[Summary]
From California, Adobe launched PDF (Portable Document Format) in June
1993, along with Acrobat Reader (free, to read PDFs) and Adobe Acrobat
(for a fee, to create PDFs). As stated on the website, PDF "lets you
capture and view robust information from any application, on any
computer system and share it with anyone around the world.” As the
"veteran" format, PDF was perfected over the years as a global standard
for distribution and viewing of information. Acrobat Reader was
available in several languages, for various platforms (Windows, Mac,
Linux, Palm OS, Pocket PC, Symbian OS, etc.), and for various devices
(computer, PDA, smartphone). In May 2003, Acrobat Reader (5th version)
merged with Acrobat eBook Reader (2nd version) to become Adobe Reader,
starting with version 6, which could read both standard PDF files and
secure PDF files of copyrighted books.
***
From California, Adobe launched PDF (Portable Document Format) in June
1993, along with Acrobat Reader (free, to read PDFs) and Adobe Acrobat
(for a fee, to make PDFs).
As stated on the website, PDF "lets you capture and view robust
information from any application, on any computer system and share it
with anyone around the world. Individuals, businesses, and government
agencies everywhere trust and rely on Adobe PDF to communicate their
ideas and vision.”
As the "veteran" format, PDF was perfected over the years as a global
standard for distribution and viewing of information. Acrobat Reader
and Adobe Acrobat gave the tools to create and view PDF files in
several languages and for several platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux).
In August 2000, Adobe bought Glassbook, a software company intended for
publishers, booksellers, distributors and libraries. Adobe also
partnered with Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com to offer ebooks for
Acrobat Reader and Glassbook Reader.
# Two new software
In January 2001, Adobe launched Acrobat eBook Reader (free) and the
Adobe Content Server (for a fee).
Acrobat eBook Reader was meant to read PDF files of copyrighted books,
while adding notes and bookmarks, visualizing the book covers in a
personal library, and browsing a dictionary.
The Adobe Content Server was intended for publishers and distributors,
for the packaging, protection, distribution and sale of PDF copyrighted
books, while managing their access with DRM according to the copyright
holder’s instructions, for example allowing or not the printing and
loan of a book. The Adobe Content Server was replaced with the Adobe
LiveCycle Policy Server in November 2004.
In April 2001, Adobe partnered with Amazon, for Amazon’s eBookStore to
include 2,000 copyrighted books for Acrobat eBook Reader. These were
titles of major publishers, travel guides and children books.
Acrobat Reader was then available for PDAs, beginning with the Palm
Pilot in May 2001 and the Pocket PC in December 2001.
# Adobe Reader
From 1993 to 2003, according to Adobe’s website, over 500 million
copies of Acrobat Reader were downloaded worldwide. In 2003, Acrobat
Reader was available in many languages and for many platforms (Windows,
Mac, Linux, Palm OS, Pocket PC, Symbian OS, etc.). Approximately 10% of
the documents on the internet were available in PDF. PDF was also the
main format for ebooks.
In May 2003, Acrobat Reader (5th version) merged with Acrobat eBook
Reader (2nd version) to become Adobe Reader, starting with version 6,
which could read both standard PDF files and secure PDF files of
copyrighted books.
In late 2003, Adobe opened its own online bookstore, the Digital Media
Store, with PDF titles from major publishers, for example
HarperCollins, Random House and Simon & Schuster, and electronic
versions of newspapers and magazines, for example The New York Times or
Popular Science. Adobe also launched Adobe eBooks Central as a service
to read, publish, sell and lend ebooks, and Adobe eBook Library as a
prototype digital library.
After being a proprietary format, PDF was officially released as an
open standard in July 2008, and published by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) as ISO 32000-1:2008.