Using Documentation Provided in PDF File Format

1. What is the PDF file format?
2. Where can I download a free PDF viewer?
3. Why is VCOM using PDF format online documentation?

What is the PDF file format?

Portable Document Format was created by Adobe Acrobat to maintain the fidelity of a document to its original while making it accessible on the World Wide Web. One of its great advantages is that documents prepared in nearly any application can easily be converted into PDF, making it an attractive alternative to HTML, which can alter the 'look and feel' of a document. Such files typically have a .pdf filename extension. Although the format is proprietary to Adobe, viewers for PDF files are free to download and available for all computing platforms. Most sites that distribute PDF documents provide links to acquire the reader.

You can download for free your own copy of Adobe® Acrobat® Reader  from the Adobe Web Site. You may be asked to register for the download and to choose the platform type. Please note that you must be using Adobe Acrobat version 4.0 or higher to access the PDF format documentation.

Why is VCOM using PDF Format Online Documentation?

VCOM has chosen portable document format for distribution of its documentation over the World Wide Web.  There are many advantages to this choice. PDF files are compressed, using less space for online storage. PDF files are automatically paginated for easy online browsing. Viewing quality is excellent, and images can be easily magnified. PDF readers are widely and freely available and used on the World Wide Web already. In addition, many other corporations and government agencies now use PDF as their standard distribution format.