First 64-bit freeware PDF Reader?
Man-wai Chang
http://www.nitroreader.com/download/
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VanguardLH
> http://www.nitroreader.com/download/
Warning: This is *beta* software.
They list their other freeware products but Nitro Reader isn't listed
(http://www.nitropdf.com/free/index.htm). Since this is betaware, it
may not remain freeware when it goes to a released version (i.e., all
current users are unpaid voluntary beta testers that then have to pay to
continue using the product after the beta becomes a released version).
I've seen this tactic used way too many times to trust expending my time
to install, learn, and implement a *beta* solution from a company whose
primary interest is in selling commercial software. It's free until
they decide to start generating revenue from it and that's usually after
"beta" comes off the label.
Their blog (http://blog.nitropdf.com/) says Nitro Reader incorporates
integration with Evernote (an online data storage service) but it's not
listed at http://www.nitroreader.com/features/. Alas, last time I
looked at Evernote, I decided it wasn't worth the effort to trial it.
"Evernote Premium gives you bigger upload capacity, supports more file
types, and offers enhanced security." Well, what does that really mean?
The free account gives you only 40MB of upload/month (paid account goes
to 500MB but neither seems very big for the level of payment), you can't
attach any filetype to a note (which should be just a file that you
uploaded so why do they care about the file's format?), and the free
account is insecure since the paid account is somehow more secure.
"Evernote Premium users gain the ability to allow others to edit their
notes". Of what value are stagnant notes in a free account that you
have to download, edit locally, and then upload to replace the old copy?
"Premium accounts get an additional layer of protection with SSL
encryption." So free account users have to send their notes as clear
text across the Internet. Bad enough you must be willing to trust
Evernote with the content of your notes but you also must let anyone see
them, especially when accessing your notes at somewhere other than your
own personal host (which is what Evernote claims is its forte to allow
access anywhere). Not sure why there even has to be a link between
Nitro Reader and Evernote. Then, of course, all your info is
inaccessible if you don't happen to have an Internet connection at the
moment to get at it..
They decided not to use a menu bar but instead use a ribbon bar similar
to that found in Microsoft's Office 2007/2010 suites. That was
considered a good idea? Geez, the crap UIs that get promoted to
compensate for the boobs that are too lazy to read the program's
included help or just go look.
I'll keep Nitro Reader in mind should I want to later reevaluate using
PDF-Xchange as a replacement for Adobe Reader; however, that'll wait
until the "beta" moniker comes off the product and it is evident that
the product is going to remain freeware.
Man-wai Chang
> PDF-Xchange as a replacement for Adobe Reader; however, that'll wait
> until the "beta" moniker comes off the product and it is evident that
> the product is going to remain freeware.
I just found that it doesn't quite support Asian languages...
--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.34.1
^ ^ 15:40:01 up 8 days 23:41 1 user load average: 1.09 1.05 1.04
occam
> Man-wai Chang wrote:
>
>> http://www.nitroreader.com/download/
>
>
> I'll keep Nitro Reader in mind should I want to later reevaluate using
> PDF-Xchange as a replacement for Adobe Reader; however, that'll wait
> until the "beta" moniker comes off the product and it is evident that
> the product is going to remain freeware.
You need to keep in mind that Nitro Reader (when done) claims to be not
just a replacement for PDF-Xchange but additionally for doPDF
(converting various formats into PDF), and also for creating PDF forms
(e.g. PDFCreator).
VanguardLH
>> I'll keep Nitro Reader in mind should I want to later reevaluate using
>> PDF-Xchange as a replacement for Adobe Reader; however, that'll wait
>> until the "beta" moniker comes off the product and it is evident that
>> the product is going to remain freeware.
>
> I just found that it doesn't quite support Asian languages...
Since it is beta, and if they have a means of providing feedback,
perhaps you should submit feedback on their lack of international
language support. They'll need it if they want to compete (and
especially if their plans are to yank it from free to paid after the
public beta test cycle is over).
Man-wai Chang
> perhaps you should submit feedback on their lack of international
> language support. They'll need it if they want to compete (and
> especially if their plans are to yank it from free to paid after the
> public beta test cycle is over).
I think someone Chinese from Beijing if not Taiwan should have asked for
it... :)
--
@~@ Might, Courage, Vision, SINCERITY.
/ v \ Simplicity is Beauty! May the Force and Farce be with you!
/( _ )\ (x86_64 Ubuntu 9.10) Linux 2.6.34.1
^ ^ 00:04:02 up 9 days 8:05 1 user load average: 1.07 1.11 1.06
VanguardLH
I saw the other features, like a PDF printer driver (I use BullZip now
but have used PDFCreator before and have trialed but discarded CutePDF
and several others, including the PrimoPDF from Nitro). Including a PDF
printer driver in the mix of components of Nitro Reader really doesn't
make it a replacement for that function, just another choice for it.
The forms, I think, is a feature not available in the PDF-Xchange that I
use now. There is a hazard in incorporating bloated features that most
users won't use: more consumption of computer resources (disk space to
install, memory space to load). Many products have wandered down the
path of trying to become a swiss army knife of features and losing track
of what they should have for core or sole functionality. Look at MS
Word where 90% of its users use only 10%, or less, of its features. The
free Word Web App available in OfficeLive (via SkyDrive) probably has
the majority of features used by most Word users.
The following are some stats regarding disk and memory consumption for
installation of some PDF reader programs. This was in a virtual machine
running Windows XP Pro SP-3.
