PDF Converter, Version 3

Every law office requires some way to create PDF files, these days, particularly if you are filing things electronically in federal court. ScanSoft, publisher of scanning software, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software, Voice Recognition Software (specifically, Naturally Speaking, formerly of Dragon Systems and the L&H mess) has been integrating with PDF creation software, for a lot less than Adobe’s Acrobat:

ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional 3 Brings PDF Creation, Editing and Conversion to Every Business Desktop

Innovative New Application Breaks PDF Price Barrier, Delivers Unique New PDF Features Designed Specifically for Business Users

ScanSoft PDF Converter Professional 3, according to the press release, is

. . .a revolutionary new application that brings PDF creation, conversion, editing and form filling to every business desktop. PDF Converter Professional 3 provides business users with a complete PDF solution for just $99 – eliminating the historical trade-off between price and functionality.

Graphics professionals and other “power users” may continue to use the $450 version 7 of Acrobat, ScanSoft hopes that mere “business users” may prefer the $100 PDF Converter Professional 3 that includes

. . . the ability to create PDF files from any PC application, support for security and encryption, form filling and saving, as well as editing, sticky-notes and highlighting tools.

Several different printer drivers, including the free or $30 PDF995 suite, can do that, however, ScanSoft claims that

. . .the new ScanSoft solution goes even further, delivering business PDF capabilities not found elsewhere. Its unique features include FormTyper, which makes any PDF form fillable with a single click, and PDF Converter, which turns existing PDF files into fully-formatted Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect documents, as well as Microsoft Excel spreadsheets.

Very good, all, but more interesting is claimed capability to edit PDF files:

Many people believe that PDF files can’t be edited, simply because existing solutions are limited, or because they don’t have access to expensive design applications. PDF Converter Professional provides business users with an affordable way to modify text in a PDF, select, move, resize and rotate both text and graphics, as well as cut and paste content from a PDF into Microsoft Office applications. Now simple typo’s can be fixed in seconds, graphics can be made more compelling, and information in a PDF can be quickly used in presentations, reports and spreadsheets.

I suppose that PDF editing is assumed from the program’s ability to convert a PDF file to a Word or WordPerfect file. But the common wisdom has been that the PDF file you sent out couldn’t be changed. I suspect — but won’t know for certain until I can do some testing — that the encrypted or at least digitally signed PDF you sent out is secure, but don’t count on anything else. I’ll be looking at Converter and Acrobat 7 in my weekly columns, but if you don’t have other PDF-creating capability and if you’d find it convenient to be able to convert a PDF file to Word, that alone ought to be worth the $100 ScanSoft suggested retail.

For more information surf to www.ScanSoft.com or call (1) 800.443.7077.