# Acrobat Reader "DC"?  Wtf?



## Pogo (Sep 15, 2017)

So I takes a (rare) look at my desktop just now and there's a new icon called "Acrobat Reader DC".

Not having any memory of installing such a "DC" thingy I Googles it, and I finds several links from Adobe itself assuring that it's "safe" and "trusted".  Instantly suspicious.

Then I finds more links warning that it installs Chrome spyware surreptitiously.  I don't use Chrome but still.....  dafuk happened to Acrobat Reader Period?  I rarely use DC unless the power goes out.

Anybody else notice this?

According to this page if you do run Chrome there is a way to prevent it installing, but you'd have to know to do that in advance.

Bastids!


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## Montrovant (Sep 15, 2017)

Pogo said:


> So I takes a (rare) look at my desktop just now and there's a new icon called "Acrobat Reader DC".
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> Not having any memory of installing such a "DC" thingy I Googles it, and I finds several links from Adobe itself assuring that it's "safe" and "trusted".  Instantly suspicious.
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I've got it on my PC.....I was under the impression it is just the most recent version of Acrobat.  If you have Acrobat, and have automatic updates on, I'd guess that's how it went to DC without you knowing.


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## Pogo (Sep 15, 2017)

Montrovant said:


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I did do a (manual) update recently.  It had to be then.  Granted I wasn't watching it with a fine tooth comb but I never noticed a "DC".  There definitely wasn't any splash about it.  Devious creeps.

Matter of fact that's what DC stands for.


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## Montrovant (Sep 15, 2017)

Pogo said:


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I only looked it up briefly, but apparently DC stands for Document Cloud.  The Adobe page doesn't offer plain Acrobat anymore that I saw, just Acrobat DC.

I definitely agree with checking to make sure unexpected software isn't dangerous, but I think this is just a minor rebranding thing, and it's still pretty much the same program it was before.


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## Pogo (Sep 15, 2017)

Montrovant said:


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Just the word "cloud" gives me the creeps.  

I don't want anything I do anywhere in a freaking "cloud".  That's just transparent spy-enabling.  "Say, you've got a lot of money there --- why don't I just hold it for you.  You can have it uh, anytime you want".


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## Montrovant (Sep 15, 2017)

Pogo said:


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I worry about losing information, too.  I like to have my own physical copy of things, although I've gotten over that for the most part where my video games are concerned.


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## Pogo (Sep 16, 2017)

Montrovant said:


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I used Google Drive once.  I think I was shipping some files, just briefly.  Left it alone for a while, then next time I went to use it I found that Google had been mining my hard drive for other files and putting them on its "cloud" without my knowledge.  Files I never intended to ship to anybody.  I got turned on to Dropbox after that but for all I know Google is still sniffing around for more files.

Bastids.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 17, 2017)

Pogo said:


> So I takes a (rare) look at my desktop just now and there's a new icon called "Acrobat Reader DC".
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> Not having any memory of installing such a "DC" thingy I Googles it, and I finds several links from Adobe itself assuring that it's "safe" and "trusted".  Instantly suspicious.
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It is from Adobe but it's probably a free trial as it's a monthly/annual subscription.  Get rid of it and stop letting Adobe do automatic updates/upgrades.

Acrobat DC uninstalled Acrobat XI | How to get Acrobat XI back


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## Pogo (Sep 18, 2017)

Ringel05 said:


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I did all that and XI was almost set up.  Then it started asking for a name, organization and serial number.  I've never had to do any of that before.  I bluffed through the first two but of course I have no serial number.  It won't let me reinstall.

I've had way too much of Adobe's shenanigans.  Does anybody else have a pdf reader?


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## Ringel05 (Sep 18, 2017)

Pogo said:


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The best free PDF reader 2017 | TechRadar

Ditch the PDF headaches: Three safer, speedier Adobe Reader alternatives


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## Pogo (Sep 18, 2017)

Ringel05 said:


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Ding Ding Ding!  Thank you sir.  Ended up with Nitro.  Foxit was too complex.  Not crazy about the red border but it works just fine.

BUH bye Adobe.  Devious creeps.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 18, 2017)

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Nitro is the one I've never used, had a serious negative probably a decade ago with Nitro so that's always colored my view of Nitro.  Not saying there's currently any issue with Nitro today, I just never gave them a second chance.


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## Pogo (Sep 18, 2017)

Ringel05 said:


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How could you have a serious negative if you never used it?

Was its last name "Glycerine"?


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## Ringel05 (Sep 18, 2017)

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No, I meant the one you decided to use, Nitro has had a few different versions in the last decade.


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## Picaro (Sep 20, 2017)

Does the E-Pub file system download  quicker than the pdf crap? I have  no idea why anybody still uses the Adobe crap, but a lot of them do, and it sucks.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

Picaro said:


> Does the E-Pub file system download  quicker than the pdf crap? I have  no idea why anybody still uses the Adobe crap, but a lot of them do, and it sucks.


If you're talking about Pubs you'll have to ask Stagger, he's the authority.............  
As for pdf readers, I rarely use them any more, heck I don't even think I have one loaded on this laptop yet, haven't had a need.


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## Picaro (Sep 21, 2017)

Ringel05 said:


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I use the pdf a lot because I do a lot of downloading from HEARTH, Google Books, and archive.org., at which most files are optically scanned and it's necessary to use it. They convert to text and several variations, but whatever they're using to convert from optical to text thoroughly sucks, destroys the formatting and punctuation, and makes it a pain it the ass to reconstruct tables and the like. I haven't tried the E-Pub or a couple of the other readers yet, but hope they're better than the 'plain text' and the pdf junk. If I want to cite something, I usually have to download both the pdf and the text,.

