is much easier on the computer. Plus, afterwards, it's a lot easier to reorganize or rearrange digital notes than paper notes. You can click anywhere and start typing, just like you can do in a "real" notebook.

One of the best features (that makes this surpass Word for any type of note-taking situation) is that you do not need to save, EVER. I have accidentally lost power on my PC and not lost any information. It's quick to load, and loads to the last "page" in your notebook that you were using, which makes getting started fast really easy.

The only thing I have trouble with figuring out how to incorporate drawings or mathematical formulae easily, since I do not have a tablet PC. I find that I can do well with a science class like Biology, which isn't all that Math intensive, but for Math I haven't found a good solution. (I'm still using paper and pencil for Calculus.)

All in all, however, this is a sleek program, that runs swiftly and is a great tool for note-taking. ... Read more

Product Description

Collect, produce, and share Intelligent Documents

Adobe® Acrobat® 7.0 Professional software is the advanced way to create, control, and deliver more secure, high-quality Adobe PDF documents. Assemble electronic or paper fileseven Web sites, engineering drawings, and e-mailinto reliable PDF documents that are easy to share with others using free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software.

Features:

• Enjoy improved performance:With improved performance you can quickly convert, collect, and organize Adobe PDF documents.
• Extend commenting capabilities:Enable anyone who uses free Adobe Reader® 7.0 software to actively participate in reviews.
• Easily design Adobe PDF forms:Use Adobe LiveCycle™ Designer 7.0 software (now included with Adobe Acrobat 7.0 ProfessionalWindows® only) to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace. Incorporate business logic, such as calculations and data validations.
• Organize Adobe PDF documents:Quickly find a list of Adobe PDF documents you have recently opened. View them as thumbnails, and drag and drop files into related collections.
• Enjoy improved attachment capabilities:Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document.

Features

• Easily attach source documents such as spreadsheets, multimedia files, images, and drawings to an Adobe PDF document
• Enable anyone with free Adobe Reader 7.0 software to use highlighter, sticky note, pen, and other commenting tools
• Create PDF files with the click of a button from Microsoft applications and AutoCAD
• Create a single Adobe PDF document from multiple sources, including portions of Web pages and previously combined Adobe PDF documents
• Use the included Adobe LiveCycle Designer 7.0 software to create PDF forms that look like the paper forms they replace

Reviews (7)

Avoid: "Worse than Malware"
Don't take my word for it that's a quote from the title of a recent post excoriating this irritating and increasingly bloated product on Slashdot.

Be warned: Adobe has not learned its lesson, and despite the outcry that followed the release of version 6, this latest release of Acrobat continues Adobe's aggressive trend of intruding into your desktop environment, again, as in version 6 without providing an easy way to undo the damage once its done--in fact, it's now nearly impossible. Like earlier releases, this version of Acrobat adds startup macros and new toolbar buttons to your existing applications and adds menu entries to your desktop "right click" menus. Adobe argues that these are conveniences, but they are entirely unnecessary (for most of us "printing" to Adobe PDF achieves the same result, is much more convenient, and a more natural model), and clutter what for most users is either a too-crowded user interface (for those who don't have the knowledge or patience to customize it) or a carefully tuned one (for those who do). Unlike many well-behaved applications that provide obvious ways of avoiding this kind of intrusive and disruptive behavior (e.g. through a simple checkbox option in a settings dialog), Acrobat's "option" for disabling this behavior, once deeply hidden in the setup process,is now almost completely absent. To disable the "Convert to Adobe PDF" button that mysteriously appears in the Outlook mail editor, for example, one has to be sure to choose "this feature will not be available" from the "Microsoft Outlook" option under "Acrobat PDFMaker" under "Create Adobe PDF". Simply deleting the button using Outlook's toolbar customization feature will not work: it comes right back when the editor is next opened. Similar problems arise in Word, Excel, Visio, Project, and Internet Explorer. And there's simply no way to get rid of the never-used "Convert to Adobe PDF" and "Combine in Acrobat..." entries in that appear in the desktop context menus for files (even if one installs none of the Acrobat PDFMaker features).

For the technically inclined wishing to repair some of the damage that Acrobat 7 does, there are complex but largely effective step by step instructions available on the web, but even the authors of these are driven to despair by version 7: ("Adobe has really pushed the boat out with Acrobat 7 and managed to screw Word royally") .

In short, Acrobat will make a mess of your working environment, there's no way to completely fix it, and even the partial fix is a pain (and not well documented). (This may seem a minor issue, but if every application followed Adobe's reckless example, our working environments would start to look like strip malls, crowded with features screaming for our attention to the point where it is hard to find what we need when we need it. One of the great strengths of the personal computer desktop is that users can configure it in ways that suit their needs; no application should interfere with that.)

