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| A Guide to PDF's & PDF Writer Software |
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Thursday, September 6, 2007
In this article, I will give an overview of the unique PDF file format as well as explaining some of it's advantages over other fle formats. I will also briefly look at PDF writer software including alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. What is a PDF? The acronym PDF stands for 'Portable Document Format' and was created by Adobe Systems back in the nineties to solve the problem of incompatibilities between the multitude of file formats used. The Adobe PDF allows you to capture information from any application and any computer platform and share it with anyone else in the world. Why PDF? Adobe PDF has many advantages over other file formats. The most important are highlighted below: 1) Firstly, as mentioned above, it is universal. This means that no matter what platform or application you are using, you can easily share the information with others. For example if you have written a Microsoft Word document and need to share it with someone that doesn't have Microsoft Word installed on their computer, all you need to do is convert word doc to pdf file using pdf writer software before sending it to them. PDF Reader's are available for free on almost all computer systems. 2) The format is recognised internationally as the de facto standard for electronic information exchange and is compliant with industry standards. 3) No matter what software to create PDF file is used, it will look exactly like the original document. Any application with a print function can be used by PDF print software to generate a PDF file. 4) PDF Documents are fully searchable. How to PDF After installing your PDF Print Software, you will be able to 'print' PDF documents from applications on your computer. Printing a PDF is much the same as printing out a paper document on your printer. Simply go to print your document but select the PDF Printer instead of your physical printer. A PDF file will then be created on your computer. PDF Writer Software There are many choices for PDF Writer Software (also known as PDF Print Software, PDF File Software and PDF File Creator). Adobe Acrobat Professional is the top-of-the-range PDF Creation software but at $449 per copy (at the time this article was published), it will leave a pretty big dent in your wallet. Other options include MyPDF Creator and PDF Creator both of which offer a single lifetime licence for less than $60 and a site licence (unlimited installs) for under $200. Summary I hope that this article has made you a little wiser about the PDF file format and PDF Writer Software. If you have any further questions about PDF's, I can highly recommend the forum at PlanetPDF. Software industry aims for 20% annual growth until 2010 - Guatemala Source: bnamericas.com Guatemala’s software industry is expected to grow at least 20% annually for the next four years as the country seeks to focus more on exports, Francisco Sandoval, executive director of Guatemala’s software export agency Sofex, told BNamericas. Last year software sales reached US$100mn, 40% of which was exported. Of the total exported, 40% went to other countries in Central America, 40% to South America and the rest to the US, Europe and Mexico. Core banking, accounting and billing solutions are the most common software applications produced in Guatemala, followed by risk control, CRM and microcredit administration software, according to Sandoval. Among the two dozen Guatemalan software producers that have made considerable progress in the export market are ERP solutions provider Gyssa and software designers Byte Latin America and Plus Technologies and Innovations. PIRACY AND SOFTWARE PRODUCTION One of the problems facing the development of the local software industry is the level of pirated software, such as Windows, even by Guatemalan companies developing their own software solutions. According to former Sofex coordinator Sergio Alarcón, small programmers and developers see certified software as an expensive luxury and are competing unfairly with larger software developers and IT services providers, which is hurting the industry as a whole. The Business Software Alliance’s latest piracy study shows 81% of the software installed on PCs last year in Guatemala was obtained illegally. “Licenses are not that expensive, but for a small company they are. And it’s a cost that companies can’t recover,” Alarcón said. LOCAL PERSPECTIVE Hugo Barillas, sales director of local software developer Sisnova, has managed to grow the business and pay licensing fees at the same time. He believes piracy is a cultural problem. “People are not used to paying for software and it’s difficult to convince businesses that it’s worth it,” Barillas told BNamericas. Sisnova, located in Guatemala’s second largest city Quetzaltenango, took part in a Microsoft (NYSE: MSFT) funded program known as Empower, designed to allow independent software vendors to create solutions using Microsoft products while receiving a discount on Microsoft licensing fees. As a result Sisnova was able to design point of sales systems, administration software and biometric technology for companies of all sizes throughout Guatemala. Last year the firm saw revenues of US$115,000, more than doubling that seen in 2005. This year Barillas expects sales to rise 50%. The Guatemalan government has not yet begun to take measures to protect intellectual property and provide incentives to use licensed software. But the founding of Sofex three years ago, which forms part of Guatemala’s larger export agency Agexport, is a step in the right direction. Sofex has 25 members. