Adobe Releases Reader 8.0 from Technology Posts December 6, 2006
Adobe has change the product name several times over the years. Current called, simply, Adobe Reader, the product previously known as Acrobat Reader is now available and native on Intel based Macs. 8.0 includes a new user interface, a few new features, and is now performs significantly better on Apple’s latest line of hardware.
Reader has the distinction of being only the second Universal Binary product to roll out of Adobe since Apple shipped the first Intel based Macs in January. The first native product was the professional PDF editing application, appropriately enough named Acrobat Professional. While Acrobat Pro can be used to generate and edit PDF files, Adobe Reader is simply a free application that is designed to read and print them.
Adobe has committed to releasing its suite of applications in Universal Binary format, the format that allows them to run natively on both PPC and Intel based Macs. Unfortunately, Adobe has will not offer the Intel native revision of any products until each reaches its next point release. In this case, that release was version 8 for the Acrobat line. This also means that heavy hitters like Photoshop and Illustrator won’t be released in a Universal format until Adobe Creative Suite 3 ships some time next year.
We’re all holding or breath for Adobe CS3. Native versions of Acrobat are a welcome release, but most of use are simply chomping at the bit to get our hands on the real professional applications. Unconfirmed rumors are circulating that Adobe maybe preparing a public beta of Photoshop before the years end. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available. Until then, checkout Acrobat Pro 8.0, and be sure to download Adobe Reader 8.0. It’s a staple Mac application, and the new release really is a step up in performance.
-- Steve
By smanke at 7:19 AM
Comments: 1
By Anonymous on December 9, 2006 at 9:41 AM
Great! I've been waiting for this!!!
I'm sick of things running slow on
the fastest machine I could buy.
Adobe has change the product name several times over the years. Current called, simply, Adobe Reader, the product previously known as Acrobat Reader is now available and native on Intel based Macs. 8.0 includes a new user interface, a few new features, and is now performs significantly better on Apple’s latest line of hardware.