Experienced Acrobat users will also notice that this version continues another frustrating trend for Acrobat (and most other Adobe applications): it is yet again slower to launch than the previous version. In fact, on my 2 GHz Pentium 4, it takes longer to launch than the entire Visual Studio .NET development environment, and longer than the boot sequence for Windows XP!

There are other minor problems as well (arbitrary rearrangements of menu and tool bar items, etc.) but these two major flaws are more than bad enough. Unless you really need the latest Acrobat features, you should probably avoid this upgrade. And if the "improvements" in this release are any indication of where Adobe plans to go with future releases, it may be time to start looking elsewhere for a tool for digital document management.

Fortunately, there's no reason at all to upgrade. Version 7 offers no usefully new features, so you can (and should) avoid this one (at all costs).

Bummer
If you use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) don't buy it!Links to your previous .pdf simply don't work.Adobe knows about it, but have no viable work around.Stick with prevous versions.

NO-BRAINER, GET IT.
Simple. It loads like a blaze. Sure all the new frills and features like easy annotations are neat, but the speed of 7.0 alone makes it worth every dime. Especially if your current Acrobat is the half-baked clunky 6.0.x that burst through the gates before it had legs.

Good upgrade, perhaps the pinnacle
Honestly, I don't know how much more they can improve Adobe Acrobat.It is an excellent product, and a god-send for electronic file management.

I upgraded from version 6.0.The only problem I had with 6.0 is that it seemed terribly slow.

This new version seems much brisker.It loads quickly, and files seem to "print" to it much more quickly than version 6.0.I do not utilize the "one-button" feature it provides in MS Office and other programs.I try to keep all my programs as non-integrated as possible, because my previous experiences showed that they really, really bog each other down, no matter how much their makers claim they won't.

I don't come close to using all the features of Acrobat, but for my needs, it far surpasses anything else I've tried (or researched).

If you're having problems with version 6.0, or have an older version that you just want upgraded, I strongly recommend this.However, I don't foresee ever needing to upgrade Acrobat again.

Good upgrade..!!!
I have been using v.7 from the last week or so and i am very pleased with it. It loads very fast (unlike all other adobe versions), the conversion to PDF from doc or ppt files also is much quicker.

I have not encountered any problems yet, but its only been 7 days since i am using it..

Definitely worth the upgrade. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Quickbooks POS 4.0 Pro Retailer Hardware and Software .QuickBooks Point of Sale Retail Management Software is affordable, easy to use software for managing retail inventory, sales and customer information. Designed to be completely user-installable, it runs on your Windows PC and provides essential features you need to make smarter decisions about running your retail business - complete information you'll never get from a cash register. ... Read more

Product Description

OmniPage Pro 14 is a powerful productivity tool that delivers the most accurate and precise document conversion available today. Quickly turn PDF files and stacks of paper - letters, contracts, tables, manuals - into easily editable word processing and spreadsheet documents. Ideal for individuals and home office use, OmniPage Pro 14 delivers everything you need to efficiently convert, edit, process, and share your paper and PDF documents.

Features:

• Instantly convert paper into useable Microsoft® Office documents
• Turn PDF files into editable documents while retaining their layout
• Create unlimited searchable PDF files for electronic archives
• Automatically process images from MFPs and scanners
• Scan and convert Documents into PDF, TIFF and more
• Share documents using e-mail and Web

Features

• Turn text documents into audio books; add digital signatures to your e-documents
• Save time and money with this powerful document conversion application
• Eliminating retyping; turn documents into e-files you can edit, search, and share
• Precision OCR technology, advanced layout analysis, and powerful editing tools
• Turn paper and PDF files into editable e-documents that match the original

Reviews (13)

Works fine on simple text, not so on complex format.
Text recognition is very good on a simple, typewrited page but, hey, there are sharewares that do this for free. I tested Omnipage mainly on complex textbook pages with headers, 2 columns, figures with legends. I chose 240 dpi as a compromise between size and accuracy. The result:
1. When converting a 2-column page to PDF, the text flows ACROSS the columns instead of down then right. Useless for cut & paste. Also, word search is not sequential. Omnipage support never answered my questions on this issue (nor on any other).
2. Figures with small objects on a contrasting background (e.g. birds flying in the sky) are interpreted as text, with laughable result. In general, the recognition of image fields was bad.
5. Figure legends were systematically included with the text around them instead of being assigned to a separate text box.
4. This beast needs A LOT of CPU. I ran it on a 2.8GHz P4 and it was crawling through the pages.
5. Not an Omnipage issue, but as an aside: Omnipage offers to save the text as a MS Word file. Note that MS Word will not open a file larger than 32 Mb. I did not know this. Did you?
Final word: mediocre, too expensive. Try sharewares first.

