Quote:
Originally Posted by astra_lestat
What is pdf file? It is a file meant to be read?
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Nope. Actually it's not.
But that little mis perception is the root of a lot of dissatisfaction surrounding PDF handling (not just on the Reader). And, incidentally, why we point the issue out as often as it comes up around here -- we want people to realize the ramifications of it
before they buy.
What a PDF file
is, is a file format expressly and specifically designed to preserve the arrangement of content on a page. Yes, it's supposed to keep that content readable, but that is simply
not its primary purpose.
The problem which it was conceived to solve is that when person A sends a file from his word processor to person B, who then prints from
her word processor, the two print outs can, and often do, look
very different. PDF is designed to address that, so that any number of people can print a given electronic document in any number of places and get the same results. It is, at its heart, a layout preserving format, even its name very name "Portable Document Format" reflects this. This point is also blatantly obvious every time that an A4 PDF is opened on a 6" screen (using, by the way, software
provided by Adobe)-- the
layout is about the
only thing that you can still make out, which is the actual issue at hand.
You're correct that it's not really anyone's fault that it does what it does and not something else entirely. Adobe is, in effect, admitting that this is the case by bringing out a second format (Digital Editions) that
is aimed at reading, rather than layout preservation.
People only started using PDF for making books because it was handy -- Adobe has done an excellent job of penetrating the market with their product. However, if they had named their free, display-only software "Adobe
Viewer" instead of making the unfortunate choice of "Adobe
Reader" we'd be a lot less likely to be having this conversation.
