MSDN Articles available in Reader Format

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnroad/html/Road02132002.asp?frame=true">http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnroad/html/Road02132002.asp?frame=true</a><br /><br />Some MSDN articles, particularly those by John Kennedy, are being made available in .lit format for your desktop and Pocket PC, both 2000 and 2002 versions of MS Reader. The screenshots and code examples are a bit hard to read on the PPC screen, but everything else is fine. Too bad there is no way to zoom in on images in Reader.<br /><br />Interesting side note - see anything different in that last screenshot in the article that I linked to? That isn't an X icon... hmmmmm ;-)

[Jason Dunn]

And I wonder what the little twin arrows going each direction are? Could it finally be a REAL task switcher?

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/smartminimize.gif

Nah.... :roll:

[spg]

And I wonder what the little twin arrows going each direction are? Could it finally be a REAL task switcher?

Nah.... :roll:


It can't be! That would ruin the whole PocketPC effect! :wink:

[Registered]

Very cool !

Unfortunately a search for "Download this article in Microsoft Reader format" on MSDN only returned this one article :?

[Mr. Anonymous]

This is pretty cool...and if I read the article correctly, you can deploy C# apps to Pocket PC 2002? Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.

Oh dear, I feel an assimilation coming on :)

[Jason Dunn]

Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.


Suddenly? :lol:

[Joff]

May be it is best to use Acrobat Reader if the same version of the document is available in that format too.

It's a very powerful tool: text can be configured to fit the size of diplay (Reflow mode) and when Reflow is not enabled, you can Zoom in.
Look on Adode's web site for the Windows CE version (it's free!) 8O

[Registered]

Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.


Suddenly? :lol:


ROTFLMAO

[Robert Levy]

May be it is best to use Acrobat Reader if the same version of the document is available in that format too.


:?: Umm... not if you're a company whose software is competing with Adobe in the e-book reader arena

[spg]

Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.


Suddenly? :lol:


LOL! :lol:

[BadgerSoft]

And I wonder what the little twin arrows going each direction are? Could it finally be a REAL task switcher?

Isn't that the VPN or Network Activity indicator?

I for one can't wait for the Smart Device Extensions to come out. I've started reworking my baseball game in C# in anticipation of them coming out.

The author looks like he is using an unreleased Beta of it (I've got to go check and see if it's available), not the Tech Preview that was available which didn't have the Designer.

[speter]

May be it is best to use Acrobat Reader if the same version of the document is available in that format too.


:?: Umm... not if you're a company whose software is competing with Adobe in the e-book reader arena


Of course, you have to wonder why, given this, there aren't more MS Press books in Reader format.

[Jason Dunn]

Of course, you have to wonder why, given this, there aren't more MS Press books in Reader format.


If you saw Microsoft's effort in making en eBook out of an XP book, you'd realize that they have no competence in creating them. It was completely horrible - almost like they never tested it on a Pocket PC. :cry:

[James]

As much as I hate Microsoft's DRM implementation and pretty much refuse to use their eBook reader, I hate Adobe Acrobat even more. Of all the crapware ever to hit the market, Acrobat definitely makes the top of my list.

[RussHart]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.

[spg]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.


I was wondering the exact same thing. I think Acrobat for PPC is another step towards the paper-less office. I think it is a great thing.

[James]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.


Well, starting from the install, they have no concept of silent installations (well written ones anyway), so to install Acrobat (or any of their other products for that matter) on a large number of computers, one has to spend a lot of time mucking around repackaging and writing custom code to install. And heaven forbid you try to upgrade Acrobat. Rather than handle upgrade scenarios, they want you to first uninstall the old version before installing the new version. Their tech support makes my Mother look like a computer genius. Then there's the fact that it's one of the least stable applications I know of, especially when handling large documents. Then there's their licensing models...the list goes on.

[Daniel]

Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.

Suddenly? :lol:

HA HA HA HA :lol:

But seriously, the bi-directional arrows with the little x looks like the connection icon in PPC2k2.

There is the ability to write apps in C# for your PPC already, it's called the .net Compact Framework. It's only available to MSDN subscribers at the moment but it will be realsed.

I think that this is PPC.net. That would explain the differences. MS have said that they already have a beta internally. PPC.net includes the .net Compact Framework.

daniel

[Mr. Anonymous]

Suddenly, doing my Pocket PC Apps in Java seems silly.


Suddenly? :lol:


/me opens mouth, inserts foot.

[RussHart]

Well, starting from the install, they have no concept of silent installations (well written ones anyway), so to install Acrobat (or any of their other products for that matter) on a large number of computers, one has to spend a lot of time mucking around repackaging and writing custom code to install. And heaven forbid you try to upgrade Acrobat. Rather than handle upgrade scenarios, they want you to first uninstall the old version before installing the new version. Their tech support makes my Mother look like a computer genius. Then there's the fact that it's one of the least stable applications I know of, especially when handling large documents. Then there's their licensing models...the list goes on.


Let me begin - The install is an installshield install, so simply run with the -r switch to create the .iss file which can script all future installs for you. Point taken about the need to un-install older versions, but that is only required for major version upgrades, which shouldn't happen that often.
As for their tech support, always been helpful for me but you've obviously had a bad experience or two there, and stability, admitandly I've only really used Acrobat on Win32, but I've never had any problems whatsoever.
Licensing models - Reader is free, and if you need distiller to write PDFs or any other Adobe software, their CLP and other programs are good (http://www.adobe.com/store/openoptions/main.html), my only problem is that much is restricted to US/Canada, which from your location shouldn't be a problem.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant, (but well mabye it is) but I just been using the software for some time and find it a lot more useful than much of the other stuff on my machine.

