Adobe Reader Speed and Creating PDFs »
I've seen this before, but wanted to record it while I came across it again. There are tips available on how to speed up the Adobe Acrobat Reader. This once-useful piece of software has recently become a bit bloated with all the plugins that it loads and advertising that it includes. No more, and no more fiddling with files or changing settings.
AcroPDF, the folks who brought us the software of the same name for converting documents to PDF format without requiring Adobe Acrobat, offer a utility called, appropriately enough, PDF SpeedUp (version 1.42 at this writing). This little utility (just over 300K) gives you quick access to most any setting you might need, and also handles the backing up of plugins for you automatically. Quick, easy, and priced right (free).
For creating PDFs, I personally like PDFRedirect from EXP Systems. The standard version is free and installs a virtual printer that you can use for creating PDF files from just about anywhere - if you can print, you can create your own PDF files.
The Pro version, just $19.99, allows you a slew of additional features, like integrated sending via email, batch printing, 128 bit encryption, previews, merging, and free lifetime upgrades. Available as a 90-day trial version without cost. While prior versions created somewhat bloated, but still perfectly useful, PDFs, the current release (v2) does a fine job at creating small PDFs quickly and easily from most anywhere.