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Spyware John Locke said that "no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions",Yet as I sit here at my computer this morning, I get the feeling that the attempts being made to keep the Internet's safe will not come to fruition soon. Yes, I can hear you saying, "don't be such a downer, Doug" Well, hear me out. Lets explore John Lockes quote shall we? Life. Yours, mine, your loved ones. Its yours, to do with what you will. Well, sometimes your will is to use the Internet's. But how secure are you? Is your AntiVirus, AntiSpyware and Firewall working and up to date? Do you know what is a Spam email is and not to click on the URL they provide? These decisions can affect your life if you are online. Next, Liberty or as I prefer to think of, Freedom. To have access to particular resources without constraint. If online threats are making your life hectic, would you consider your rights violated? I would if I found out that some drive by download had installed a keylogger on my computer and then cleaned out my bank account. Or how about while you're trying to conduct business online and you keep getting these awful pop=ups telling you about the sale at Harveys Fish Emporium. Are your Liberties/ Freedoms being constrained yet? Now we come to the best part, the pursuit of Spyware. Ok, so John Locke didn't say anything about Spyware, Write your own article, this ones mine! Threats to our online safety are growing in leaps and bounds by the day. I learned long ago, there is always someone out there who is better than anyone previously. The attacks on servers, the Bot networks, the phishing, the URL re-directs, Keyloggers, Image Spam, it just goes on and on. Your personal information is at risk every minute you are online. I know, you have the best AntiVirus, AntiSpyware, Firewall there is. But is it really? How do you know? When was the last time you ran "Hijack This" and uploaded the results to a help Forum like MajorGeeks, Bleeping Computer or DaniWeb? Its the only way to make sure your computer is clean. And theres no guarantee it wont become re-infected two minutes after you leave the Forum.I know it happens because I frequent these Forums and I see hundreds of freaked users pleading for help. Many are repeat submitters. Which brings me to the whole purpose of this article. To bring into the spotlight those out there who fight everyday to help keep us safe. They sit at their computers for hours at a time, examining postings in Forums to help others they don't even know stay out of the clutches of those who would benefit from the misfortune of others. Ever get that feeling of helplessness that comes when your computer wont work right. Remember? Not fun huh? These people read your postings and know your pain. Its hard to do this also, they have to help you fix your computer thru posting instructions for you to do. Miscommunication and frustrations can cause it to take longer and compound the repairs. Then there are the organizations that go after the meanies that cause your pain. They put out alerts and issue fixes. These include The Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals, The Anti-Spyware Coalition, The Council of Advocates for Relief from Malware Assimilation, The Spamhaus Project, just to name a few. There are plenty more out there that are fighting the good fight every day. The goal is a communication arena where all can participate without concern of malicious intent. Kind of like the old days when the Internet first existed. Back then there were "Hackers". They were mostly driven by ego and competition to see who was the best. Now its mostly about money. Legions of Bot captured computers sending out Spam and ads going to millions and millions of unprotected servers, computers and of course, into your email. Theres also the Pharming of websites, waiting like a spider in its lair for you to show up and give you a lil driveby download of something special. You name the evil that people do and you can find it online. Thank goodness the goodness of the Internet's is on the other side of the scale. So, the solution? Make another one and try again? I don't have the answer, I do know that there are good people out there who want safety for all and are making a good show of it. They deserve our thanks. I believe there is alway bad that comes with the good. A balance or whatever. And like the other saying goes, Retaining Freedom for all requires constant vigilance. So be vigilant. About the Author: Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware, Viruses and other Online Nasties. |
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