Comments on: How To Use Gmail & Google Docs Instead of Adobe Reader

By: Jaimini Ram

Jaimini Ram — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 03:47:01 +0000

google docs does not support PDF digital signatures – it just flattens it into an image!

By: MichaelLarsen

MichaelLarsen — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:28:44 +0000

The only issue I have with Google docs is you can only upload a I think it is 10MB and that is great for most pdfs, but on occasion I have the need to up load a 30MB file to review.

By: qawd

qawd — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 07:20:23 +0000

LOL !! You are dull !!!

By: Jay Godse

Jay Godse — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:54:32 +0000

This is a great benefit for Google Apps. It means that one does not have to have Acrobat Reader running to properly render a PDF document. It means that all PDFs can be handled within the web browser. I’m going to bet that Google’s PDF renderer takes up much less memory than other PDF readers, and that is a boon to those of us with old and/or weak computers.

By: Miguel Wickert

Miguel Wickert — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:50:51 +0000

Yes! Thanks for sharing, I should get rid of it as well. :)

By: venkat

venkat — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:28:28 +0000

Gmail makes it easy to view PDF files online ,I think Google’s Gmail is not just simply an email ,not other email service provides these features to their users,that’s why lot are choosing Gmail.

By: Michael Jahn

Michael Jahn — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:54:21 +0000

I do not know what sort of monitor or screen you are using – perhaps your computer is not set up to view 24 bits – that is, 8 bits per channel – that is, 256 levels of from white to black on Red, Green and Blue – look carefully at these images – they are only using 8 bits for all three – you can see that this is an index color table rendering. This is like 1984 color.

Besides building a better preview rendering engine, they are ignoring several PDF operations and rendering the file incorrectly – like Apples preview tool, they simply need to do a better job – and they will, of course, this is version 1.

No need to please me though – it works fine as it is, and it is great that I can simply walk up onto ANY computer, log into gmail and get my mail and view attachments – even if the PDF files are ‘sketches’ of the actual file, they let me view them and view them pretty fast.

Michael Jahn
Jahn & Associates
PDF Color Conversion Specialist
1824 North Garvin Avenue
Simi Valley
California 93065
Office: (805) 527 8130
Cell: (805) 217 6741
Email: michaelejahn@gmail.com
Skype: michaelejahn
Twitter: http://twitter.com/michaelejahn
Blog: http://michaelejahn.blogspot.com/

By: Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:53:45 +0000

To Google muscling in on their territory? Probably not happy but then again, maybe the competition will make them lower their prices and improve their product?

By: Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:52:06 +0000

You call the above screenshots “ugly index color images”? If so, there’s no pleasing you! I think that’s really good picture quality!

By: Michael Jahn

Michael Jahn — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:23:46 +0000

The Google technology that is used to convert a PDF file into a preview is crap. It delivers an ugly index color image (like a horrible GIF file) and then ignores modern features such as transparency effects. Nice tool for probably 98% of the world though, just no good for designers and publishers

By: Dan

Dan — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:00:54 +0000

I wonder how would Adobe react to this…

By: Mark O'Neill

Mark O'Neill — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:43:32 +0000

I think you’re thinking about Adobe Acrobat for producing the PDF files. Acrobat is good but extremely expensive. Reader on the other hand is just a pile of bloat and not needed (in my opinion).

By: Travis Quinnelly

Travis Quinnelly — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:03:08 +0000

There’s something to be said for having Adobe Reader (full-version) for certain needs, like producing a huge, high-quality pdf file…but I agree with you whole-heartedly. I use this little trick every day for the ease of viewing PDFs online.