NEED HELP WITH OMNI PAGE PRO 10
I have been using Omni Page Pro 10 here at my work. However, in the last few months, when I scan it takes forever for it to scan -- recognizing goes faster tho.

I have removed all unnecesary programs from my computer thinking that I was using all my RAM. I am on a network.

However, this hasn't solved my problem. I am now running Win XP and have ServicePack 2 installed. Could this be my problem? Can anyone help?

Would like to get some input from others who have used Omni Page Pro 10 to get some ideas of what to try before I turn this over to our IT Department.

Like ya'll, I really do like Omni Page Pro 10 -- but with the problem that I am having was wondering if I needed to upgrade Omni Page Pro 14 -- but considering what ya'll have said -- upgrading would give me a bigger nightmare.

Please help if you can!!!

Like a demolition derby-- crashes galore
It's bad enough that Omnipage Pro 14 Office crashes when you try to process a PDF file; bad enough that it crashes when you try to download an update from within the program (the only way ScanSoft allows you to do it)-- if there are solutions for these serious problems in their product, ScanSoft will not tell you about them unless you pay $9.95 per incident for e-mail support, $19.95 to actually speak to someone. What a lousy policy. What a crummy product!

Layout Retention is poor at best, hard to use
This is not a planted review.I'm just a home user.I have been using OmniPage for years.The last version I used prior to OmniPage Pro 14 was OmniPage Pro 10.

This version does the worst job of layout retention I have seen in any OCR software period.Version 10, the version I was using prior to upgrading worked much better.

Its hard to use, menus and features appear easy but in fact don'twork very well at all. The system of "workflows" is flawed at best.

If you just want to take a simple text document with images and scan it into say word be prepared for a nightmare once in word.The result of your scan will retain very little of the layout of your original document.

ScanSoft makes some very fine products that I use.Oddly their "flayship" software OmniPage is difficult to use and performs poorly.Do yourself a favor and look at other OCR software before buying this.

Works great until you have a problem
OmniPage 14 worked great at first.Then I needed a patch to fix some problems I'm having with the Batch Manager.Their update function under help is broken.(Look at other recent posts by other users.)I tried calling yesterday ($20) and couldn't get through.

I'm well versed in fixing broken apps.After uninstalling/reinstalling, uninstalling/manually removing files and registry entries/reinstalling, I'm still having the same problems that are making it totally unusable.After searching Scansoft's website, and posting twice to their "user forums", I started looking for alternative solutions.I found more posts here than I did on Scansoft's site. ... Read more

Product Description

Adobe Acrobat 5.0.Use Adobe Acrobat to convert any document to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Adobe PDF files can be opened reliably across a broad range of hardware and software, and look just like your original files. Easily convert your Microsoft Office documents to Adobe PDF. Simply click the Convert to Adobe PDF button on the Microsoft Office application toolbar. Gather research information from the Web by downloading and converting Web pages to an Adobe PDF file. Saved as an Adobe PDF file with active links, your Web content is easy to archive, print, and distribute reliably. Convert unlimited paper documents to Adobe PDF files. If you require searchable Adobe PDF files, you can use the Paper Capture feature within the Create Adobe PDF Online service. You receive three free trials per day. ... Read more

Reviews (41)

This is the best deal going right now for Acrobat
By the time I was done reading the reviews for Adobe Acrobat 6.0 I was depressed. Not only do I not have Windows XP, or Windows 2000, or NT installed in my machine (The only operating systems that will work with 6) I also couldn't muster up the confidence in the product after so many people were giving it the thumbs down. I want to create an eBook, and Adobe Reader is the most popular reader out there, with some 400 million, to a half a billion users with it installed. What a dilemma. I kept coming back to read some more. Finally I found the answer. I bought a new Adobe Acrobat 5.0 here at Amazon from one of their vendors, and it works great with my Windows 98SE. I planned on buying the 6.0 upgrade after they got the bugs out, and or I got a new computer with XP. Then I found out that 5.0 was the only version before, and that was the professional version. 6.0 Standard is a geared down version of 5. Ok, so it has some additional features, but it is missing all the rest of the professional features that 5 has.
So what's the skinny on the deal? For what I paid for a new 5 that is the full program, unregistered, and upgradeable, plus what I would have to pay here at Amazon for the 6 Professional Upgrade, I saved 80 bucks, and wound up with both versions 5 and 6 pro. Which as I mentioned are both professional versions. If I bought 5 and upgraded to 6 standard, I would only spend a little more for both versions. (About 4 percent more for standard, and about 20 percent less for professional) That way if 6 standard turned out to be as bad as many were saying it is, I would have 5 also.
In the final analysis, I am using 5 and am super excited about the new capabilities that Adobe Acrobat gives you. I'm hoping that by the time I get a new machine with XP on it, Adobe will come out with 6.something, or a second edition of 6 etc. with the fixes built in.
I'm not the only one to come to this conclusion. I noticed in the sales rank at the time I bought it and wrote this review, that 5 was outselling 6. Also I noticed that in the "Those who bought 5 also bought this" section, it had a special note that said, 47% of the people who bought 5 also bought the 6 upgrade. If your running XP, 2000, or NT, get them both. That way all the bases are covered.
Check out the reviews on 5 you'll be surprised how everybody raves about it. To be perfectly honest with you, if I had an XP machine, I would have ordered the 6 upgrade at the same time. Hope this helps.

