Adobe Reader - WARNING

[Bill Jones]

| PDF files are good for documents where layout
| and/or nice printing is important.
|
| For viewing information on the web,
| it's obvious that a HTML file is much better & easier...

Cousin JanC ....

I've seen the statements before that mention
that PDF is good for layout and printing ....

Layout using CSS in HTML is fairly simple,
although something that has to be learned,
but unless Acrobat provides some sort of
super-easy WYSIWYG mode for layout,
it seems to me that anything I've seen
layout-wise in PDF could also be done
in CSS/HTML ....

I don't understand the supposed printing advantages
of PDF at all ....

Does the PDF format include extra special embedded
print directives that say make this rendering more beautiful
or do something print-wise that you wouldn't normally do
when printing a lowly HTML file ????

--
Cousin Stanley
Human Being
Phoenix, Arizona

PDF's do a lot more than simply formatting and printing. They can format to fit
any size page, the output can be roated, bookmarks can be created, security can
be put in place, you can use various zoom tools, etc., etc. And unlike say,
Word files, there isn't any left over meta data to get you in trouble. PDF is
here to stay.

 

[Bill Jones]

:
: : > This is OT but it is related.
: >
: > I have been getting the following error msg when trying to open a pdf
: > file from a number of different web sites: "File does ot begin with
: > '%pdf-' " It pops up after the file seems to have been run through
: > from beginning to end (based on the active icon).
: >
: > One of the sites is my internet bank and they imply that I am nuts and
: > that the file is ok.
: >
: > In most instances it works fine (i.e., on my bank site I have no
: > trouble with my bank statment opening). Anyone have a clue as to what
: > is going on?
:
: I'm having the same problem with the California DMV site. I have the
: latest Reader 6.0. I just assumed DMV was using an old technology that
: was not backwards compatible (they recommend Adobe Reader 4.0). It
: would be nice to find out whassup with this.

I just opened some PDF files on the CA DMV site and didn't have any problems.
Are you using 6.0.1? Can you provide a test link?

 

[John Corliss]

| PDF files are good for documents where layout
| and/or nice printing is important.
|
| For viewing information on the web,
| it's obvious that a HTML file is much better & easier...

Cousin JanC ....

I've seen the statements before that mention
that PDF is good for layout and printing ....

Layout using CSS in HTML is fairly simple,
although something that has to be learned,
but unless Acrobat provides some sort of
super-easy WYSIWYG mode for layout,
it seems to me that anything I've seen
layout-wise in PDF could also be done
in CSS/HTML ....

I don't understand the supposed printing advantages
of PDF at all ....

Does the PDF format include extra special embedded
print directives that say make this rendering more beautiful
or do something print-wise that you wouldn't normally do
when printing a lowly HTML file ????

Bill, as you can see in the example above, when you compose your reply
below a signature line delineator (--) it won't be automatically
quoted in most composers when somebody replies to you as I have done.

HTH

 

[John Corliss]

John Corliss wrote:

[snip]

Great. Now I have to use that bloated, slow piece of shit, 6.0. I
wonder if that version still has that bug that keeps a module
running when you view a .pdf file online, leading inevitably to a
lockup of Mozilla.

It still happens with v6. Not always but sometimes. I need to
experiment more but I think I've noticed a trend as to when it
happens on my system.

]-[emLok,
Good luck on finding the problem. Seriously. On that same note, I'm
sure that many have complained to Adobe about the bug and that Adobe
has either ignored the complaints or else can't repair the problem for
some reason (the former being more likely.)

 

[omega]

Bill Jones wrote:
[Bill Jones did not write:]

Cousin JanC ....

I've seen the statements before that mention

[...]

Bill, as you can see in the example above, when you compose your reply
below a signature line delineator (--) it won't be automatically
quoted in most composers when somebody replies to you as I have done.

That part's good with me. Let him not be quoted.

But his habit of not quoting who he is following up is the nastiest of
habits. It makes it look like someone else's contribution is his own.
And then when there are further followups in the thread, his damage
continues. It makes some poor inncocent look responsible for his words.

I don't normally engage in the posting-howto threads. But here we have
a manner of what I consider serious violation. And, it is by a poster
who has now had a great deal of time to learn. Yet has continued to
refuse all requests that he offer the minimal respect in his treatments
of the texts of others.

 

[John Corliss]

Bill Jones wrote:

[Bill Jones did not write:]

Cousin JanC ....

I've seen the statements before that mention

[...]

Bill, as you can see in the example above, when you compose your reply
below a signature line delineator (--) it won't be automatically
quoted in most composers when somebody replies to you as I have done.