Downloaded the Foxit freebie and like it just fine, it does work faster than the Adobe software, and I don't find it 'complex' at all, has pretty much all the features I used in the Adobe reader, only took about 3 minutes to figure it out and where everything was. Downloaded the ' IceCream' reader as well, but don't have any E-pub files yet, so it will have to wait. There is some sort of free Editor program over there I might get later.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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I tend to download very, very, very little of anything and I can read pdfs online if I really need to (which is extremely rare) so it's not a high priority for me.


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## Picaro (Sep 21, 2017)

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I have an old Kindle I can plug into my PC and move pdf's and other files back and forth to. There are a lot of 'out of print' books and magazine articles out there that University libraries are engaged in scanning and uploading to archive.org, Project Gutenberg, etc. I want to get before they disappear for whatever reason, so I can have them offline and carry around. Far cheaper than buying reprints from Google and the University presses.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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Over the last couple of years we've managed to get rid of over 100 boxes of books from our rather extensive library, the idea is to get rid of them faster than we bring them in.  Why books? The wife prefers hard copies over backlight induced eye strain so the downsizing is slow going in the book department.  I've tried unsuccessfully to get her to go with an e-reader but to no avail.


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## Picaro (Sep 21, 2017)

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I bought mine at a garage sale, one of the first models they sold or maybe the second, and it holds tons of files, a lot of mine run into the 800 to 1200 page optical scan files, and texts are a lot smaller and you can still see the images and photos. A tablet is of course a lot better with the bigger screens, and I plan to up grade to one of those, they're not too expensive at the moment. She would be surprised at what they hold and how convenient they are; I have my entire office lined with shelves, and waist high+ stacks I have  little paths through to get to my desk and the shelves at the moment, and if I could get them all in files I would toss them in a heartbeat.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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She already knows how much data they hold and how convenient they can be, the problem is the rapid eye strain due to the back lighting on the screen, hell I get that just posting on this forum.


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## Montrovant (Sep 21, 2017)

Ringel05 said:


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Don't get a back-lit e-reader then.  I have owned 3 e-readers, none of them back-lit.  I just bought an open-box Kindle 4th generation for a bit under $40 on ebay a couple of weeks ago.  

There's no reason she has to use an e-reader with a lit screen.


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## Picaro (Sep 21, 2017)

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The old one I have looks like an old Etch-A Sketch, no lighting on it at all.


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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Describe pixels..........


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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Then how do the pages show up to be read........


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## Picaro (Sep 21, 2017)

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Grey background, black letters; can't see it with the lights turned off. The early ones use 'E-Ink Pearl' technology, specifically to reduce eye strain.

*In the years since, Amazon has introduced a steady stream of new Kindle types and models; however, until the debut of the Kindle Fire in 2011, none of the Kindles featured backlighting.*

Are Kindles Backlit?


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## Ringel05 (Sep 21, 2017)

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Okay, I used the wrong descriptor.  Take backlight and replace it with screen light............  Pixels.......
Besides, for all intent and purposes you're preaching to the choir, I already know all of this, it's the wife who's the immovable object at this point in time.  Until something changes for her it would be like getting Luddy Nuddy to become a Westboroan ultra-conservative overnight..........


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## Picaro (Sep 23, 2017)

Found this reader and I like it a lot, smooth and quick; takes a little time to get familiar with but does a lot more than the other 'free' E-readers I tried out, including converting back and forth from the different file systems. Don't know if it reads pdf's by itself or not, since I have the Foxit as 'default' and it finds that and opens them it.

calibre - E-book management

Had trouble with the 'standard' download but went to the list of assorted Os's and downloaded the 64 bit version.


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## Montrovant (Sep 24, 2017)

Picaro said:


> Found this reader and I like it a lot, smooth and quick; takes a little time to get familiar with but does a lot more than the other 'free' E-readers I tried out, including converting back and forth from the different file systems. Don't know if it reads pdf's by itself or not, since I have the Foxit as 'default' and it finds that and opens them it.
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> Had trouble with the 'standard' download but went to the list of assorted Os's and downloaded the 64 bit version.



When I say e-reader, I'm talking about the portal device that you read books on.  Calibre is a PC program, I would not call it an e-reader.  I use calibre to convert books when needed, but I don't use it to read books, that's what my Kindle is for.


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## Picaro (Sep 24, 2017)

Montrovant said:


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Some of us can afford real computers and don't have to rely on kids' toys, so we need an E-reader that reads the files in various E-Reader file formats; it's also used to convert from one type of file to another. Sites like Archive.org offer several formats, some sites only offer E-Pub format or some other similar reader format,and E-Pub files are usually considerably smaller that the pdf versions, and of better quality, hence the reason for programs like Calibre. Most of the other E-Readers only offer 'free' versions with very limited functionality as well.


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## Montrovant (Sep 24, 2017)

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What on earth are you talking about?  Kids toys?  Is that what you think a Kindle is?

An e-reader is generally defined as a portable electronic device for reading books.  Definition of E-READER


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## Picaro (Sep 24, 2017)

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I know what they are, I own a Kindle; no way it's comparable to a computer. The kid at Best Buy lied to you.


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## Montrovant (Sep 24, 2017)

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Again, what are you talking about?  I never said an Kindle is comparable to a computer.  I said that calibre is a computer program rather than an e-reader.

If we're talking about someone using an e-reader rather than paper books, talking about reading on a PC is probably not going to convince them.  That's especially true if they already won't use an e-reader.

I'm still not sure what you were talking about with your "kids' toys" comment.


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