Adobe Acrobat Reader 8.0 Review

Bottom-Line: The of the program's ability to edit Adobe Professional generated forms is reason enough to upgrade to the newest version of what still is a free download from Adobe.

I love Adobe Acrobat; the Reader and the Professional program(s).  The document collaboration software has made my life easier in many, many ways; e.g. it allows me to scan in all of bills and important correspondence and store them in a universally accepted format (Adobe .PDF) for later retrieval and printing.  This has proved ideal for providing the often laborious number of documents needed to apply for large loan; instead of printing out reams of paper, I can just burn all of necessary paperwork to CD-ROM.  

By now everyone should be familiar with Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files, they are everywhere, and they have become a staple of corporate and Internet file sharing.  Acrobat is now the defacto standard in cross-platform file sharing because the .PDF format is not platform dependant, its portable; i.e. as long as you have the Acrobat Reader-now up to version 8.0-you can read a .PDF file, and now even fill out .PDF forms. 

But first came the (free) reader; yes I free!  The latest release of Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 8.0, still allows one to view and print PDF files.  As THE open standard for worldwide electronic document distribution, PDF files preserve all the formatting, the graphics and the colors of the original document, so Acrobat users know they're delivering the exact same presentation to everyone.

Version 8.0 of this now critical software has a completely redesigned interface that feels more intuitive and offers tools for viewing information more efficiently.  For instance one can now complete a form created by Acrobat Professional; earlier version could only read the form and not allow editing to take place.   

Another welcome addition is Acrobat Reader's 8.0 integration with Adobe Connect, an application that allows one to instantly comment and collaborate on projects with online presentations and live online meetings.  Overall, Adobe Acrobat 8.0 is a welcome enhancement to an already stellar and highly functional product.  The of the program's ability to edit Adobe Professional generated forms is reason enough to upgrade to the newest version of what still is a free download from Adobe.