Wow. I don’t get the hate for PDFs at all. I use them all the time at work so that the reports I generate don’t get their data changed by overzealous customers. PDFFactory works fine, and I’ve never had a complaint from anyone I send them to (dozens of folks a day). I guess I considered them pretty universal.
Care to share some horror stories?
Thank you for the link to Quicktime Alternative. I had to replace my hard drive, and then when I went to get Quicktime for it the only version I could find on the real site was packaged with… oh the horror… iTunes.
In the K-Lite Codec Pack, there are a couple players which will handle Real Audio and Quicktime files. They’re small, free of spyware and nag screens and, IME, very reliable. I no onger have either the Real Player or Apple Quicktime on any of my machines.
i get so pissed when an application requrires real audio. its clearly inferior to apple apps and wma apps.
File transfer over the AIM network. I’ve seen it work just often enough to get optimistic about my prospects of sending over a picture of a kitten, or a map, or whatever, but when I actually make the attempt? No.
So that’s how Real got around Apple’s DRM - they’re letting you use iTunes.
Not that I think the Apple Quicktime Player is so great, but you actually can get it without installing iTunes. Go here, and then click on the text that says “Quicktime Standalone Installer” (Yes, it’s not the big bright choice, and pretends not to be a link, but it is there). Click on the link, uncheck the boxes, don’t put in an e-mail address, and download.
Or just get Quicktime Alternative, if you prefer.
Good one. I’m not sure I’ve ever successfully sent a file via any instant message network, with any client. It ALWAYS fails. Without really investigating I always assumed it was a firewall issue.
For the most part, same here. And what’s with websites that offer IMing between users? Myspace, for once (I know, it’s my own damn fault for using Myspace).
Electronic Chaos- Apple’s Preview app handles PDFs, no problem. In fact, PDF support is built in to OS X, so you can create & read pdfs without ever opening an Adobe application.
I dunno about horror stories, but here are my issues:
1)You can’t edit them. Which is a real bitch around here.
2) We are a not-for-profit, which means we can’t afford a lot for newer computers, and the PDFs slow everything down a LOT.
3) About 2 times out of every 5 opening up a PDF file disables our printers. We are on Citrix. The IT department knows this but doesn’t know why and is working on it. It’s a major problem.
4) Every. Freakin. Time. I open it it slows me down, saying “There’s updates”…whiiiiiiiine…“I want my updates!”
5) Sometimes just randomly we come in and it’s f***ed with our printers. The IT department knows this but doesn’t know why and is working on it. It’s a major problem.
6) It sucks! (Ok, that last one is just opinion.)
I use 100% updated Window XP boxes and Cable Internet or T1 at work.
I find Windows Media works close 90% of the time.
Real Player works about 70% and I opted out of all their crap on the install.
QuickTime just doesn’t like me and only works about 33% of the time. I usually pass on QuickTime files now.
So: Experience may vary.
Jim
I use FoxIt. It’s frighteningly fast, free, doesn’t use an installer (you just run it to associate with PDF’s), doesn’t install lots of resource hogging useless crap and has a very small memory imprint. I don’t think it embeds in a browser, but that’s okay–that’s always been a feature that’s pissed me off anyway (oh sure, let’s take up even MORE screen real estate with redundant controls…). At home, where I don’t need all the funky Acrobat authoring tools, it’s the only one I use.
Whoops, link: http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php
This is very good advise. World of difference.
Jim
Can I play too?
I hate Adobe because it has variously
I have Sun and java applets still bring things to a screeching halt while they load in. I leave Java turned off now unless I absolutely need it, which is once in a blue moon.
Did you uninstall MS-JVM before you installed SM-JRE ? If you did not, that can account for some of the problems you are having.
You can try pdf 995, which is free (but does tend to pop up adverts). Amongst other things is a printer driver which allows you to print any document as a pdf file.
Fuckin Quicktime. Hate that piece of shit. As soon as I seen the icon I Back.
I agree with everything that cowgirl says, it happens to me.
We are no longer permitted to install anything on our workstations.
Lemme repeat that.
WE ARE NO LONGER PERMITTED TO INSTALL ANYTHING ON OUR WORKSTATIONS.
Ok, I must go away now, and stop thinking about this, les the frustration and anger and inarticulate rage once again overwhelm me and infuriate me as I once again realize our company thinks we are a bunch of incompetent no-good sons-of-bitches who can’t responsibly install something like Webshots or even watch a company-created video without special permissions simply because it’s got an exe file.
Damnit, too late.