[JonnoB]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.


Maybe I am wrong.... but I believe there is a difference from the eBook Reader and the Acrobat reader.

[thebrix]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.


From my perspective the problem isn't Acrobat Reader on PCs, it's Acrobat (the creator). It has to be one of the most overpriced pieces of software in existence - you're paying UKP160 for a universal output filter (in practice, a Word and Excel output filter) with very limited facilities for further editing the output. It's a good thing various people have reverse-engineered the file format and are producing clones as, despite Adobe's poor implementation, a rich-content document output format not prone to macro or script viruses and with inbuilt locking and encoding is a Good Thing 8)

Also, Acrobat Reader on PocketPC is almost unusable on ye olde iPAQ 3630 when anything more complex than plain text is being parsed. After much struggling with various contenders the only good PocketPC reader, ironically, is Palm Reader :?

[RussHart]

Acrobat is overpriced, but actually very reasonable if you happen to be affilicated to an educational institution. :D

Also, can you reccomend a good free implementation? I've tried a few but none have really cut the ice as far as I'm concerned.

And Acrobat Reader works fine on my 3660...

[thebrix]

Acrobat is overpriced, but actually very reasonable if you happen to be affilicated to an educational institution. :D

Also, can you reccomend a good free implementation? I've tried a few but none have really cut the ice as far as I'm concerned.

And Acrobat Reader works fine on my 3660...


There aren't any decent free ones, but there are at least two commercial clones that are cheap and good:

PDF Factory (http://www.fineprint.com/software/pdffactory/standard/) is about 1/5 the cost of Acrobat ... and, IMO, better.

602Pro Print Pack (http://www.software602.com/products/printpack/) is half the price again, although clunkier than PDF Factory. (And 602Pro itself is a more than competent MS Office clone ... for free).

[James]

Let me begin - The install is an installshield install, so simply run with the -r switch to create the .iss file which can script all future installs for you.

Nope, doesn't work for all their products, and in some cases, especially where other Adobe products are already installed (a la Acrobat), it blows up all the products, causing a lot of manual work to rip out all the files, folders and registry entries.


Point taken about the need to un-install older versions, but that is only required for major version upgrades, which shouldn't happen that often.

It should NEVER happen. They're the only major company I know of that hasn't figured this one out yet.


As for their tech support, always been helpful for me but you've obviously had a bad experience or two there, and stability, admitandly I've only really used Acrobat on Win32, but I've never had any problems whatsoever.

More like a dozen or more bad experiences. One of my coworkers was called an idiot by one of 'em a couple years ago.


Sorry if this sounds like a rant, (but well mabye it is) but I just been using the software for some time and find it a lot more useful than much of the other stuff on my machine.


No apologies needed - just different view, opinions, and experiences.

[James]

further editing the output. It's a good thing various people have reverse-engineered the file format and are producing clones as, despite Adobe's
ah, but watch out, 'cause they're gonna sick the DCMA police on 'em.


Also, Acrobat Reader on PocketPC is almost unusable on ye olde iPAQ 3630 when anything more complex than plain text is being parsed. After much struggling with various contenders the only good PocketPC reader, ironically, is Palm Reader :?


It's unusable on the desktop too. Take a similar size document in Word with lots of graphics and compare to Acrobat, and heaven forbid you have more than Acrobat open at the same time. I've got fairly high-end systems and Acrobat routinely succeeds in pouring molasses over the whole works.

I love the Palm Reader. They did the DRM right and it's quite easy to use.

[spg]

Got to ask, why on earth do you hate Acrobat? I find it one of the most useful applications on my PC and the interface is nice too.


Maybe I am wrong.... but I believe there is a difference from the eBook Reader and the Acrobat reader.


There IS a difference, they are talking about two different programs. And there are multiple e-book readers, Microsoft and Palm both make one as well as other companies.

[speter]

May be it is best to use Acrobat Reader if the same version of the document is available in that format too.

It's a very powerful tool: text can be configured to fit the size of diplay (Reflow mode) and when Reflow is not enabled, you can Zoom in.
Look on Adode's web site for the Windows CE version (it's free!) 8O


I love Acrobat Reader on my Jornada (much nicer than AR on Palm), but I'm disappointed that the text isn't as sharp as it could be (it seems to me to be less sharp than on PIE or MS Reader, ClearType effects notwithstanding).

[speter]

If you saw Microsoft's effort in making en eBook out of an XP book, you'd realize that they have no competence in creating them. It was completely horrible - almost like they never tested it on a Pocket PC. :cry:


Oh, I saw it--the all margin book.

I have After the Gold Rush that MS Press did, and it is quite nicely done, except for the charts. They need to enable MS Reader to blow those up like Palm Reader allows you to.

[JayLagorio]

And I wonder what the little twin arrows going each direction are? Could it finally be a REAL task switcher?

http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/smartminimize.gif

Nah.... :roll:


You know, that does look familiar. I think it's networking. You know how I remember? The Mac has always used that symbol! :D