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Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat and Reader
Version Release date Notes OS Features
1.0 15 June 1993

Acrobat Reader priced originally at $50 per user.[1]

DOS/Mac
2.0 September 1994 First version for Windows 3.1 Windows, Mac, SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX, IRIX, AIX, OS/2
  • Acrobat Catalog, which creates searchable indexes for PDF files
  • Adobe also released the first Acrobat Plug-ins SDK; allowing third-party developers to create plug-in programs for the Acrobat Exchange application.
3.0 November 1996 First version compatible with Windows 95; last version to support Windows 3.1x and pre-Service Pack 3 Windows NT 4.0 Windows, Macintosh, SunOS, Solaris, HP-UX, IRIX, AIX, Digital UNIX, Linux, OS/2
4.0 April 1999 Last version to support Windows NT 3.51, Windows NT 4.0 Service Packs 3 and 4, and pre-OSR2 Windows 95 and Mac OS 7.1.2 - 8.5 Windows, Macintosh, Solaris, HP-UX, IRIX, AIX, Linux
  • Support for PDF version 1.3
5.0 May 2001 Last version to support Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98 First Edition, Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 5, pre-Service Pack 2 Windows 2000, Mac OS 8.6 and Mac OS 9.0.4 - 9.2.2. Windows, Macintosh, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Linux
  • Support for PDF version 1.4
6.0 July 2003

Adobe Acrobat Reader was renamed to Adobe Reader.

Version 6 was criticized for its performance. The Acrobat 6 plug-ins for web browsers were also criticized for suffering from bad performance and potentially rendering one's web browser non-responsive.[2]

Last version to support Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 6, Windows 98 Second Edition, Windows Me, Windows 2000 Service Packs 2 and 3 and Windows XP RTM.

Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX
  • Support for PDF version 1.5
7.0 28 December 2004[3]

The first version to include a mandatory product activation.

Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX

It included:

  • Support for PDF version 1.6
  • Support for Adobe Policy Server rights management
  • Support for embedded 3D object information from the .u3d Universal 3D format

Adobe Acrobat 7 Professional for Windows now includes Adobe LiveCycle Designer 7.0. Adobe Elements 7.0 was also released which was still only sold by volume licensing outlets but decreased the minimum licenses limit to 100 licenses. Finally, another edition of Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat 3D, was added to the set.

Adobe Acrobat 3D included all of the functionality of Acrobat Professional 7.0 as well as updated assistance for embedded 3D computer graphics, tools for capturing 3D content from OpenGL applications, and the Adobe Acrobat 3D Toolkit for converting CAD documents to PDF objects. Also included is a version of the capture tool for installation on Unix systems.

The last version to support Windows NT 4.0 Service Packs 6 and 6a, though with limited feature support.

8.0 3 November 2006[3]

A later update 8.1 in June 2007 was released in order to be compatible with Microsoft Office 2007, Windows Vista, and 64-bit Windows operating systems.[4] Also during September 2007, Adobe Reader 8.1.1 released for Linux and Solaris (SPARC) users.

The Adobe Acrobat 8 set had a few changes. Acrobat 3D was now able to produce embedded PRC file format, a very compressed format for geometry and graphics which requires Reader 8.1 to display. It also supported Product Manufacturing Information and many different CAD formats.

Acrobat Connect Professional (formerly Macromedia Breeze) was also added to the set. It allowed scalable interactive web conferencing and multiple personal meeting rooms for everyone part of an enterprise.

The Mac OS X version of Adobe Acrobat Pro was improved significantly: Adobe Acrobat for Macintosh was made a Universal binary that operated on both PPC and Intel architectures.

8.x product support ended in November 2011.[5]

Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX[6]
  • Support for PDF version 1.7
  • Acrobat 8 Elements, which was withdrawn before its expected release during mid-2007[7]
  • Acrobat Connect (formerly Macromedia Breeze), a support application with online personal meeting rooms to collaborate in real time with as many as 15 participants
9.0 June 2, 2008[8][9]

Adobe Acrobat 9.0 was released. Support for version 9 ended June 26, 2013,[10] with the last available update being 9.5.5. Adobe Acrobat 9.5.5 is the very last version, which can be installed on Unix-based system. Therefore 10 years after release Adobe Acrobat 9.5.5 is still used on modern and cutting-edge Systems.[11][12][13]

Adobe Reader 9 ends compatibility with Adobe Reader Extensions 5 and 6 which permit Adobe Reader client software to save changes to filled-in forms in PDFs. Adobe Reader Extensions 6.1 and newer are still usable. Legacy PDFs will still be viewable, however they will open with the warning "This document enables Reader capabilities that are no longer enabled in this Reader version."[14]

The Adobe Acrobat 9 set also omitted the multiple document interface. Previous versions of Adobe Acrobat activated multiple PDF files in the same window (except for version 8 where MDI was only an alternative option and the default mode SDI). Acrobat 9 however, only uses the single document interface scheme, wherein each PDF file is activated in an instance of Adobe Acrobat.[15] Adobe Acrobat 9 is the last version to support any Unix-based-system, Windows 2000 and PowerPC-based Macintosh PCs.

Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX[16][17][18]
  • Support for PDF version 1.7
  • Support for Adobe extensions for PDF 1.7
  • The ability to create Acrobat forms was in Acrobat Standard, which was previously only available with Acrobat Professional 6, 7 and 8
  • Support for real-time collaboration on PDF files with synchronized document views and chat
  • Improved Web Capture for copying entire web pages or just some parts into PDF
  • Integration with Acrobat.com to enable storage and sharing of PDF files
  • Support for comparing and highlighting the differences between two versions of a PDF document
  • Support for playback of Flash Video or H.264 video in Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader
  • Support for conversion of a variety of[which?] video formats to Flash Video for playback inside PDF
  • Support for creating PDF maps by importing geospatial files that retain metadata and coordinates
  • Support for Optical character recognition (OCR) on PDF files using ClearScan. Adobe ClearScan technology creates and embeds custom Type1-CID fonts to match the visual appearance of a scanned document after optical character recognition. ClearScan uses these newly created custom fonts instead of system fonts or Type1-MM

The Adobe Acrobat 9 set includes a new program: Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended for Microsoft Windows. This product includes Adobe Presenter as well as the features of Acrobat 3D.

10.0 November 15, 2010[19][20]

Support by Adobe ended November 15, 2015. Version 10 introduced Protected Mode, a sandbox that employed features and techniques previously in use by Google Chrome and Microsoft Office 2010 to help mitigate or prevent potentially malicious content from affecting users' files or settings in Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.[21] In Windows Vista and later versions, Protected Mode is implemented as a low integrity process to further restrict the sandbox, and User Interface Privilege Isolation is used to thwart keystroke logging processes that operate at a higher integrity level.[22]

Adobe Reader X is available for Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS.[23][24][25][26] Compatibility with Linux was never planned, why Unix-Users are stuck with 9.5.5.[27]

Windows/Mac
11.0 October 15, 2012[28]

Support by Adobe ended October 15, 2017. The graphical user interface for desktop systems is carried over from version 10. Adobe Acrobat XI is available for Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8. It is also available for Mac OS X Snow Leopard or later.[25] Adobe Acrobat XI is the final version of Adobe Acrobat to support Windows XP, Windows Vista (unofficially bypassing installation, version X is the last officially-supported version[29]) and OS X versions 10.6-10.8.

Windows/Mac

Some new features include a completely redesigned PDF editing experience, exporting PDF files to Microsoft PowerPoint, touch-friendly capabilities for mobile devices, and integrated cloud services. LiveCycle Designer is no longer bundled (but remains a standalone product). Acrobat XI was released to the market on October 15, 2012.

DC (2015.0) April 6, 2015[30]

Support by Adobe for Adobe Acrobat Classic 2015 and Acrobat Reader Classic 2015 ended April 7, 2020.[31] The UI in this version has changed dramatically since version XI. Adobe Acrobat DC is available for Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 or later. It is also available for Mac OS X 10.9 or later. Beginning in this version, version numbers are now labeled by year of release, not by the number of the release. As such, this has version number "15" instead of "12". Also, Adobe Acrobat DC is split into two tracks, continuous and classic. The classic track has updates released quarterly and does not provide new features in updates, whereas the continuous track has updates issued more frequently with updates performed silently and automatically.[32]

Windows/Mac
  • Reader returns to the "Adobe Acrobat Reader" name.
  • There is a heavy focus on the Adobe Document Cloud feature. "DC" is now appended to the product name for both tracks (notwithstanding the classic track's default installation folder being Acrobat 2015 with only the continuous track's being Acrobat DC).
  • The multiple document interface is added back (with release 2015.009 of the continuous track), but with a tabbed interface instead of the original windowed interface.[33]
2017 Standard/Pro June 6, 2017

Acrobat2017_MUI (06-06-17) is the base,[34] for major releases on the classic track of this standalone version, if you intend to upgrade or buy Acrobat outright via a traditional perpetual license. This license allows the user to install the software and use it. Product support expired on 6/6/2022. Perpetual customers will get the regular product fixes and platform support enhancements, but don't receive future new features or upgrades. Standalone product users also don't have access to all the Acrobat DC web, mobile, and cloud-based workflows. Acrobat Standard 2017 is not available on macOS. This software will not operate without activation. Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services. Phone activation is not available.[35]

Windows/Mac

System requirement: macOS v10.12.

