My frustration is with the way it insists on dumping an icon on my desktop every time it updates. Is there anything more utterly useless than an Adobe Acrobat reader icon on your desktop?

I went past their HQ in San Jose several years ago on the bus. Even back then I hated them - I almost wish I'd had the gumption to get off and throw a brick through their window. Then again there's a lot of other companies on that street so I'd probably have run out of bricks :-/

It also dumps a line or two in your startup processes when first installed. Java is worse. It reactivates said line evertime it updates.

I tried foxit and other variants, there was issues that made me go back to adobe tho, cant remember specifics other than I do remember some pdf's didnt display right.

The problem I see with adobe is they will never just concentrate on bug fixing, they will always be adding new features which in turn means new bugs and trying to make more money. How easy is it now to download adobe without their DLM?

I tried foxit 5,, now up to 12mb.
I found it very slow, so gone back to v4

I just updated to Foxit 5 and it seems as fast as 4 to me. Like the skin option too.

In reply to a post by Banger:

I just updated to Foxit 5 and it seems as fast as 4 to me. Like the skin option too.

Strange, it took about 20 secs for mine to open in 5, same PDF in 4 was instance.

Might give it a another go in a month or so.

The reason Reader is free is because Adobe figured out that if they didn't provide it freely to everyone, nobody would buy Acrobat. If you wrote 100 letters to 100 people and 98 of them asked you to send it in another format because they couldn't afford the grand or whatever for Acrobat to read it, would you continue to use Acrobat? Judging by the price of it's programs, I'm guessing Adobe doesn't do free software because they like being nice.

Another gift from our U.S. Supreme Court to the People. Manufacturers can disclaim warranties of fitness, merchantibility, etc. I guess the SC was afraid enforcing a good faith law that required a company to deliver a working product would have a chilling effect on their friends corporate profits. Basically, as long as the company lets you know they're doing it, and there are no State laws prohibiting disclaimer, they can sell you a program with 20,000+ bugs in it. That was the number that Windows 98 purportedly had at release. Bill Gates didn't introduce the concept of selling junk for real money but he certainly seemed to embrace the concept. Too bad. Corporations will kill us someday if we let the SC continue to give them a higher standing than human beings.

From Adobe End User License Agreement
4. No Warranty. The Software is being delivered to you AS IS and Adobe makes no warranty as to its use or performance. ADOBE AND ITS SUPPLIERS DO NOT AND CANNOT WARRANT THE PERFORMANCE OR RESULTS YOU MAY OBTAIN BY USING THE SOFTWARE OR DOCUMENTATION. ADOBE AND ITS SUPPLIERS MAKE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT WILL ADOBE OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS, EVEN IF AN ADOBE REPRESENTATIVE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY CLAIM BY ANY THIRD PARTY. Some states or jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental, consequential or special damages, or the exclusion of implied warranties or limitations on how long an implied warranty may last, so the above limitations may not apply to you.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

I'm guessing Adobe doesn't do free software because they like being nice.

No business does anything to be nice (possible expection of 'Nice Biscuits' makers).

Well, that's tough for you in the US, but we have different laws in the UK.