Newbie to Acrobat
Yes indeed Adobe Acrobat is too expensive, but, when considering the alternatives of buying other brands of PDF software that have less than pleasing quality, it all boils down to choosing the product that has the highest quality. To my knowledge, Acrobat is still the best PDF software available.

My personal needs are to create PDF files, encrypt them, require passwords to view, and restrict the user from printing and copying. After testing a couple other PDF products, I quickly discovered that their security was overly easy to bypass, no I take that back, they were *ridiculously* easy to bypass. Adobe's security has so far proven to be usefully solid.

Since Adobe provides limited public information about their products, I recommend that you first buy a book teaching how to use an Adobe package and read it through so that you will know what the software actually does and does not do. Yes, I agree, having to purchase a book and spend the time studying is not the prefered way to learn about any product, but the few dollars invested can easily pay for itself by your knowing which software to buy (or more specifically, what not to buy!).

What has amazed me the most with my Acrobat experience is when I had to call Adobe customer service to get a complex upgrade to version 6. Not only did the girl answering know what I was talking about, she also accomplished the entire order within that one phone call! WOW! Customer service like that is unheard of today. Apparently Adobe does care about its products enough to hire quality employees, and with that level of care, I feel more confident that I made the right decision choosing Adobe. Too, I purchased Acrobat from Amazon for the same reason of wanting quality service.

There are other PDF products available, some are even free, but for those of us who prefer quality and usefulness over initially lower costs, Acrobat is an intelligence choice. Choosing the right product today, the one that does not crash nor take time away from our work to fiddle with settings, gives us more time to whine about the costs later. If Acrobat were less expensive, I would give it five stars.

Essential if you like to save web pages
I use Adobe Acrobat for many things--creating PDF files, editing them and writing documents for work. But if you visit web pages and want to save or print them, the Adobe Distiller is really essential.

The Distiller acts like a virtual printer, and saves a web page view as a PDF file, complete with images. Unlike saving a web page, which relies on being on the internet to bring up linked photos, the PDF captures the pictures and creates a document that you can store away. Even if the webpage is taken down or altered, you have a copy of it. Web pages are rather ephemeral; they come and they go. This is a good way to document them.

I don't find the interface particularly easy to use--it's not like the Microsoft Office package and the icons are all new to figure out. The price is somewhat steep, though it's been lowered recently.

Despite these criticisms, I would not be without this software. It's probably one I use more than almost any other on my PC.

Good Product, Poorly Documented
I didn't understand the multiplicity of ways in which Acrobat can be used until I took part in an Acrobat focus group. The documentation is awful and even the "official" Adobe instruction books (which are expensive) are no better.

That said, as I have gotten to know the product, I find myself using it more and more. It is particularly useful for file-sharing -- unlike MS Office files, which will repaginate for different users, the Adobe .pdf format is a graphic one, so that everyone who looks at a document is literally reading off the same page.

It is also possible to store large amounts of information in relatively small files. I know that because I know that files I pull down off the Web are relatively small, but being able to do it myself has proved elusive. There are some useful web pages on the topic on Adobe's website, but that too is poorly organized.

Magic for everyone who needs document review or control
If you use Photoshop, this is a natural complement. It is great for document editing and management --- as well as downloading websites. There are more features than one needs to or will learn --- but an absolute for anyone who sends documents to others, as you can limit the use of the content sent (no printing, no extraction, allowing or not allowing editing, etc. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Scan and store all your business contacts quickly and easily with the IRIS Business Card Reader II. Perfect for scanning new contact info at trade shows and fairs, or as