Adobe Reader Acrobat DC: what where they thinking??

Report · May 04, 2015

I made an Adobe account especially for this posting. I am not someone who complains a lot or writes all over the web about software. But for this new DC thing I make a big exception.

I did build a new PC and after that I also went over to Adobe site to download Adobe Reader. Something was there by default called Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

Mmm, confusing: I don't have or want Acrobat, that's a complete other line of Adobe products. So had to search but no, turns out that for some reason the reader now also is part of the Acrobat line. Plus only DC is offered, nothing else.

Well okay, download and install.

First impression: looks weird, a way to big tools sidebar too. Ah well, I can disable that. Nope, the sidebar is always there.

Interface and layout: horrible. But okay, I can learn to live with that.

Okay, next step: disable the automatic update. Nope, can not be done, the auto update is always On.

Well okay, lets see if I can get rid of all the "become member" and "Cloud" notifications. Nope, Adobe somehow decided to nag people to death in the Reader so they get a paid account and go into the cloud.

I really don't know what Adobe was thinking when the made this DC thing but it's just horrible. I know the side Toolbar will have the option to be hidden constantly within a month or 3, I know I can disable the Auto update withing Windows Services, I know I can use Windows Registry tweaks to disable things, I know there is a DC Configurator Wizzard to set things.

But it's ridicules that all that is needed to get a normal working, simple PDF Reader!!

And that is my experience for personal use: for my work DC has even more become a completely useless tool with all the things that have to be configured before the users can use it.

Adobe, do mention on your download page that DC is no simple PDF Reader anymore but just another way to generate money by trying to get people to get a Adobe account so they can get more features? Do mention that Adobe Reader as we know it is no more, that it has been replaced by this DC thing?

Sorry Adobe, I uninstalled this DC thing and I am looking for a good and simple alternative for at work. With sadness I say goodbye to Adobe Reader which I used for so many years. Thank you Adobe by rewarding us all with this ... this ... DC Thing

Report · May 04, 2015

Hi meem5,

I can understand your frustration, however these features are core part of user interface now.

And, yes you are correct that you can disable the Auto update withing Windows Services.

If you really think that Adobe Acrobat Reader DC does not full-fill your needs you can still download Adobe Reader 11 using this link Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Install for all versions.

Regards,

Aadesh

Report · May 16, 2016

READER XI is unavailable in AUSTRALIA . Thanks Adobe . I'm done with your products .They have become too difficult and counter intuitive and they all 'default' to reduced privacy and security for the users and the interfaces to change privacy and security are impossible to find . YOUR INTERFACES HAVE 30 second CLICK DELAYS . Are you kidding . FIRE YOUR SERVERS , they are loosing you money .

Report · Jul 05, 2016

I agree, Acrobat used to be reasonably useable; no more. Fortunately, there are lots of other, much more useable, PDF viewing and editing programs out there, many for free. At home, I use the free version of PDF XChange Editor (google that to find a link). Its UI is much more sane (and not in your face). There's also a paid version that has a few more capabilities, although the free version is all I personally need.

Report · May 04, 2015

Hi ,

It seems like you are not happy with the new UI for Acrobat DC.

First of all I would like to tell you that Adobe Reader DC and Adobe Acrobat DC are two different software .

DC is the common thing linked to both the software.The DC ,i.e Document Cloud states the ease of access of the PDF files,that you can view your PDF' from anywhere and from different gadgets such as your phone, laptop and your desktop by just logging to your account .

If you did not find the new interface interesting ,you could fill in the following wish form and report the same to our engineers and they could work on it and see what best could be done for the users .

https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

Regards

Sukrit Dhingra

Report · May 04, 2015

@ Aadesh

Thanks for that link. Curious though how long that will stay active since DC is now the main reader product?

@ Sukrit

The confusion is also here I see. They did change that. According to the Adobe pages you now have Adobe Acrobat DC and Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Everything to do with PDF is called now Acrobat it seems. In the past everybody knew what you meant when you did say Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat. Now no more.

And what you describe is why I and my work stop with Adobe Reader: it is a simple PDF reader, the cloud feature is totally useless and only there to make money. And especially for an office environment it is no good. And I am not alone with all this: just do a search on Google and the complaints are many.

Thanks for that link though, will certainly use that

Report · May 04, 2015

Hey meem5,

Adobe support all its products until two forward versions have been launched. As you can still see in that link you can download Adobe Reader 10, so I believe Adobe Reader 11 still have a long way to go.

Regards,

Aadesh

Report · May 04, 2015

Hi ,

The difference in the name says it all ,Reader is now Acrobat Reader DC and Acrobat is simply Acrobat DC .I believe you can easily differentiate between Reader and Acrobat .

There is certainly a motive behind the launch of Acrobat DC and merging it with the cloud feature . If you did not like it and want any changes you are free to report to our engineers by filling in the form provided to you link in the last reply .

Regards

Sukrit Dhingra

Report · May 04, 2015

sukritd15 wrote:

Hi ,

The difference in the name says it all ,Reader is now Acrobat Reader DC and Acrobat is simply Acrobat DC .I believe you can easily differentiate between Reader and Acrobat .

You should rethink that. People are not differentiating between the two products. There's a reason they took "Acrobat" out of the name after version 5.

Report · May 04, 2015

~graffiti schreef:

You should rethink that. People are not differentiating between the two products. There's a reason they took "Acrobat" out of the name after version 5.

This is true. At my company (and many many others) we have people who can create and/or alter PDF-files and people who may only read PDF-files.

So when we mention Adobe Acrobat, everybody knows we mean the PDF creators. And when we mention Adobe Reader, everybody knows that's for the readers. Now this whole thing is screwed up by this new naming Adobe is doing.

