Alternative to Adobe Reader

[Nostromo]

Adobe Reader is a very unintuitive software and a pain to use.

The most accessible buttons are often the most seldom used, and the needed ones (boomarks, sticky notes) require to pull out a drawer which ruins screen space.

I'm currently learning to use Blender, have Blender open to the left, Adobe Reader to the right, and Adobe Reader is a pain you know where.

If Apple designed a reader you'd probably have half a dozen of buttons in a slender title bar, and that's it. Adobe Reader looks like a clunky Windows application.

Is there an alternative to Adobe Reader?

 

[QuarterSwede]

Does OS X's Preview app not meet your PDF reader needs? I find it does.

 

[Nostromo]

Does OS X's Preview app not meet your PDF reader needs? I find it does.

Haven't thought of Preview, as double-clicking an eBook automatically opens it with Adobe Reader.

Thanks, will try that out.

 

[GGJstudios]

Haven't thought of Preview, as double-clicking an eBook automatically opens it with Adobe Reader.

Thanks, will try that out.

You can change the default app by selecting a pdf, then right-click and Get Info (or Command-I), and changing the default app.... be sure to click "Change All". And yes, Preview does a good job of viewing pdf files. With some eBooks, you may be restricted to Adobe.

 

[Nostromo]

Just tried it out.

Preview is exactly what I wished for. A button for the sidebar (open/close like a drawer), tools cleverly arranged and intuitive.

I have deleted Adobe Reader from my system. If I ever need it for a particular eBook, I can always download it again (and delete it again after use).

Upon opening Preview already shows it's superior: it will open exactly where you were when you stopped reading and closed it. It's a joy to fit it next to the Blender window.

The first action I did was to change the default application on the eBook to Preview.

 

[Nostromo]

Update:

I found preview a buggy application

Current issues

1. When I highlight words in the text: as soon as I let go, preview loses the page and jumps to page 1.

2. Preview is unable to remember where I left off reading and starts every new opening at page 1 (even though it's supposed to remember where the book had been open upon closing)

Bug 1 is particularly annoying.

It is very surprising that with all the advanced software out there it doesn't seem to be possible to create a working, bug-free pdf reader.

 

[saberahul]

Update:

I found preview a buggy application

Current issues

1. When I highlight words in the text: as soon as I let go, preview loses the page and jumps to page 1.

2. Preview is unable to remember where I left off reading and starts every new opening at page 1 (even though it's supposed to remember where the book had been open upon closing)

Bug 1 is particularly annoying.

It is very surprising that with all the advanced software out there it doesn't seem to be possible to create a working, bug-free pdf reader.

I use Preview a lot and have not experienced any of the bugs you mentioned. Have you tried quitting it (apple key + Q) and restarting?

 

[Nostromo]

I use Preview a lot and have not experienced any of the bugs you mentioned. Have you tried quitting it (apple key + Q) and restarting?

Yes, the snapping back to page 1 after highlighting went away after 2 quit/relaunches.

This time, for the first time, it also opened on the page I last read on.

I'm a bit puzzled.

But generally, Preview is good to use, much better than Adobe Reader.

 

[blipmusic]

Skim, perhaps? Overall good features and it's light weight. Also, does LaTeX-syncing, should you ever need it.

 

[Nostromo]

Skim, perhaps? Overall good features and it's light weight. Also, does LaTeX-syncing, should you ever need it.

Thanks for the tip.



I found out what the problem with Preview is: every time after saving, Preview forgets the page you were on last and starts at page 1.

If you don't to any highlighting, Preview memorizes the page you were last on.

It's a bug.