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DaiBato Veteran user 310 Posts 
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There are a lot of technically savvy people here, so here is my question:
With all the PDF file creation software on the internet for free, is Adobe Acrobat software in any danger of becoming obsolete? Dai Bato |
leapinglizards Inner circle 1263 Posts
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I doubt it considering they recently bought macromedia.
Also, I think PDF being open source was prt of their sinister plot to take over the world. 
Leaping Lizards!!! Who knew it was possible.
<BR> <BR>www.LeapingLizardsMagic.com |
Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts
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No but eventually the technology will advance enough that a newer reader won't be backwards compatible making all your old PDF's unreadable. A book a hundred years from now can still be read. A PDF, VHS or DVD will not fair so well.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Daegs Inner circle USA 4291 Posts
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Huh? you really don't understand anything if you are saying that Payne.
Backwords compatibility has to do with older readers reading NEW files.(not newer readers unable to view older files). Any old files will *always* be readable since the newer readers can just emulate the older readers to read them... There is never going to be a problem with newer readers not reading older files unless the developer is an idiot(which adobe isn't). |
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DaiBato Veteran user 310 Posts
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Let me rephrase my question:
If you can convert a Word or .jpeg or any other format file to .PDF for free, why even bother buying Adobe Acrobat at all? Dai Bato |
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Daegs Inner circle USA 4291 Posts
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Support...
When you pay for a product you get support (and hopefully good support). With open source or free software, while some support can be good for the most part you are at the whim of the creator. Same reason people use Norton or Word or whatever else instead of the free open source equivilents, because either they don't know any better, or because they need features that the others don't provide(such as support). |
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Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts
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Quote:
On 2006-05-02 00:28, Daegs wrote: Yeah, right. Where I work, in IT support, we are planning to go to Office 03 (we're at 97 right now). One of the things holding us back is that the older version of Access is incompatable with the new. We have thousands of Data Bases that need to be converted as the newer version won't read the older. Backwards compatability has always been a problem in the software industry. This coupled with the fact that twenty five years from now there will be nothing available to read all those CD's and DVD's that contain the PDF files. Think Betamax of 5 12 inch floppy. Heck in 5 years you'll have a hard time finding a pc that can read a 3 14 floppy as most PC's being sold today no longer have them. You'll always be able to read a book.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Corey Harris Inner circle Kansas City, MO 1230 Posts
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Payne, That is microsoft for you. I have my own IT consulting that is just starting up. I have been advising against office for 2 of my cliets. OpenOffice.org is so much better, and has a great source for support.
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Payne Inner circle Seattle 4571 Posts
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Quote:
On 2006-05-02 13:50, Corey Harris wrote: It's not just Microsoft. We have backward compatable issues with other software companies as well. Though not nearly as many in recent years. It is also tough not to be a "Microsoft Shop" when thier offices are in your back yard and they basically make you offers you can't refuse. He it's job security.
"America's Foremost Satirical Magician" -- Jeff McBride.
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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Wait until you see their new OS. It won't be backwards compatible with ANYTHING that Bill Gates hasn't put his imprimatur on.
Regarding "free file creation software," while it may work fine for transporting files from your computer to mine, it may not work well for the publishing industry. For example, when I submit a book to Sheridan for their printers to print it, I have to set up my Pagemaker document to their specifications. Then I have to convert it to a postscript file using an Adobe post script printer driver. After that, I can convert it to a PDF. I don't understand why all of this is necessary, but it makes absolutely certain that what I send them is what I get.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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Daegs Inner circle USA 4291 Posts
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1st: who the heck uses access? if you are using access you *deserve* your data to go currupt.... lol(ok I'm jk but seriously M$ is full of problems)
2nd: I don't see how well a book can track large databases full of relationships and hundreds of millions of entries and province meaningfull results as a database can. There are still services to read older formats and transfer them to new, just like you can with CD's or floppies(not to mention you should be re-burning your cd's every 5 yr's or so as after 7 data corruption can be a problem, Also be *SURE* to turn your cd's over every 6 months, believe it or not but gravity can actually harm the cd's left in storage and flipping them every 6 months is very benifitial). Anyway, it's not like the data will be gone... you can always transfer. Besides what if we change languages??? Books are not a replacement for many data structures used in computing... |
Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts
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See the song "PC99" on http://www.tomsmithonline.com. It says it all.
Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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Daegs Inner circle USA 4291 Posts
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Actual link:
http://www.tomsmithonline.com/lyrics/pc99.htm |
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Lee Darrow V.I.P. Chicago, IL USA 3588 Posts
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Thanks Daegs. Tom's a dear friend of mine. In fact, I took him to his first con and his first filk.
I guess I am somewhat to blame for his career, according to him... a wonderful guy. Lee Darrow, C.H.
http://www.leedarrow.com
<BR>"Because NICE Matters!" |
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24315 Posts
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Quote:
On 2006-05-03 13:55, Daegs wrote: Sure, the data is always there, right? So, you take all the books you wrote on your first microcomputer, and you port it over to your new system, and you save it on 5 1/4 inch floppies. Then, you discover that your new computer doesn't use 5 1/4 inch floppies, so you use your old computer to burn them to 3 1/2 inch floppies or Zip drives or whatever. Then you find out that your new system doesn't take 3 1/2 inch floppies, so you burn them to CD's. Each iteration offers a chance for data corruption. I'll agree that books are not a replacement for many data structures used in computing, but I know from experience that computers are not a replacement for the physical structure of a book. Pick up a good book. Smell the binding. Feel the texture of the pages. Open four or five books simultaneously. Or a dozen. Compare writing styles. Now, pick up a CD. Smell the jewel case. I guess you are done now. Sure, you can do e-books with built in video. But they aren't absolutely necessary.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
| The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Not very magical, still... » » Adobe Acrobat in trouble? (0 Likes) | |
Posted: May 1, 2006 06:36 am 
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