Adobe Systems Inc, Mountain View, California has launched version 2.0 of Adobe Acrobat and with it, is aiming to capitalise on the Portable Document Format standard it established with Acrobat 1.0; analysts believe the new version could give Adobe a considerable revenue boost. While the first version was able to distribute text to a variety of machines in the same layout, typeface and format, version 2.0 sends photographs and graphics with the same clarity. Adobe has also changed the pricing, so that document receivers no longer have to pay to read them. The new version has graphics and hypertext linking capability, enabling the access of other windows in detail and is better integrated with software such as Lotus Notes/FX. Acrobat 2.0, at UKP160, also includes Acrobat Search, Acrobat Exchange and PDF Writer for creating Portable Document Format from common business applications and a compact disk with the Acrobat Reader for Macintosh, Windows, Unix and MS-DOS. Acrobat Reader 2.0 enables users to view and print Portable Document Format documents, and use navigation features: article threads, thumbnails, annotations and links. The Article Threads facilitate reading multi-column documents on-screen and Thumbnails offer a miniature page overview with copy, paste, replace facilities. The Reader is also available free from on-line services and the Internet. Acrobat Pro 2.0, UKP485, aimed at commercial publishers, also includes Acrobat Distiller for Macintosh 68000, Power Macintosh or Windows. Distiller converts any PostScript language files from MS-DOS, Windows, Macintosh or Unix applications into Portable Document Format files. The PostScript files can contain high-resolution or Encapsulated PostScript language artwork or images, or documents containing complex blends or gradient fills. Acrobat Catalog 2.0, for UKP400, is a Windows application for full-text indexes for collections of Portable Document Format documents from a network of Macintosh and Windows users, enabling an instant search with Acrobat Search. Acrobat for Workgroups 2.0 has Acrobat Catalog, 10 Acrobat 2.0 licences, Acrobat Distiller and Reader and costs UKP1,300. Acrobat boasts more than 500 open Application Programming Interfaces for customising the product and the Acrobat Software Developers Toolkit, from the Adobe Developers Association which enables users to develop their own plug-in-play products. All the products have English, French, German, Italian and Dutch versions included. Adobe also discussed its merger with Aldus Corp, which was completed at the beginning of this month (CI No 2,429) to create the fourth largest personal computer software company in the world, pointing out that it not in the suite wars that embroil the top three: Microsoft Corp, Lotus Development Corp and Novell Inc.
