IT managers looking to provide Acrobat-like functionality at a fraction of the price should consider ScanSoft's PDF Converter Professional 3.ScanSoft's PDF Converter Professional 3 impressed us as a capable tool that handily converted documents and files. Like Nitro PDF Desktop, it's best for sites that don't need all the power of Acrobat.
ScanSoft, better known for its award-winning Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice recognition software, has also provided add-on tools for Acrobat for some time, and the company's familiarity with Acrobat shows.
PDF Converter Professional 3 was released last month, and volume licensing is available. PDF Converter is a relative bargain when one considers the functionality it offers to business users, but IT managers should consider freeware PDF options if users need to create only an occasional PDF.
Most of the features we liked in our review of Acrobat 7.0 Professional earlier this year are also available in PDF Converter. For example, PDF creation was a snappy process during tests, providing documents that are compatible with Adobe's popular Reader. We could also easily apply passwords to our PDFs, encrypt them, and add watermarks and stamps.
Click here to read Labs' review of Arts PDF's Nitro PDF Desktop, another Acrobat competitor.
One feature we particularly liked was the ability to edit PDFs directly. Using PDF Converter, we selected, resized and moved both text and graphics without a hitch. We could also cut and paste content from a PDF into Microsoft applications—including Visio, a feature that was previously available only in Acrobat Professional. This enabled us to easily fix errors or make quick changes without having to go back to the source document.
Read the full review on eWEEK.com: ScanSoft's PDF Converter Professional 3
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