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Reviews December 2006 • Vol.17 Issue 12 Page(s) 23 in print issue |
File Utilities Convert Files To PDFs | ||
Jump to first occurrence of: [PDF]
PDF Converter Pro represents the union of two ScanSoft PDF tools—PDF Converter and PDF Create. Using PDF Converter Professional or its sidekick, the PDF Create Assistant, you can convert Microsoft Word and Excel and Corel WordPerfect documents into PDF. Word features one-click buttons that let you create, email, or open PDF documents. You can also create PDF documents from one or more supported file types. Using PDF Converter Assistant, you can convert PDF files back into editable Word, Excel, or WordPerfect documents (something even Adobe Acrobat does not do). In all cases, we found conversion and creation to be simple and straightforward. PDF Converter Pro (and PDF Create Assistant) can even create a single PDF from multiple file types and sizes. They can also create multiple PDFs in a single batch processing operation. Finally, it can create overlay PDFs, where multiple files overlay each other on the page. (PDF Converter Pro also lets you rearrange the elements on your PDF pages, making this feature more useful than it appears at first glance.) As with Acrobat, PDF Converter Pro also offers a wide range of features from within the main program. You can perform a wide array of editing functions, including highlighting, changing or marking up text, annotating, and more. You can also assign security settings, add watermarks, adjust quality, attach files, insert clip art, crop your page (more easily than in Acrobat), and generally perform all the tasks supported in Adobe Acrobat Standard. Furthermore, PDF Converter Pro incorporates Logical Form Recognition technology, enabling users to convert PDF forms into Word forms or interactive forms for online use. As a final bonus, PDF Converter Pro can even read your PDFs to you (they must have been created from text documents, not scans or graphics). The text-to-speech feature isn’t perfect—in particular, the speaker doesn’t pause long enough at the end of paragraphs. However, the male voice is pleasant, pauses appropriately after commas and periods, and recognizes common abbreviations. The one place where PDF Converter Pro lacks (compared to Acrobat’s functionality) is in creating documents for commercial printing. PDF Converter Pro can save documents at commercial print quality just as Adobe Acrobat Standard can. However, whereas Adobe Acrobat Professional supports a wide array of operations designed to ensure optimal color and print reproduction, PDF Converter Pro lacks most of those control features. While we recommend PDF Converter Pro for those who create documents for the Web or desktop printing, we caution that graphic professionals may be disappointed. We did experience two problems with PDF Converter Pro. First, on two systems, Outlook 2003 crashed after we installed PDF Converter Pro and then told us that the new software (which has an Outlook add-in) was the reason. This may not happen to you, but if it does, Outlook will offer to disable the add-in and you won’t experience any additional problems. (The program is valuable enough sans the Outlook feature to merit purchase.) Second, PDF Converter Pro has a stingy activation policy—you must activate before the fifth session. Until you do, a large Nuance watermark will mar your PDF documents. During our first installation, the watermarking did not stop, even after activation. According to Nuance technical support, activating at installation will turn off the watermarking control and avoid problems with it after activation. Indeed, when we reinstalled the program and activated it immediately, the watermarks disappeared. Despite these two glitches, we found PDF Converter Pro to be a very useful and user-friendly tool, and the value for the price is incredible. Documentation within the program is good, and Nuance makes a variety of user guides and other materials available online.  by Jennifer Farwell
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