When people think of PDF file formats, they immediately associate it with Adobe. This is because Adobe Acrobat Reader is typically installed on every PC as a default PDF application. Adobe has been in existence since the early 1990s, so it is common to associate it with PDF files.
PDF is a universal format, which ensures the file is readable by virtually any operating system and across a broad range of platforms. This makes it difficult to get by without some type of PDF reader.
Adobe has made a lot of changes to its PDF reader within the last few years, some of which are good and some are not so good; they can slow down the application in addition to other issues. If you are looking for an alternative to Adobe PDF reader, here are a few applications that will help you open and read PDF files.
Nitro PDF
Nitro is a free PDF reader which also allows you to create PDF files in a wide variety of different formats. There are also a number of features which allow you to edit PDF documents by entering text directly on the page, as well as extract images and isolate text fragments.
Nitro also helps you to easily open and read any type of PDF file and utilizes a minimum amount of resources once you have it installed on your PC. You can easily create PDF files by simply dragging and dropping documents into the desktop icon, plus you can add notes and comments for collaboration with others.
If you receive a document in PDF format which requires your signature, you can simply open it in Nitro and use the transparency layer to add your signature. For added confidentiality, you can create QuickSign profiles and then password protect them to prevent unauthorized access to your signature.
Nitro PDF Reader offers many features for easily reading and working with PDF documents and is available for free from the Nitro Reader website.
Slim PDF Reader
Slim PDF Reader is just as the name implies since it only occupies less than 2MB of space on your PC’s hard drive. Slim PDF is a free PDF reader, which allows you to view any PDF files just like any Adobe Reader program.
Slim PDF does not offer all of the capabilities of other PDF readers and instead is known as the smallest desktop PDF reader in the world. It simply serves to help you read PDF files without occupying a lot of space on your hard drive with a lot of unnecessary bloatware.
Slim PDF is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7 and is available for download from the InvestInTech website.
Sumatra PDF
Sumatra is an open source application that is capable of reading both PDF files and ebooks. It can be installed on a flash drive and only contains a single file minus other file dependencies or bloatware. You can open it right from a flash drive or directly from your PC’s hard drive and the interface is easy to use and understand.
When you open Sumatra PDF to read a PDF file, there are a lot of options which allow you to arrange the document pages for easier viewing. The toolbar on the interface also provides for easy navigation along with the capability to toggle between documents.
Sumatra offers easy bookmarking and hyperlink support with hyperlinks opened in your default browser when you click on them. It is a fast and reliable PDF reader that provides you with full control over reading and printing PDF documents.
Sumatra is available completely free from the Sumatra website and works in conjunction with other portable apps.
Hopefully these suggestions will help you get started with choosing a PDF reader that appropriately serves your needs. As you browse the Internet you will find a host of other PDF readers which are both free and paid and will help you open and read PDF documents.
