I can't afford Adobe PDF and only need to convert a few documents to PDF every now and then, so I'm looking for ideas for cheap, effective PDF software. I'm currently using Jaws PDF 5.0 which presents its software as a printer driver, you print to the printer and out pops a pdf file. Jaws PDF is ok but occassionally messes up some graphics. The latest GDoc update doesn't seem to improve things. What else is out there that provides a decide level of PDF conversion for a sensible price?

cutepdf?

just prints to pdf doc. No "features" as such. What more would you want it to do?

Built in function on a Mac – sorry that's not helpful at all. 🙂

CutePDF.

Built in function on Open Office innit?

cutepdf = built-in function in all software with a print function.

Built-in function on Office 2007 too.

Yes, but I've only got Office 2003 and to be honest the PDF functions in Office 2007 are pretty basic.

+1 for cutepdf
+2 for getting a Mac 😀

Foxit is pretty good, too.

Built-in function on Office 2007 too.

It's not built in if you have to install it separately though is it? 😉

CutePDF, PrimoPDF or PDF995. All free, all have their pros and cons so if doesn't work in one, try another. And OpenOffice of course.

Built-in function on Office 2007 too.
It's not built in if you have to install it separately though is it?

And not free.

Still, I'm sure it's really, really good, and doesn't force you into Jobsworld.

It's not built in if you have to install it separately though is it?

It was originally built-in. Adobe forced Microsoft to remove it, so they had to offer it as an Add-on instead.

And not free.

Still, I'm sure it's really, really good, and doesn't force you into Jobsworld.

It's a free add-on.

And what office suite would I be using if I was forced into Jobsworld? Oh yeah, Microsoft Office 😛

open office does everything end of

pdfXchange Viewer

The most interesting quote from your link above Graham is the last quote from the Adobe man "Adobe publishes the PDF standard in its entirety and makes it available for free, without restrictions, to anyone who cares to use it," Adobe Senior Director of Public Policy Michael Engelhardt wrote. "No one needs permission from Adobe to build their own product with the PDF standard."

So why did Microsoft have to change its plans? Because it wanted to produce something which didn't conform to the pdf standard, yet still call it a pdf. Embrace, enhance, extinguish. Microsoft are rarely the innocent party in these matters, no matter what their PR machine says.

Colin