Adobe Systems has released an update to its popular Reader software that enables anybody to open and read PDF files on a computer.

 

December 8, 2006: Adobe Systems has released an update to its popular Reader software that enables anybody to open and read PDF files on a computer.
Adobe Reader 8 features a new, streamlined interface with user customisable toolbars plus graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration, which boosts performance when viewing graphics-intense PDF files, such as 3D content. The new version has been designed with features to facilitate trusted information exchange between enterprises, government agencies, constituents and consumers who view, print, search, digitally sign and collaborate with PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Professional users can now enable Adobe Reader users to fill and submit forms, save data and digitally sign documents.
A new ø¢â‚¬Å“Start Meetingø¢â‚¬ button launches Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional (see separate press release issued yesterday) an Adobe-hosted software service that provides real-time online collaboration through Adobe Flash Player. Coinciding with the release of Reader 8, Adobe has published the Sixth Edition of the PDF Reference, a free guide for developers implementing the open PDF specification in third-party products and plug-ins. The PDF Reference, complete with the current PDF 1.7 specification, can be downloaded at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/pdf/pdf_reference.html. Additionally, the Adobe Acrobat 8 Software Development Kit (SDK), which contains documentation and tools that developers need to build Adobe Reader and Acrobat plug-ins, is a free download at http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/acrobat/ .
Adobe Reader 8 is now available as a free download at http://www.adobe.com/go/getreader/, and is available in English, French, German and Japanese versions. Chinese and Korean versions are expected to be available in early 2007. Adobe Reader 8 is available on Windows and Mac, and is expected on Linux, HP/UX, AIX, and Solaris (SPARC) platforms in 2007. For more information on Adobe Reader 8, please visit http://www.adobe.com/go/getreader/. For system requirements, please visit http://www.adobe.com/products/reader/productinfo/systemreqs/.