Platform Support

This book is written for a cross-platform environment for both Windows and Apple Macintosh users. Where you see screen images taken on one platform or another, the same options apply to both platforms. Almost all features you use on one platform are applicable to the other platform. Where variances occur, I explain the differences in both the text and the figures.

What You Need

In Chapter 1, "Acquiring and Installing Adobe Reader," I discuss how to get ahold of the Adobe Reader software. If you don't have Adobe Reader 7 installed on your computer, look over Chapter 1 and follow the instructions for downloading the Adobe Reader program. As explained in Chapter 1, you need to download the complete Adobe Reader program (you don't need to purchase any software to complete the exercises in the chapters). And be certain you're using version 7 or later of Adobe Reader to follow the text and steps in this book.

You also need an Internet connection. If you download the Adobe Reader program at the office and install it at home or on another computer, be certain that you have an active Internet connection. Although high-speed connection is preferred, you can use a dial-up connection to follow the steps in the book.

The figures you see in the book are screen shots taken on Windows XP and Macintosh OS X systems. The minimum requirements for using Adobe Reader 7 or later are:

Windows

• Intel Pentium-class processor

• Windows 2000 with Service Pack 2 or later OR Windows XP Professional or Home Edition OR Windows XP Tablet PC Edition

• 128 MB of RAM (256 MB or greater preferred)

• 32 MB of available hard disk space

• Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

Macintosh

• PowerPC G3 or later

• Mac OS X v.10.2.8 or later (Jaguar) OR v.10.3 or later (Panther)

• 128 MB of RAM (256 MB or greater preferred)

• 35 MB of available hard disk space

• Internet Explorer for Mac 5.2 or later OR Apple Safari 1.2.2 or later

How to Use This Book

This book is written in a nonlinear style so you can jump from chapter to chapter; you don't have to read the book from beginning to end. However, a few preliminaries will make your reading and comprehension easier. For starters, read Chapters 1 through 3. These chapters cover some of the basics you need to know such as nomenclature , the distinction between Acrobat products, and becoming familiar with the Adobe Reader workplace. After Chapter 3, "Getting Familiar with Adobe Reader," you can read chapters covering specific areas of interest. In regard to using comments and markups, and participating in review sessions, four chapters cover these tasks in detail. If comment and markup are your interest, start with Chapter 11, "Using the Comment Tools," and read through Chapter 15, "Working with Reviews and Markups ."

At the end of the book, you'll find three appendixes. They cover additional material to help you take full advantage of Adobe Reader. The topics include using low-cost programs you can acquire to complement your Reader usage, and additional solutions provided by Adobe Systems to help you gain more functionality with the Reader software.

In Appendix C, "Using the Tutorial Files," you'll find a list of all the documents, hosted on a companion Web site, that you can download and use to follow the exercises in the chapters. Be certain to look over Appendix C before you begin reading the following pages.

This book focuses on learning by doing. In each chapter, you'll find a series of steps that walk you through tasks so you can take advantage of using tools and commands to produce results. Steps are accompanied by the following additional items:

• Notes . Notes explain an alternative process, clarify meaning, or amplify a concept. Be sure you look over any notes associated with the steps and introductions .

• Tips . Tips offer suggestions and workarounds for accomplishing tasks, such as alternative tools, commands, and methods for producing results. Be certain to read all the tips and follow suggestions to improve your skill in using Adobe Reader.

• File References . When you see this icon, it signifies that a tutorial file can be downloaded from the publisher's Web site. Log on to www.peachpit.com/adobereader7 to find files specially prepared to help you work through steps. Not all steps have companion files, but when they do, you'll see this icon and a reference for the file you can use to complete the steps.

• Sidebars . Sidebars offer you more detail about procedures and often provide the reason for why you might use a particular method to produce a result. In addition, sidebars explain how to perform workarounds and steps for specific purposes. Be certain to read all the sidebars to gain more understanding related to the steps and procedures.

• Steps . Each chapter following Chapter 3 contains a series of steps on various topics related to a chapter's content. At the beginning of each series of steps is a short introduction about what's covered in the steps. Read the introduction and then duplicate the steps on your computer as you read the chapter. If you find a task complicated when you first work through the steps, repeat the section until you thoroughly understand how to produce a result.

The sample files are offered as a starting point. If you have files you commonly use in your workflow, by all means use your own files. If you use the companion files you download from www.peachpit.com/adobereader7, use a little imagination and think about how the steps in the tutorial files apply to documents used in your work environment.