Adobe's free PDF reader has long been a standard for handling its extremely popular document format, but you aren't limited to using it to view your PDF files. Let's take a look at five of the most popular PDF readers.
A file extension is the set of three or four characters at the end of a filename; in this case,.pdx. File extensions tell you what type of file it is, and tell Windows what programs can open it. Windows often associates a default program to each file extension, so that when you double-click the file, the program launches automatically. Use Foxit Reader's tabs to open several documents at the same time, and the bookmark system to quickly access a specific part of the txt. It is fully compatible with just about all files read by Adobe's proprietary software, except for PDX.
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Last week we asked you to share your favorite PDF reader, and now we're back to share the results.
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Best PDF Reader?
PDFs have become quite a mainstay in the document world, with a plethora of readers having cropped…
Read more ReadA note about pricing: Every basic package offered by the companies included in today's Hive is free. Among those offering paid upgrades, we selected the upgrade directly above the basic package for our price inclusion. Make sure to check out the company sites for additional information and to see which, if any, of the upgrades is necessary for your needs.
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The test document we used is the D*I*Y Planner 3.0 Handbook, an excellent resource of organization-related printouts.
Sumatra PDF (Windows, Free)
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Sumatra PDF is an ultra-lightweight and open-source portable application. The emphasis with Sumatra PDF is not on the number of features and the wide-ranging abilities of the application, but instead on speed. It loads almost instantly, renders pages extremely quickly, and thanks to a huge number of keyboard shortcuts, you can zip through nearly any document with ease. Sumatra PDF, thanks to a lack of frills and extraneous features, is a great candidate for a portable drive or for in-browser use for someone who wants quick-loading PDF files without the lag caused by features they won't ever use.
Preview (Mac, Free)
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Preview is Apple's free PDF viewer, built into OS X. It's no mystery many Mac users have no need to step beyond the built-in tool. Preview has quite a few features often only found in commercial PDF software, like the ability to drag and drop pages between documents, page extraction, encryption, and text annotation. In addition to viewing PDF files, Preview can display over two dozen other file formats, making it quite a versatile little viewer.
Foxit (Windows/Linux, Basic: Free/Pro Pack: $39.99)
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Foxit is a polished Acrobat-alternative that, on top of cleanly displaying PDF files with a minimal interface, also has a host of handy features—all packed into a lightweight 6MB package. Foxit loads immediately, without any splash page or lag from plug-ins loading. Reading PDFs is just as snappy, and in-text pictures and charts render quickly. When filling out PDF forms, you can save your progress in the form and return later to finish filling it out. While both the free and the Pro version allow you to annotate text, insert graphics and drawings, and insert links, the free version adds a Foxit stamp on each page you annotate; the pro version removes the marking. Foxit is available as a portable application.
Adobe Acrobat (Windows/Mac/Linux, Basic: Free/Pro: $299)
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Adobe Reader is Adobe's default offering for viewing PDFs. Acrobat enjoys widespread popularity as a result of being offered by the company that created the PDF. For light PDF users, it's a more than adequate tool, although frequent users may seek to try a lighter alternative to get rid of the long load times and the lag that can occur when Acrobat loads within a web browser pane. You can attach sticky notes to pages and highlight text for your own review. More advanced features, like PDF creation, saving PDFs in other formats, and the ability to merge PDF files, are only available with an upgrade to Acrobat Standard for $299.
PDF-XChange (Windows, Basic: Free/Pro: $34)
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PDF-XChange is another Adobe-alternative in today's Hive that boasts snappy load times and basic functionality that outpaces the basic functionality of Adobe Reader. With PDF-XChange you can open and browse PDF documents, perform simple page annotations with drawings and text, and type outside of preset form boxes by using the PDF-XChange typewriter tool to place text wherever you want. Advanced features like reorganizing pages and text extraction are only available with the Pro upgrade. PDF-Xchange is available as a portable application.
Now that you've had a chance to look over the candidates—and hopefully get a chance to test them out, since so many are conveniently portable!—it's time to cast your vote in the poll below:
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Which PDF Viewer is Best?(survey software)
Love a PDF application that didn't make the cut? Have a trick for making Adobe Acrobat load faster? Share your PDF tips and tricks in the comments.
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Award-Winning PDF Reader Adds Mac and Linux Support
FREMONT, Calif. –September 15, 2015 – Foxit® Software, a leading software provider of fast, affordable and secure PDF solutions, today announced that Foxit Reader, the company’s flagship PDF reader, is now available for the Mac® and Linux® platforms. This release now provides a consistent user experience for PDF consumption across multi-platform environments, consisting of Foxit Reader for Windows®, Mac, and Linux desktops and Foxit MobilePDF for iOS®, Android®, and Windows Phone mobile devices.
Foxit Reader’s success and popularity has resulted in over 325 million installs; making it one of the most used PDF technologies in the industry. Now organizations can deploy a proven PDF solution enterprise-wide, allowing everyone to view, print, and annotate PDF documents.
Capabilities of the Foxit Reader for the Mac OS X and Linux platforms include:
View PDF
Pdf Reader For Mac Free
- Open and view PDF files quickly and accurately
- Open multiple documents at the same time and switch among open documents using tabs
- Open password protected PDF files
- View PDF files in single page, continuous, facing, or facing continuous mode
- Easily navigate PDF files by page number, page thumbnail, or bookmark
- Support zoom in or out of PDF files
- Support page rotation
- Support text search
- Open password protected documents
Pdf Reader For Macbook Pro
Annotate PDF
- Mark up the text in PDF files with text markup tools
- Add notes in PDF files using the typewriter tool
- Make comments in PDF files with sticky notes
Print Documents
- Print PDF documents to physical printers
Microsoft RMS Support
- Encrypt and decrypt PDF files with Microsoft Active Directory® or Azure Rights Management Services
- Add security watermarks in protected PDF files to secure sensitive information
- Specify file permissions
- Microsoft RMS support is available as a paid for add-on
“Our customers have asked us to bring our lightweight, high performance, and feature rich PDF reader to the Linux and Mac platforms,” said Frank Kettenstock, vice president of marketing at Foxit. “Now multi-platform enterprises can standardize on a single PDF reader to provide a consistent PDF experience across desktop and mobile devices. In addition, Mac and Linux consumers can now enjoy the superior technology of Foxit Reader on the system of their choice.”
For more information on the Foxit Reader or to download your free copy, please visit www.foxitsoftware.com/products/pdf-reader/.
To learn more about Foxit Software, visit Foxit at www.foxitsoftware.comor contact us at 1-866-MYFOXIT.
About Foxit Software
Foxit is a leading software provider of fast, affordable, and secure PDF solutions. Businesses and consumers increase productivity by using Foxit’s cost effective products to securely work with PDF documents and forms. Foxit is the #1 pre-installed PDF software, shipped on one-third of all new Windows PCs, including those from HP®, Acer, and ASUS®.
Foxit’s Software Development Kits (SDKs) help developers reduce costs and improve time to market by easily integrating industry leading PDF technology into application workflows. This technology shares the same underlying technology that powers Google’s open-source PDFium project.
Winner of numerous awards, Foxit has over 325 million users and has sold to over 100,000 customers located in more than 200 countries. Since Foxit products are ISO 32000-1/PDF 1.7 standard compliant, they are compatible with your existing PDF documents and forms.