PDF-Forms is a service provided by PDFzone.com | http://www.pdfzone.com/ __________________________________________________________________
Willem Actually MS does offer free Word readers http://www.microsoft.com/reader/downloads/default.asp Ted Daniels ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hooykaas, Willem (JUS)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 9:50 AM Subject: RE: [PDF-Forms] Filling out & saving a PDF form using Reader > > PDF-Forms is a service provided by PDFzone.com | http://www.pdfzone.com/ > __________________________________________________________________ > > Look, I've been following this thread and it raises some good points, but > would everyone get back to reality on Acrobat please. Adobe invented PDF. > They realized a winner in PDF at the start, but may not have envisioned the > huge uptake with the advent of the web for the product. Lets face it, Adobe > is in business to make a buck--good for them--as this allows them to > continue to build/improve great products. They provided a free tool to read > PDF in Reader, that was all it was ever intended to do, full stop. It > provides the uninitiated a free opportunity to have a glimpse at the > potential use of PDF. I think it is generous of them to have improved upon > and added additional enhancements to Reader over the years. But let us not > forget what Reader is primarily intended to be--a free PDF reader. If one > wants to do more, than spend the money to get a full version or Acrobat > Approval. Seems like so many users will spend lots of money to keep their > machines speeding along with all kinds of peripherals, but when it comes > down to using the software of the trade, they are always looking for > something free or are never happy. > > I don't see MS offering a free reader for Word files, one needs to buy a > word processing program of some sort to read/convert the file. > > Adobe is generous enough to offer a PDF reading ability for free, stop being > so greedy. > > The bottom line is: you get what you pay for--usually when you get it for > free, it leaves a lots to be desired, not so with Reader, it does a lot for > the price ($0). However if you want it all spend some money and get the > product itself. > > Bill > > -----Original Message----- > From: Rich Sprague [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 10:21 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [PDF-Forms] Filling out & saving a PDF form using Reader > > > > PDF-Forms is a service provided by PDFzone.com | http://www.pdfzone.com/ > __________________________________________________________________ > > Just because you don't hear them breathing, don't think for a moment that > Adobe isn't lurking in the discussion room. They do listen...I can > personally attest to that. Certain changes to the behavior of Acrobat 4.05 > were a direct result of customer feedback, public outcry and professional > criticism. > > People who speak up, or out, help cause change, improvements and progress. > > Rich > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lauterbach.Mark > Sent: Friday, March 26, 2004 6:38 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [PDF-Forms] Filling out & saving a PDF form using Reader > > > PDF-Forms is a service provided by PDFzone.com | http://www.pdfzone.com/ > __________________________________________________________________ > > The following rant is not aimed at any specific person in this > discussion: > > <rant> > It is sometimes a bit tiring to hear the whining about those enterprise > products. I mean, enterprises will buy and use them, but not individuals. Or > would you as an individual buy a bus to do your commute? Do you whine about > the "ridiculously high price" of a bus? See what I mean. > </rant> > > > As one of the main "whiners" on this topic, I guess I should weigh in on > this. > > <myRant> > If we want to travel on the PDF superhighway, the Adobe bus is the only one > allowed on the road, isn't it? I believe Adobe is offering a free "bus" - > but it has no engine or, more to the point, no seats for the passengers. > These "enhancements" to the bus will cost - and cost big. > And yes, I think commuters would whine about the ridiculously high price of > busses when this cost is reflected in the expected fare. Now the bus > without an engine (or seats) is still a bus, and we can all climb on, listen > to the radio, play with the lights and honk the horn. But to use the bus as > a bus, (or to use a "portable document" as a portable > document) requires buying in to a monopoly pricing structure that is only > possible because of the EULA that comes with the "free" bus. > </myRant> > > On the other hand, I agree that these kinds comments and discussions do > nothing of value, really (except maybe to let off some steam). I doubt > anything said here will change Adobe's mind and at the end of the day I tend > to think "Don't hate the player, hate the game". Adobe's primary function > is not to make us happy, it's to run a corporation that will make its > shareholders happy. Cest la vie. > > I strongly believe that open source / shareware solution options will change > things, but so far none have really stood out as a true alternative. Time > will tell. > > One final point I would like to make on this is that many people seem to > think that these "enterprise" products are priced to target large > governments. Regardless of what Adobe might think about this, I think it's > a crazy notion. Just because a major organization has access to larger > amounts of capital doesn't mean it's justified to charge the maximum > possible amount for something. Governments are funded by tax dollars, so it > boils down to many Joe Taxpayer "individuals" picking up the tab. > > I'm glad to see that this group has discussed these matters openly, however. > I've benefited immensely from technical help I've acquired through this > list, but there has also been value (IMHO) in discussing the more > "political" elements of this technology. > > Thanks again to everyone on the list for assisting in providing this great > resource. > > Mark > > > To change your subscription: > http://www.pdfzone.com/discussions/lists-pdfforms.html > > > To change your subscription: > http://www.pdfzone.com/discussions/lists-pdfforms.html > > To change your subscription: > http://www.pdfzone.com/discussions/lists-pdfforms.html > > To change your subscription: http://www.pdfzone.com/discussions/lists-pdfforms.html
