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There are plenty of PDF readers and creators/printers out there. PDF-XChange seems to be one of the more popular ones, even being featured on a Lifehacker Hive Five contest. While dotTech has never reviewed PDF-XChange, many of people recommend this program as fast, lightweight, and efficient piece of software. Giving users the ability to view PDF’s in a tabbed interface, providing a fast load time, and also allowing users to create new PDF’s and edit or convert existing ones is just some of the attractive features of PDF-XChange.
PDF-XChange is actually available in many different editions, PDF-XChange Lite ($26), Normal ($54), and Pro ($76), with each edition having different features. This chart illustrates the differences between the three editions (chart created by the developer):
Although we can only wish for a freebie of PDF-XChange Pro in the future, there is one freebie that is available now: Back on October 20 PDF-XChange Lite was made free for home and academic users! Here’s a list of features for PDF-XChange Lite as per the developer:
PDF-XChange 4 ‘Lite’ features include:
- Terminal Server/ Citrix Compatible
- Multi-Language UI support
- Output Documents from any Windows Application & Create new PDF file
- Control Basic Paper Settings including paper size & scaling; Basic graphic resolution settings; and normal, n-up and booklet layout settings.
- Add Custom PDF AcroForms to PDF documents during creation.
- Control how and where you save your converted PDF files or let’s you use standard Save As Dialog.
- Embedded fonts support
- Create PDF files with clickable literal URL links (http;//, mailto:) intact after converting to PDF.
- Resolution – Max Output 2400 DPI
- Mirrored Printing Supported
- Add Document Information/Metadata/XP Metadata
The developer states this is a limited time offer, but does not specify how long this offer will last, so grab it while you can:
Version being given out for free: v4.0 Build 188
Free updates: Unknown
Supported OS: Windows 2000 and higher
Download size: 22.4 MB
Giveaway limitation: Free for home, academic, and non-commercial use only
Note: Unless specifically stated otherwise in this article, PDF-XChange Lite has not been tested or reviewed by dotTech (aside from checking to make sure this promotion is valid). Please do not take this post as an endorsement/rejection or review of the program. This article is simply to inform about the availability of this program as a freebie; nothing more, nothing less.
- Simply head over to the promotion page and download PDF-XChange Lite.
- Unzip the file and run the installer.
- Install the program like normal. The only registration you will be required to do is enter your e-mail address at the end:
Oother than that there is no need to enter a serial key or anything.
- Enjoy!
If you have any trouble getting PDF-XChange Lite for free, post below and other dotTechies or I will try to help.
@Connah: As I told you via e-mail I believe you wrote a fine article; nothing wrong with what you wrote. However, I must disagree with you a little bit. Yes, we have not reviewed PDF-XChange Lite so we cannot pass judgement on the program. But we are posting about it as a freebie and while we may not have reviewed it but it is our duty to properly report all the features PDF-XChange Lite has to the best of our ability. That is not to say we cannot be wrong; that is to say we have to strive to make sure all the information we have provided is accurate. We post in good faith here on dotTech, not to mislead.
This response is nothing personal and not a attack on you; rather it is me getting on my soapbox to properly explain as aspect of dotTech to avoid any misconceptions. Okay, I am off my soap box now.
I am another one who also has been using this for years and highly recommend it to anyone asking if they should try it. It has lots of real cool options, such as sticky-notes than can be applied to documents as well as using the highlight, draw box, or underline tools to enhance text areas and if you double click your highlight, box, or underline (colors are also adjustable), it opens a new note in which you can add accompanying test to support why you highlighted, underlined, or outlined the text area. This is also useful when reading a PDF document that is a scan and does not allow (or detect) the text highlight so you can create a red (or whatever color you set it to) box around the text block and add your note.
If you are new to this program, you could spend hours playing with all the tools on the toolbars to learn all of the things this program is capable of.
Three – oopsTwo thumbs up!@Ashraf:
Well said Ashraf.
@Ashraf: and Connah
Hey–you were both OK!!! I was trying to say that I hadn’t noticed that the quote about the editing did not actually refer to Lite but rather to PDF-XChange in general (=all the programs). So no mistakes on yo0ur part here!
@Connah:
“May i ask if you do actually use the editing features? Would it not be easier to simply create a wor) document and then use the PDF printer to convert it to a pdf?”
I use a pdf editor to edit pdfs which are several pages and created in a graphics program (not Word)….Sometimes I want to add a page, or add pictures, or change a caption, or rearrange what I have, etc. The idea is to be able to go back later and make changes (ie., not to create but rather to edit). Also I use eXPert PDF to make a single pdf out of either several pdf’a or a combination of jpgs and pdfs.
ASHRAF:
Edit Post not working.
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit.
Once installed anywhere (virtual machine ?) the reader can be used as portable app.
Just copy the folder. (But only the reader not the printer.)
Using XChange free for years and love it.
@Janet Berg: Ah, ok. Sorry, i didn’t think about that part. I suppose you’d be better off with eXpert PDF for now then, since it is able to edit them (i presume it can anyway, i haven’t used it yet myself) but you really should consider PDF XChange as a pdf reader, as it does allow you to do quite a lot, and i must admit that it is pretty fast.
You never know, there might be a few giveaways nearer christmas and they might be just what your looking for. ;)
@Connah:
The opening sentence of my first post (#16):
“I have long been using PDF XChange Viewer as my default pdf viewer even though I use eXPertPDF as my pdf creator because I love the PDF XChange Viewer annotation functions!”
;-)