Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Adobe Acrobat 9 comes in three versions: Standard, Pro and Pro Extended. I've been using the Standard version for about a year and have been very pleased with it (I reviewed the Standard version a while back). The Pro Extended does everything the Standard and Pro versions do, but adds in several new features, most notably the ability to "wrap" a variety of formats, including video, into a PDF.
So why would you want to do this? Basically it makes distributing multimedia files much easier. As an example, I had a bunch of real estate info including photos, documents, and a movie file that I wanted to distribute. Rather than send all the info in different formats and hope that the person who wanted to see them had all the right plug-ins, I used Pro Extended to convert all the files into PDF format, then created a PDF portfolio that encompassed all the parts. Now, all the end-user needs to view all the content is the Acrobat Reader version 9. Simple to use and the PDF portfolio looks fantastic! There are a variety of templates you can select that make the final product look very professional.
You can do the same type of packaging with PowerPoint files to add video and audio, and distribute it as a package that the end-user can view with just the Reader. Pretty straightforward to do, but you have to use PowerPoint 2007 - does not seem to work with older versions. It also has the ability to work with maps, geospacial data, and CAD files (I don't use those so I didn't try it out).
I spend a lot of time working with Acrobat forms to collect research data. The Standard version handles the basics - you can create a static form (also called an AcroForm), put in logic, scripts, etc. The Pro and Pro Extended versions allow you to use LiveCycle Designer to offer flexible forms that are far more interactive. Rather steep learning curve, but I'm getting the hang of it. Really powerful capabilities that allow you to bind data to fields and create a form that adapts to the users' needs.
As with many Adobe products, this is complex to use. I've been using Acrobat since version 5, so the basics of creating and manipulating PDFs was not a problem - there are more choices, but the workflow is basically the same. Using some of the new features, such as converting a MOV file to a PDF, was pretty straightforward. It also allows you to clip just the portions of the video you want to use very easily - I just followed the prompts. But, to get the most out of the package I'll be buying either a book or perhaps signing up for a class. Adobe offers a lot of education that is excellent, but also pretty pricy. My complaint with this, as with all other Adobe products, is that I think the company should offer some type of manual or book when you purchase the product. There are webinars offered at no charge, but a manual would be nice given the product price.
This version of Acrobat is highly specialized and not for everyone. If you just want to create a PDF from a Word or Excel document, or mark up/edit a PDF, you can get by very well with a third party PDF creator. This is intended for more intensive (mainly business) needs. For example, those in legal offices will appreciate the ability in the Pro versions to permanently redact info from a PDF.
Also, keep in mind that the Standard version of Acrobat 9 is pretty capable - it will handle all the basics (including form creation) at about one-third of the price of the Pro Extended version. There is a matrix at the Adobe site that compares the three version. Be sure to check that out before you purchase anything to see if the features you want to use are available in the cheaper versions.
No compatibility or install issues. I'm running this under XP with SP3, 2GB RAM, Core2 Duo at 3GHz. Good performance for everything other than video work, which bogged me down a bit. If I find myself doing more video now that I can package it into a PDF, I'll probably get a faster machine.
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