That part's good with me. Let him not be quoted.
But his habit of not quoting who he is following up is the nastiest of
habits. It makes it look like someone else's contribution is his own.
And then when there are further followups in the thread, his damage
continues. It makes some poor inncocent look responsible for his words.
I don't normally engage in the posting-howto threads. But here we have
a manner of what I consider serious violation. And, it is by a poster
who has now had a great deal of time to learn. Yet has continued to
refuse all requests that he offer the minimal respect in his treatments
of the texts of others.

Thanks for the clarification. If he continues to do this, then I'll
have to filter out his posts.

 

[David Simpson]

| PDF files are good for documents where layout
| and/or nice printing is important.
|
| For viewing information on the web,
| it's obvious that a HTML file is much better & easier...

Cousin JanC ....

I've seen the statements before that mention
that PDF is good for layout and printing ....

Layout using CSS in HTML is fairly simple,
although something that has to be learned,
but unless Acrobat provides some sort of
super-easy WYSIWYG mode for layout,
it seems to me that anything I've seen
layout-wise in PDF could also be done
in CSS/HTML ....

I don't understand the supposed printing advantages
of PDF at all ....

Does the PDF format include extra special embedded
print directives that say make this rendering more beautiful
or do something print-wise that you wouldn't normally do
when printing a lowly HTML file ????

Yes. All images are included in the one file. PDF is created by
printing to a printer driver which encodes the file. Hence the title
of Printer Definition File.

 

[David Simpson]

That would be handy.

For most uses, PDF files are more of a pain than an advantage. If
you could copy and manipulate the files easily, it would be
different. I wouldn't cry if they disappeared.

I must disagree. I find the PDF format easy, reasonably compact and
handy as they contain all the information.

I do agree that they are not easily manipulated if you do not have the
Adobe (pay) program.

 

[monkeyman]

Manually moving plugins from the Plugins directory into the Optional
directory and turning off the splash screen is simple and quick.

Good advice. There is a little freeware utility that manages plugins
and so on to speed up Adobe Reader which can be found on this site in
the U.K.
http://www.tnk-bootblock.co.uk/prods/misc/index.php

I find the default setting works just great and the speed difference
is outstanding. If you know which plugin is which it is highly
configurable as well.

 

[Phred]

| PDF files are good for documents where layout=20
| and/or nice printing is important. =20
|=20
| For viewing information on the web,=20
| it's obvious that a HTML file is much better & easier...

Cousin JanC ....=20

I've seen the statements before that mention
that PDF is good for layout and printing ....=20

Layout using CSS in HTML is fairly simple,
although something that has to be learned,
but unless Acrobat provides some sort of
super-easy WYSIWYG mode for layout,
it seems to me that anything I've seen
layout-wise in PDF could also be done
in CSS/HTML ....=20

I don't understand the supposed printing advantages
of PDF at all ....=20

Does the PDF format include extra special embedded=20
print directives that say make this rendering more beautiful=20
or do something print-wise that you wouldn't normally do
when printing a lowly HTML file ????

I had the impression when PDF was first promoted as a file format that
the intention was to produce a hardware-independent "graphic" that
would be formatted and reproduced in essentially the same way
irrespective of the output device. [HTML fails dismally in this
respect in my experience with printing out web pages. YMMV.]

Curiously, I now have the impression there may have been some
departures from this generic intent. As evidence of this, I visited a
site the other day where I was explicitly warned that the PDF file I
wanted was intended for *printing* and had been optimised for this, so
it would look a little shabby when viewed on a VDU.

I've never used Adobe Acrobat, so I have no idea what options may be
available to an author to achieve these subtle differences when
preparing a PDF document.


Cheers, Phred.

 

[Christopher Jahn]

Manually moving plugins from the Plugins directory into the
Optional directory and turning off the splash screen is
simple and quick.

And I shouldn't have to do it.

--
Christopher Jahn
:-(

http://home.comcast.net/~xjahn/Main.html

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

 

[Christopher Jahn]

And I shouldn't have to do it.

It's like saying "This new model car works great once you
remove one ton lead weight from the trunk".

As previously stated, a user should not have to move files
around to get a program to run properly. Adobe REader 6.xx
will remain a peice of crap until it runs correctly from a
default installation.

--
Christopher Jahn
:-(

http://home.comcast.net/~xjahn/Main.html

A closed mouth gathers no foot.

 

[Mister Charlie]

:
: : > This is OT but it is related.
: >
: > I have been getting the following error msg when trying to open a pdf
: > file from a number of different web sites: "File does ot begin with
: > '%pdf-' " It pops up after the file seems to have been run through
: > from beginning to end (based on the active icon).
: >
: > One of the sites is my internet bank and they imply that I am nuts and
: > that the file is ok.
: >
: > In most instances it works fine (i.e., on my bank site I have no
: > trouble with my bank statment opening). Anyone have a clue as to what
: > is going on?
:
: I'm having the same problem with the California DMV site. I have the
: latest Reader 6.0. I just assumed DMV was using an old technology that
: was not backwards compatible (they recommend Adobe Reader 4.0). It
: would be nice to find out whassup with this.

