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Adobe has become rich and powerful and has tried to improve its Reader, the program created to read and open pdf files.
By improving and developing, always adding new additional features, Adobe Acrobat Reader has become a big, heavy program with a lot of useless features for 99% of users.
From the first version to the last, version 10 Adobe Reader 11, we have gone from a 2 MB software to a 35 MB one which after installing it takes up about 150 MB of space on your computer.
Basically, when you open a pdf file with Reader 9 the loading time and the memory used are tripled and it is not clear why.
Le alternative ad Acrobat Reader therefore serve a read pdf files as if you were reading a web page, that that is, open quickly, even on older, less powerful computers.
I best programs to replace Adobe software I'm:
1) Sumatra PDF it is the most recommended by me, the lightest, portable one that does not need to be installed but works as it is and opensource, without advertising and for free.
2) Foxit Reader it is a 3,56 MB software that takes up 7,14 MB when installed but there is also an even lighter portable version.
Foxit's layout is very similar to Adobe Reader and has many of the same features. You can add notes, zoom in, search text, view the document without images, and more.
Foxit Reader and SumatraPDf are discussed in another post on Programs to open PDF on PC.
3) Nitro PDF Reader, discussed in another article, is a more solid and powerful program, with also editing and conversion options.
4) SlimPDF is a small 1,4 MB software that allows you to read PDF documents quickly, with buttons for print, zoom and rotate.
Very basic, maybe a little less good than Sumatra but still a comfortable better choice than the heavy Adobe player.
5) PDF-Xchange Viewer is a more powerful software and without add-ons of advertising bars.
Overall, the download has the size of 17.9 MB while after you install it weighs about 25 MB.
There are several options for improving or decreasing the visual quality of a document and images.
The most important function is to enter text and fill out forms of pdf documents.
6) Perfect PDF Reader for Windows 10 it is still a bit bigger but the installation package that weighs about 22 MB also contains other programs that do not need to be installed so, once installed, they do not exceed 15 MB. If you choose this reader to open pdf files then remember to deselect everything except the Reader during the installation procedure. The interface this time is reminiscent of Office 2007, indeed it is practically identical in graphics with the icon on the top left and the menu with the mixed items.
Curious is the presence of a button that says "Open in Acrobat Reader"; but how, I use you to replace it and you want me to use it?
7) Cool PDF Reader it is small, very light, portable and fast, it works without installation, it does nothing but read the pdf files by opening them in a moment as if you were surfing the internet. The only options are the zoom to zoom in or out and the keys to change pages forward and back.
8) Per Mac OS X the best should be, but I await confirmation, the Skim program of about 9 MB.
9) For Linux Ubuntu instead the best PDf player is Evince.
Who does not want to install any program, both for Mac, Linux and Windows, you can open the pdf with Google Chrome browser.
Finally, I remember that, if it were used as an Office Suite, LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office, it would open PDFs directly from Word.
Furthermore Google Docs opens PDFs directly using internet browser while GMail allows you to read attachments and PDF documents that are received in e-mail.
Best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader to read and open pdf