Acrobat Performance Feedback

Report · Jan 12, 2020

Not really sure where to post this sort of stuff but though here might be a good place to.

I work as a drafter and PDF files are basically the replacement for paper. But Acrobat leaves a lot to be desired for, the industry well at least in Australia are using bluebeam, because its fast and efficent, and it fustrates me to no end at how slow Acdobat is. Particualrly when I use the comment function the application because so slow, taking several seconds to click and perform a task.

Now there is probably work arounds. But I should not have to do work arounds, come on Adobe, we pay good money for your products and all I every see is new features being added instead of trying to improve performance and reliability. You are the inventors of the PDF yet your PDF software fails in comparison to other software who out performs your software in every aspect.

To behonest its almost like you need to throw the Acrobat code away and start from scratch.

This comes from someone who loves the adobe eco system, yet is fustrated with it every day, and the lack of work being put in to improve performance and bugs, over new features. If someone from adobe does read this I understand that alot of this is out of your hands, but if anything needs to be passed on to the people who make the decisions,

"Competition is always a good thing. It forces us to do our best. A monopoly renders people complacent and satisfied with mediocrity." Nancy Pearcey

Cheers

Report · Jan 12, 2020

Hi,

Would you mind sharing a little bit about the Adobe products that you're using.

Someone in these forums may be able to assist you.

Report · Jan 12, 2020

I used Lightroom, Photoshop, Preimerpro, Aftereffects, Illistrator, Acrobat.

They are all great peices of software, but I simply could not list all of the issues I have. Though Acrobat is by far my biggest issue as I use it every day, while the others are for my side buisness.

I am not nessacarilly looking for help to fix the issues, as I am sure a few google searches will give me some results. But its more just some feedback I suppose. When I see other brands making better products, quick and responsive, using file formates that you created its concerning. Acrobat its self is very powerful, but is just clunky as, every click requires a wait period, weather that be 0.5 sec or 5 sec thats an interuption to my work flow which kills my productivity.

Report · Jan 12, 2020

I understand.

Well, I personally haven't used all of the applications you have.

I do test a lot of software using different operating systems and hardware. So, if at any moment you feel comfortable with sharing some of the issues you're experiencing I'll be more than glad to assist you.

If it helps, I always recommend users to disable the Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop app, specially if you're not collaborating in the Document Cloud; it hogs the CPU dramatically. This guidance, however, is highly discouraged in these forums. But for the sake of a quick system performance workaround you can try it and see the difference.

Report · Oct 17, 2023

After I read Massimo's email, I felt as if I had written the whole thing myslef.

"...You need to throw the Acrobat code away and start from scratch..." is right on the mark even if this message is 3+ years old.

The most recent redesign of the app is a disaster; it's slower than it used to be (it now almost freezes on very tight zooms) and using the Edit PDF tool is, what? THAT SLOW? No way. Incorrcet! It's actually slower than that. For example, as soon as I click on the Edit PDF, the app goes into this tedious, kill-me-now "sorting out elements" process and then it starts applying OCR to the page ... what? OCR? there are only live fonts there, all loaded on my –Mac Studio M1– system). What is that?

Separately, I know Adobe does not know this, how could they? If you show Acrobat (free, paid) to most everyday users, the ONLY comment tool they can find and use is the "yellow stickie" (one the most unhelpful tools ever deviced) and nothing beyond that. They don't see anything else. The grand news are that the 2023 redesign shifted everything around and (I know, I'll have to write it down for the Acrobat team, they just don't have a clue) users are even more confused than before. Great job.

Back to Massimo's brilliand idea: "...You need to throw the Acrobat code away and start from scratch..." a big YES! to that and please ask the Illustrator or InDesign team to take over. They seem to know the one thing that the Acrobat team have been missing for many, many years: How to design efficiient, intuitive UIs. Why do I even have to write this?