Adobe ships Acrobat 6.0

New Reader too

By Tony Smith • Get more from this author

Posted in Software, 27th May 2003 11:38 GMT

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Update Adobe has begun shipping its Acrobat 6 product line, including an updated version of its reader software for the Palm OS.

Adobe announced Acrobat 6 back in April. The new line-up contains just three versions of the software: Professional, Standard and Elements, aimed at pre-press and high-end users, mainstream business workgroups, and corporate volume licensees, respectively.

So, Professional features high-end print production pre-flighting tools and allows the creation of technical drawing-friendly multi-layer documents. It also has an electronic forms engine. Professional also contains Standard's collaboration tools, including document review management and commenting, document encryption (128-bit) and the ability to combine multiple documents into a single PDF. Acrobat Elements provides simple native-to-PDF file conversion tools, and is aimed at corporates seeking to bulk-license PDF creation technology.

As promised, Adobe has also upgraded its Reader software to version 6.0, taking the opportunity to update the Palm OS version to 3.0. The release adds support for viewing additional Adobe PDF content, such as photographs and eBooks secured with Adobe DRM technology, and provides users the ability to print over a wireless network provided they have access to an EFI PrintMe-compatible output device.

PrintMe is essentially Wi-Fi meets Rendezvous - a minimal-configuration printing service organisations like hotels can provide direct to users. It operates across the Internet too as an upload-and-print service. But with public access limited to a hundred or so hotels and airports around the world, we wonder how many Acrobat users will make use of the facility.

Reader 6.0 - and Reader 3.0 for Palm OS - is available now as a free download for Windows and Mac - Linux and a variety of other OSes are only catered for as far as version 5.0.6, alas. Acrobat Professional costs $449, Standard $299, with $149 and $99 upgrades, respectively. Pricing for Acrobat Elements starts at $28 per seat for a 1000-seat licence. ®

Adobe updates Acrobat for the XML era

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