Adobe Reader:
install file size = 40MB
disk space consumed to install = 469MB
memory consumed to load = 23MB (30MB)
PDF-Xchange (freeware version):
install file size = 12MB
disk space consumed to install = 24MB
memory consumed to load = 17MB (25MB)
Nitro Reader (requires .NET Framework):
install file size = 23MB
disk space consumed to install = 246MB
memory consumed to load = 61MB (61MB)
(2MB resident process)
The 2.2MB resident memory process for Nitro Reader is for its PDF
printer "service". Rather than use a printer driver (where you pick
that printer when printing from your application), they run a resident
process to perform that function. This wastes memory since a true
printer driver isn't access or needed until you actually print.
Memory consumption was shown for both just loading the program by itself
and also (in parenthesis) to load the same 1MB .pdf file. Adobe Reader
was considered a memory hog but Nitro Reader beats it with TWICE (200%)
the memory consumption - and also beats PDF-Xchange by 244%! Nitro
Reader becomes the new hog-sized PDF viewer. While Nitro's installation
consumes half the disk space of Adobe Reader, Nitro Reader consumes more
than *10 TIMES* the disk space of PDF-Xchange! Sorry, but I'm opting
for the leaner program that contains the vast majority of core features
needed (by me and probably for the prevalent number of users of PDF
viewers) and properly uses a PDF printer driver instead of a resident
PDF printer service. Yes, consumption by Nitro Reader might improve
after the product finishes its beta testing but it could also get worse.
For now, I'll wait until it isn't a beta version anymore just to make
sure it remains freeware. How long that might be could be months to
years (Google kept Gmail in beta status for a tad over 5 years which
exemplified how developers now don't have a clue about alpha-beta-GA
testing stages).
Per the Subject of this thread, I haven't a clue why this particular PDF
reader generated this thread. So what if they have a 64-bit version. I
saw nothing on their site that extolled the extra functionality afforded
in their 64-bit version. Just what does their 64-bit version have that
their 32-bit version doesn't? Looks like you get nothing more in the
64-bit version. It's just marketing hype to exploit the gullible that
think 64-bit just has to be better than 32-bit despite all that's
required is a recompile of the same exact code (meaning the same exact
feature set) with a different compiler option.
M.L.
>>>> http://www.nitroreader.com/download/
>> You need to keep in mind that Nitro Reader (when done) claims to be not
>> just a replacement for PDF-Xchange but additionally for doPDF
>> (converting various formats into PDF), and also for creating PDF forms
>> (e.g. PDFCreator).
>
>There is a hazard in incorporating bloated features that most
>users won't use: more consumption of computer resources (disk space to
>install, memory space to load). Many products have wandered down the
>path of trying to become a swiss army knife of features and losing track
>of what they should have for core or sole functionality. Look at MS
>Word where 90% of its users use only 10%, or less, of its features. The
>free Word Web App available in OfficeLive (via SkyDrive) probably has
>the majority of features used by most Word users.
There's a difference between multi-purpose software like Nitro Reader,
and single-purpose software with multiple features like MS Word.
There's never going to be 100% feature usage with complex software
applications.
VanguardLH
But, as I recall from my very short-lived trial in a VM (to check disk
and memory consumption), there is no custom installation menu or tree
from which you can pick just exactly what components of Nitro Reader
that you want to install. What if you don't want their PDF service
because you have a preferred PDF printer driver already? What if you
don't need their PDF Hammer incorporated into Nitro Reader to generate
forms in a PDF file? Multi-purpose often means no choice in getting ALL
those purposes. That's why I chose the leaner product: not because it
gave me all those options during installation but because it didn't
include all the bloat that I don't need.
PDFrank
Can a 64-bit PDF reader open a PDF twice as fast as a 32-bit PDF reader?
LouB
Only if the PDF file > 2gig
Sascha Beaumont
Sascha Beaumont here with Nitro PDF Software, rest assured we are
listening to the community in every way we can so please please please
submit any gripes/concerns/problems/praise/questions via our official
community support forum at http://www.getsatisfaction.com/nitropdf
To rest your fears, Nitro Reader will always be a freely available
product. Even once we remove the 'beta' label there will be zero
charge to *most* users. Much like it's sister product PrimoPDF, there
will be a nominal charge for Enterprise level customers looking for
more than just the software. Enterprise licensing agreements will be
available bundled with phone support, network deployment customization
and other ancillary services.
If you have no desire for a customized, automated network deployment
for loads of machines then Nitro Reader will always be free. Even for
commercial use. Guaranteed.
Our website is currently unclear about what is happening "post beta",
but I'll have a chat to our web content team and ensure that your
questions are clarified on the site.
Note that the 'beta' tag is on the product as there are certain very
specific areas of the PDF specification that don't display 100%
correct in our renderer. Most documents display better and faster than
in Nitro Pro but some don't. Basically until we catch up to ourselves
we're not removing the beta tag ;)
Finally, regarding Asian languages (more specifically fonts/input/
keyboards, aka. Unicode/CJK support), please let us know what your
problems are via http://www.getsatisfaction.com/nitropdf - we don't
have any native Asian speakers on the testing team, so I'm
*definitely* sure some things have slipped through :)
Cheers,
Sascha Beaumont
Product Analyst
Nitro PDF Software
Bob Adkins
Yes. A 32bit reader can open a small PDF in .2sec. A 64bit reader can
open it in only .1sec. Hey! .1sec saved! Over 50 years, you can save
almost a minute!
Bob Adkins
<toylet...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>http://www.nitroreader.com/download/
Thanks for that!
More features than my current reader (FoxIt), but the GUI is ugly.
Seems to have an IE plugin, that's a feature I MUST HAVE.