PDF reading on Small Size PDA

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Yeah, it is frustrating to download a PDF to your PDA, open it, and only then discover it is untagged and unusable.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

True. There are more untagged than tagged documents out there, as far as I can tell from anecdotal evidence. It would be nice if there was a way to determine the existence of tagging, either before downloading, or before opening, but I don't know of one... even Adobe can't tell you that until you actually open the file.

(Of course, there'd be no issue if every PDF creator simply tagged all of their documents...)

Unfortunately most programs used to create PDF files do not support tagging and even the after the fact activesync is going by the wayside as Vista doesn't support it. Basically the tools to create tagged documents all belong to Adobe and they charge a lot for their use. They include InDesign, Acrobat, Framemaker. I know of no free program other than ActiveSync that will create tagged files. The Adobe Reader on the PC will temporarily tag a file and I wrote them to ask that there be a way to save the tags it added in a future version of Adobe Reader but it didn't make it in to version 9. Adobe needs to make a way to add tagging that if free IMHO.

Dale

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Adobe needs to make a way to add tagging that if free IMHO.

I'm sure if enough people were demanding it (and if they thought it would significantly expand use of their products), they would add it to the standalone reader. But alas, we are still small in number, and Adobe isn't much interested in our needs (as evidenced by how few of their apps are designed with PDAs in mind... essentially one, the reader, I believe).

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I'm sure if enough people were demanding it (and if they thought it would significantly expand use of their products), they would add it to the standalone reader. But alas, we are still small in number, and Adobe isn't much interested in our needs (as evidenced by how few of their apps are designed with PDAs in mind... essentially one, the reader, I believe).

<shrug>

Adobe is a B2B outfit, selling to the corporate market. They give away the reader. They sell the tools to create PDFs to businesses that create information in that format.

Things will change in creation to tagged PDFs if and when businesses that create them get the idea that significant numbers of the intended viewers will do so on a mobile device.
______
Dennis

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I'm sure if enough people were demanding it (and if they thought it would significantly expand use of their products), they would add it to the standalone reader. But alas, we are still small in number, and Adobe isn't much interested in our needs (as evidenced by how few of their apps are designed with PDAs in mind... essentially one, the reader, I believe).

Well, How many of us, besides me, have recommended it to Adobe? We need to make our needs known. The Reader is enough for PDA's IMHO but we need to be able to add tags to the source, particularly now that ActiveSync is going away. It will increase their product penetration by making PDF better for eBooks and with Digital Editions headed for PDA's it will be even more important to their model since DE also supports PDF.

Dale