2020 Standard/Pro June 1, 2020

Acrobat2020_MUI (01-06-20) is the base,[34] for major releases on the classic track of this standalone version, if you intend to upgrade or buy Acrobat outright via a traditional perpetual license. This license allows the user to install the software and use it. Perpetual customers will get the regular product fixes and platform support enhancements, but don't receive future new features or upgrades. Standalone product users also don't have access to all the Acrobat DC web, mobile, and cloud-based workflows. Acrobat Standard 2020 is not available on macOS. This software will not operate without activation. Internet connection and registration are required for software activation, validation of subscriptions, and access to online services. Phone activation is not available.[36]

Windows/Mac

System requirement: macOS v10.13.

  • Acrobat 2020 is the perpetual desktop version of Acrobat.
  • Acrobat DC is the latest subscription version of Acrobat.
2021

Standard/Pro

  • As of this release, the 64-bit (x64) version of the software is being rolled out[37]
2022

Standard/Pro

October 11, 2022 Windows/Mac
  • Both 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) are available.[38]

It presents a compact UI experience, helps export PDF from Page Thumbnails, and provides readiness with macOS Ventura.

23.003 Current latest Version: 23.003.20269 (only Windows & Mac) Windows/Mac

Reader Touch

1.0

Originally called Adobe Reader For Windows Tablets (Version 1.0) was released on the Microsoft Windows Store on the second week of December 2012,[39] based on the Adobe Reader Mobile engine found in the iOS, Android, Blackberry and Windows phone versions, is the first application written by Adobe Systems for the Windows 8/RT Metro Style interface. The current versions offers only basic PDF reading features, subsequent patches will bring more complex features to catch up with the more feature complete iOS and Android versions. Adobe Reader for Windows Tablets supports both ARM and Intel x86/x86_64 architectures and can be used both via touch and more classic keyboard+mouse combination. The main features are:

On February 1, 2013, Adobe Reader for Windows Tablet has been officially renamed to Adobe Reader Touch to tell Hybrid Desktop Windows 8 Users which version of Adobe Reader may have (Modern UI or Desktop Version).[40] Name change apart, the changes include:

1.1

Version 1.1 was released on April 11, 2013. The changes include:

1.2

Version 1.2 was released on June 27, 2013. This update adds:

1.3

3.1

Reader for Android

10.0

The first Android edition of Adobe Reader X was released to the Android Market (now Google Play Store) on November 18, 2010.[42] Main features include:

10.1

Version 10.1 was released on October 9, 2011 with added support for Android Tablets,[43] The new features include:

10.5

Version 10.5 was released on the Google Play Store the 6 March 2013,[44] this major update brings many new features and improvements to Reader For Android:

11.1

11.2

Reader for iOS

10.1

On October 9, 2011, Adobe Systems Inc. released a port of Adobe Reader X (10.1) for the Apple iOS devices, featuring an optimized UI for both for the iPhone/iPod Touch and the iPad.[45] The iOS port was at feature parity with the Android version 10.1, the main features are:

10.5

Version 10.5 was released on the Apple Store the 9 March 2013,[46] this major update brings many new features and improvements to Reader For iOS:

10.6

11

11.2

15.0.0

Adobe Reader is now Adobe Acrobat DC. Version 15.0.0 was released on April 7, 2015, supporting iOS 8.0 and above.[47] The new features include:

15.0.1

Version 15.0.1 was released on April 18, 2015, supporting iOS 8.0 and above.[48] The new features include:

15.0.2

Version 15.0.2 was released on April 24, 2015, supporting iOS 8.0 and above. The new features include:

15.2

Version 15.2 was released on November 13, 2015, supporting iOS 8.0 and above. The new features include:

15.3

Version 15.3 was released on January 5, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above. The new features include:

15.4

Version 15.4 was released on January 23, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above.[49] The new features include:

16.02.23

Version 16.02.23 was released on February 17, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above.[50] The new features include:

16.03.15

Version 16.03.15 was released on March 10, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above. Features include:[51]

16.04.05

Version 16.04.05 was released on March 30, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above. Features include:

16.05.17

Version 16.05.17 was released on May 4, 2016, supporting iOS 8.0 and above.[52] The new features include:

16.06.28

Version 16.06.28 was released on June 16, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above. The new features include:

16.08.09

Version 16.08.09 was released on August 9, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above. The new features include:

16.09.20

Version 16.09.20 was released on September 16, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above. The new features include:

16.11.01

Version 16.11.01 was released on October 26, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above.[53] The new features include:

16.11.22

Version 16.11.22 was released on November 17, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above.[54] The new features include:

16.12.13

Version 16.12.13 was published on December 7, 2016, supporting iOS 9.0 and above.[54] The new features include:

20.013.20074

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Version 21.007.20099 is the most current version for free download as of 21 Dec 2021.

22.003.20314

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Version 22.003.20314 is the most current version as of Jan 24, 2023.

References

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