Acrobat 5.0 can also create PDFs that are accessible to readers with disabilities. For example, you can create a PDF that is compatible with third-party, Windows-based screen readers. The only caveat here is that you must author the document in Word for Windows, because Acrobat relies upon Word's XML-based style sheets to generate appropriately tagged documents.
There are many other noteworthy features in Acrobat 5.0. Anyone who processes PDF files in volume will appreciate the new batch functions. You can change security settings, remove annotations, and crop and rotate multiple PDFs automatically. Acrobat has also been optimised for network implementation. IT specialists can deploy Acrobat over the network and customise the Acrobat installer to assign and limit features appropriately for different users. Acrobat is also more tightly integrated with Microsoft Office apps. In addition to the PDFMaker icons that appear on the toolbar, Acrobat now installs an entire menu into Word and Excel (97 and 2000 versions), making it possible to reconfigure 5.0 on the fly.
In our testing we experienced only one performance glitch. The Acrobat PDFMaker icons and menu items were not installed properly for Office XP. Adobe is currently working on a method to manually install the macros and will post instructions on its Web site as soon as they are available.
Anyone who is interested in merely consuming an Acrobat 5.0 document can download the latest version of the free reader from the Web. Acrobat Reader 5.0 supports 128-bit encryption, transparent objects, and accessibility features for readers with disabilities. But in order to take advantage of the latest creation and collaboration features, you'll have to purchase the full version of Acrobat 5.0. With a reasonable price and aggressive volume licensing, Acrobat is poised to become an indispensable business tool.
Luisa Simone owns a Web and print-design firm and is a frequent contributor of graphics and Web authoring reviews for ZDNet.
Adobe Acrobat 5.0
Company: Adobe Systems
| Requirements: |
• Windows ME, 2000, 95OSR2, 98 and NT 4.0 SP5 or higher • Mac OS 8.6, 9.04 and 9.1 |
| Price: |
• Full version AU$599 • Upgrade AU$228 |
Phone: 1300 550 305
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