Diversity of Acrobat & PDF showcased in Orlando
Whether your primary interest in Adobe Acrobat and PDF revolves around secure documents, creating and managing forms, multimedia publishing, review and markup, print publishing or any of the numerous other applications of the technology, there was likely a relevant educational session and/or hands-on workshop at the recent conference in Orlando, hosted by American Graphics Institute (AGI). The annual Acrobat & PDF Conference 2006 attracted nearly 300 people from a wide range of industries and market segments, all keen to enhance their knowledge and skills. Adobe also hosted a user-group breakfast for registered members of the Acrobat or InDesign communities. Our summary report from the event details a number of presentations and other highlights.

Adobe interview: Rick Brown
In our recent Q&A with Rick Brown, the Acrobat Group Product Manager for Adobe Systems explains how the product management team works to represent the needs and interests of customers in the development process. Brown also talks about the evolution of Acrobat, reflects on the growing sense of competition with Microsoft and suggests some likely areas for feature and market-specific enhancements in future Acrobat releases. 

TIP: Enable Reader 7.0 for commenting
One of the growing uses of Adobe Acrobat and PDF is collaboration, specifically the ability to create document-review processes using Acrobat's markup tools. Learn how to use Acrobat 7.0 Professional to initiate an e-mail-based review, by enabling tools and features in the free Adobe Reader 7.0 that would otherwise be unavailable. 

NEW: AcrobatUsers.com now enabled for comments, too
Tell us what you think! We've recently added the capability for registered members to easily add comments to published articles. At the end of every article, including those previously posted, there’s an "Article Feedback" box inviting users to log in and add comments. For example, read the new Rick Brown Q&A and then express your thoughts on how Adobe can best stay in touch with user needs and applications. (If you're not yet registered, the log-in page includes a link to the new member sign-up page.) 

NEW: Ziff-Davis Media news feeds
In partnership with Ziff-Davis Media, we've just added a frequently updated news feed of editorial articles of interest to Acrobat and PDF users.

NEW: RSS feeds deliver news and articles to your desktop
For those who would like to be able to use a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news reader to track new articles and other fresh content on AcrobatUsers.com, you can now subscribe to several RSS feeds using your preferred news reader. (See the following tips on how to use Acrobat 7.0 or Adobe Bridge Center as news readers.)

TIP: Using Acrobat 7.0 & Adobe Bridge as news readers
Acrobat 7.0 includes a feature called Tracker, primarily for managing document-review processes. But Tracker has additional functionality, including the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds. Likewise, you can also use the Adobe Bridge Center for the same purpose. Try them out with the Acrobat RSS Feed from Adobe.com.

COMING: Acrobat 3D Corner
Earlier this year Adobe released Acrobat 3D, a superset of the current Acrobat 7.0 Professional software, adding capabilities specifically aimed at the needs of a subset of high-end users in select vertical industries. In the near future we'll be adding an area within Tech Corners dedicated to news, information and discussions on the use of the product and related issues. We'll also showcase the varied ways 3D models are being integrated into PDF documents.

COMING: New corner on PDF printing and publishing
Another new soon-to-launch topical area within our Tech Corners section will be hosted by Dov Isaacs, a well-known and respected Adobe staffer who most recently helped develop the Adobe PDF Print Engine technology. Accordingly, Isaacs’ postings will focus on print publishing tools and issues and will respond to select user questions. For starters, you can download his presentation on "Reliable Print Production with Acrobat & PDF" from our coverage of the Acrobat and PDF Conference in Orlando.

Where in the world is Lori DeFurio?
In addition to the 11 Acrobat user-group chapters already established in the United States, there are active communities in England, Italy and Scotland. Lori DeFurio recently made a swing over yonder to participate in several  chapter meetings and related events at the three European venues. She reports “the Acrobat User Community in Europe is alive and well — and enthusiastic!" Even while globetrotting, she's still fielding and responding to user-submitted questions in Lori's Corner.