Why make something easy into complicated? I don't know but Adobe is doing it ....

Report · May 04, 2015

Agreed. If they wanted to just name it more appropriately so people know what kind of a "Reader" it is, why not just "Adobe PDF Reader"?

Although I'm sure that Reader DC was beta tested, I think someone internal made the naming decision without any usability study. The unfortunate part about that is like sukritd, they are way to close to the applications to make an appropriate decision. Reminds me of the way we "used" to do things at my work...

Report · Feb 04, 2016

This DC thing replaced my Acrobat Adobe on my MacBook and I hate it!! I want my old program back....I am a Realtor and we are always sending PDF (contracts/forms) back and forth and now 99% of the time I can't even save the forms that are sent to me. I am forced to print them then scan them, etc. Please can I get rid of this DC program??? I've tried and it won't allow me to uninstall.

Report · May 04, 2015

This is going to be my last text too and then unsubscribe. I made this account for this forum but now I am also member of something called "Adobe Trial Communication Series" and also Adobe Cloud and so on?? This was not mentioned at all on the page where an account can be made!

Adobe, you are really going the wrong way here. There are a LOT of people who just want a simple PDF reader and not all this kind of member cloud trail communication whatever kind of stuff. You made something simple and good into something waaaayyyyy to complicated and not good at all

Goodbye.

Report · Jul 29, 2015

I am so happy that the original reader version 11 is still available. The DC version is awful. You can't get rid of the annoying bar, it constantly remembers every PDF I ever opened. I don't need that, Windows already does that for me and so much easier to use. The cloud is complete crap and never a feature I want to use. There are too many clouds, why would I want one JUST for PDF documents?

Thanks for link, hopefully more customers will realize just how shady the new software is and the next version will be more like the regular reader.

I'm the IT director and when this rolled out every user was confused and wanted to know how to get rid of that stupid bar on the right side and get the regular working version of Reader back. Just an FYI

Report · Aug 05, 2015

I am in complete agreement with the complaints about Acrobat DC. My paid version of Acrobat XI works great. Why would I want DC? Why am I constantly prompted to download and install DC? Was the user interface designed by a toddler?

I am not about to use DC for my confidential documents without being able to see all the details of the security framework for myself.

Report · Apr 22, 2023

Its business is in a wrong way.

Report · Oct 09, 2015

I have a wonderful professional copy of Adobe X. Because it refuses to set itself up to preview properly in Windows 8/8.1/10 (an incredibly long standing issue I might note), I installed the FOXIT reader (preview problem solved).

Then Firefox wanted me to update a plug-in and suddenly I end up with this Acrobat DC thing. After resetting all the defaults back to where they should be manually, Windows 10 refuses to open PDF's with Adobe X Pro or preview PDF's with FOXIT even though they are now clearly the defaults (are you making registry errors perhaps?).

Uninstall Acrobat DC and viola, problem solved. Not to be re-installed no matter what Firefox advises.

Please some of us are now over 50. We need the image on the screen to be large so we can read it. Listen to your users and get ride of the idiotic menu bar on the side of the screen it is an utter waste of space.

Give the reader the basic functionality to print to PDF and you will not lose so much of the market to everyone else.

Fix your bugs, particularly the preview bugs in the latest Windows versions. It is really amusing that an after market program offers instant previews, and does not block Windows from deleting files that were recently opened on the preview screen.

Report · Oct 14, 2015

Bosses,

this is new acrobat dc is super confusing. UX Design failed here big time. I simply could not pic a particular document in my taskbar. I have open several documents but when I right click on the acrobat icon in taskbar it shows me old document list. so i cant pin the recently most opened document. forget about the rest of the functions in side. even it did not import any setup from my old acrobat. Can't believe it was made by Adobe. I will be very happy if you guys stop promoting COMPANY POLICY AND MOTIVATIONAL WORDS. New adobe is very disappointing as it will be affecting my work every hours until you fix it.

Thanks

Report · Nov 01, 2015

I also don't like this:

Adobe Reader Acrobat DC

I downloaded Adobe Reader 11 for my laptop.

Report · Nov 13, 2015

I am having a similar problem. I do not like the new interface (and not just because it is new - there are things that used to take me one or two clicks that now take 3, it is highly annoying). But the worst problem is that I use NY State forms often (e.g., RP-5217, which is a fillable form provided online by NY State), which has a bar code, and all of a sudden after "upgrading" to Acrobat Pro DC on one computer and Reader DC on the other, the forms are not usable. On one, it says I need a "later version of Reader" to open the form. On the other, the form opens but the bar code is missing. The state will not accept the form for filing without the bar code. HELP!?!

PS I also downloaded Reader 11, and I am still not able to download the PDF fillable form. It says I need a later version of Reader.

This is ridiculous. Things I have been doing for years with Acrobat (I have the PRO version), I can't do at all now, with Pro DC or Reader DC or Reader 11.

Report · Nov 13, 2015

ALSO: I used to use the "signature" tool all the time in Acrobat Pro, and it's gone in DC. Now there's a way to "add a signature to your electronic signature" thing, but you can't just add a signature. Unless you create a "stamp" which is not that useful because there is lots of white space around the stamp, so you have to allow way too much room in documents for the signature. I am not concerned with secure e-signing, I just want to be able to "sign" a letter that I am sending by email. This "update" is about 5 steps back as far as I can tell. -Holly

Report · Nov 13, 2015

Use the tool "Fill & Sign".

Report · Nov 13, 2015

I haven't been able to find that tool on the DC versions - is it still there?

Report · Nov 13, 2015

actually, strike that - I noticed it is still there, but now there is no option to just "sign" there are just options for electronic signatures (i.e. secure signatures).

Report · Nov 13, 2015

Mouse click on Sign