Special User Sections > General Review Discussion
Free PDF tools review?
jzippo:
Here's some small things that I have noted when comparing Foxit Reader and PDF-XChange:
You are able to add annotations with both, but the free version of Foxit Reader leaves an evaluation mark on the annotated page when you save the document whereas the free version of PDF-XChange does not.
Foxit Reader supports a type of text-hilighting that PDF-XChange does not: Squiggly underline. Nonetheless, PDF-XChange does display the squiggly underline both within the PDF as well as in its "Comments List"; however, PDF-XChange is unable to display text that you have used for describing the squiggly itself (and you are not able to add any text nor are you able to delete this type of annotation from the document). This may or may not cause problems (I have been using squiggly hilighting quite a lot in Foxit Reader, which quickly becomes an issue if one wishes to migrate to PDF-XChange viewer). The "Caret" markup tool is also missing in PDF-XChange. The caret is displayed in PDF-XChange but behaves in the same way as the squiggly underlines. Not having these markup utilities may also cause problem if you are asked to review PDF:s that have these types of comments/annotations.
PDF-XChange has a so-called Comments List whereas Foxit does not. The Comments list enables you to see where a PDF-document is annotated and allows you to quickly navigate to an annotation. But, it is still a cheap knockoff of Adobe Reader's comments list, which not only allows you to see how annotations are distributed within a document but also allows you to see the texts stored in each annotation.
Foxit Reader (as well as Adobe Reader) allows one to view a text of a pop-up note by simply hovering over the annotation whereas PDF-XChange does not. I think that such a feature is nice when you are reading PDFs. But, Foxit has a problem in that it will truncate longer texts before displaying it in the pop-up, which makes it much less useful than Adobe Reader in this department.
The typewriter tool exists in both tools. I use this tool quite extensively, but it is difficult to manage in PDF-XChange when typing longer texts. If you have a long text on one line you may decrease the width of its container to make the text in it split on multiple lines. But, if you try to edit the text in that container again, the container will resize itself automatically so that the text is once again shown on a single, very long line. Also, the typewriter tool in PDF-XChange viewer seems unable to remember what font I used with it, which is very annoying (I don't like courier new, it is ugly!!!!).
katykaty:
Wow, those are very specific comments jzippo. Are you sure pdf is the best format rather than tracking changes and comments in, say, Word?
Or alternatively - how valuable are the annotations? What's the risk/cost if they've not displayed correctly in another reader? High enough to justify paying the extra for Acrobloat?
jzippo:
The ability to comment PDF:s is very valuable to me. I read a lot of research papers and it is nice thing to be able to place comments in the PDF:s. When I return to a document with comments I am able to read only the comments and remember what it was about.
J-Mac:
Wow, those are very specific comments jzippo. Are you sure pdf is the best format rather than tracking changes and comments in, say, Word?
Or alternatively - how valuable are the annotations? What's the risk/cost if they've not displayed correctly in another reader? High enough to justify paying the extra for Acrobloat?
-katykaty (September 20, 2007, 02:30 PM)
--- End quote ---
If you use annotations extensively, I imagine this is a critical feature. However if, like me you never or hardly ever use them, then it is not so important. :)
Jim
Grorgy:
Not free but PDF annotator prides itself on ummm annotating pdfs. http://www.ograhl.com/en/pdfannotator/ its specifically designed for tablet use but does work on a normal pc, with a mouse and keyboard, i tried it briefly but it wasnt something I do enough off, but maybe just what you are looking for
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