Why I Just Bought Acrobat Pro 9
I purchased my first copy of Adobe Acrobat (the PDF creator, not the PDF reader) back when it was in version 5. At the time, it was the best solution for creating PDF ebooks. I need many of the indexing features and annotation tools included with a pro level product so using a free PDF creator isn't really an option. Adobe Acrobat versions 6, 7, and 8 didn't include anything I felt I couldn't live without and when it came time to buy another PDF tool, I went with PDF Converter Professional from Nuance because it had competitive features and cost hundreds of dollars less. I took the plunge and purchased
Acrobat 9 Pro specifically because it adds some new features that make PDFs a fully engaged multimedia experience.
I've long been frustrated that PDF publishing couldn't also include video, providing text relevance and the ease of showing someone how to do something with a video all in the same package. I realize PDF wasn't originally intended to do that, simply being a way to describe how a document should appear when it is printed. Just because it wasn't originally supposed to work that way doesn't mean it shouldn't. Adobe finally married text and video in Acrobat 9, which has been on the market for awhile. My existing ebook library is in need of some updating, along with a couple of new products that are coming in the next couple weeks as well. All of these PDFs will now contain video because it makes sense to include video for a more complete experience.
PDFs with video can still be printed. The video gets left out of the printing process. The advantage is I don't have to send you off to a Web page if I want you to watch a video as part of the learning process, creating a complete learning package. If you previously purchased any of my ebooks like Convert Vinyl LPs to CD, Converting VHS to DVD, or the Podcasting Starter Kit, you'll be notified of the new version and have the opportunity to download with all of the new features. If publish ebooks of your own, I highly recommend using this integrated approach to information publishing because it extends beyond what I've seen most people doing with downloadable info products.