I just opened some PDF files on the CA DMV site and didn't have any problems.
Are you using 6.0.1? Can you provide a test link?

Really? OK, let me try again...thanks for the info.

 

[Glenn]

Manually moving plugins from the Plugins directory into the Optional
directory and turning off the splash screen is simple and quick.

I'm not really sure what plugins you are referring to. If moving them still
allows the program to follow them, what does that accomplish? What's
screwed up if you just delete them?

I did, through remove programs, remove 5 or 6 'real' programs with various
names and some of them really quite long.

I then went, through a google search, to a source where I could download
*just* the basic Real 6.something and it is about 1/4 the size of stuff I
deleted through remove. Seems to work fine.

Glenn

 

[Mister Charlie]

:
: : > This is OT but it is related.
: >
: > I have been getting the following error msg when trying to open a pdf
: > file from a number of different web sites: "File does ot begin with
: > '%pdf-' " It pops up after the file seems to have been run through
: > from beginning to end (based on the active icon).
: >
: > One of the sites is my internet bank and they imply that I am nuts and
: > that the file is ok.
: >
: > In most instances it works fine (i.e., on my bank site I have no
: > trouble with my bank statment opening). Anyone have a clue as to what
: > is going on?
:
: I'm having the same problem with the California DMV site. I have the
: latest Reader 6.0. I just assumed DMV was using an old technology that
: was not backwards compatible (they recommend Adobe Reader 4.0). It
: would be nice to find out whassup with this.

I just opened some PDF files on the CA DMV site and didn't have any problems.
Are you using 6.0.1? Can you provide a test link?

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg138.pdf

Still get the same error message, "File does not begin with -%.pdf" .

And yes, I am on version 6.0.1 (11/2003). Thanks!

 

[Glenn]

I'm not really sure what plugins you are referring to. If moving them still
allows the program to follow them, what does that accomplish? What's
screwed up if you just delete them?

I did, through remove programs, remove 5 or 6 'real' programs with various
names and some of them really quite long.

I then went, through a google search, to a source where I could download
*just* the basic Real 6.something and it is about 1/4 the size of stuff I
deleted through remove. Seems to work fine.

Glenn

A follow up. In Priceless 2004 Categories under "text" is a program to
convert text to PDF. I and seemingly others, want to get *rid* of PDF, not
create more of it.

I downloaded a manual the other day and I wanted to copy a paragraph to put
in an email asking the writer to clarify its contents and I could find no
way to copy it normally or even with a program (I got from here) that will
copy segments of the screen. Finally printed it and scanned it.

There seems to be a glaring absence of programs to convert PDF to text.

Glenn

 

[Bubba]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

Great. Now I have to use that bloated, slow piece of shit, 6.0. I
wonder if that version still has that bug that keeps a module running
when you view a .pdf file online, leading inevitably to a lockup of
Mozilla.

MIght be worth a look see.

http://www.pdfzone.com/toolbox/toolinfo_view.asp

Bubba


~~~
This PGP signature only certifies the sender and date of the message.
It implies no approval from the administrators of nym.alias.net.
Date: Sun Mar 7 17:11:23 2004 GMT
From: (e-mail address removed)

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[Christopher Jahn]

A follow up. In Priceless 2004 Categories under "text" is
a program to convert text to PDF. I and seemingly others,
want to get *rid* of PDF, not create more of it.

I downloaded a manual the other day and I wanted to copy a
paragraph to put in an email asking the writer to clarify
its contents and I could find no way to copy it normally or
even with a program (I got from here) that will copy
segments of the screen. Finally printed it and scanned it.

There seems to be a glaring absence of programs to convert
PDF to text.

Glenn

Not all PDF files CAN be converted to text. I use PDFCreator
to print calendars for email distribution - I use a calendar
server for bookings that does not save to a file format
readable by other calendar software.

--
Christopher Jahn
:-(

http://home.comcast.net/~xjahn/Main.html

Quantum Express: When you absolutely, positively, don't know
where it's going or when it needs to be there.

 

[dszady]

:
: : > This is OT but it is related. [...]
I just opened some PDF files on the CA DMV site and didn't have any problems.
Are you using 6.0.1? Can you provide a test link?

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/reg/reg138.pdf

Still get the same error message, "File does not begin with -%.pdf" .

And yes, I am on version 6.0.1 (11/2003). Thanks!

I had another file give me the same error as your's, also saying it may be
a corrupt download. (ver. 5.0) I can't open it from the site or a download
I just opened reg138.pdf on ver 5.0. Worked Ok.

 

[Mister Charlie]

Ah. So maybe it is just hit or miss as to them having corrupt files on
their page? That would make sense...the error message seems to indicate
a coding problem on their end. Thanks!