To begin my 30 days, I will start with a simple set of programs.

I will be comparing:

• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Foxit Reader
• Sumatra PDF

Adobe PDF

Install size: 86 MB

Install time: 83 seconds

RAM usage: 13 MB

PF useage: 23 MB

Time to open a file: see notes

Adobe Acrobat is what everyone thinks of when they hear of PDFs, and for many, it is the de-facto program used for everything PDF reading related.

Opening a PDF document with Abode can take between thirty three seconds with a PDF saved on the desktop, and up to five seconds to open another PDF with one already open. Clicking on a link in a browser can take up to a minute and a half, or more, depending the size of the file.

Adobe recently revealed a JavaScript flaw that allows attackers to remotely take over your computer. They released a new Reader, rather than allowing a patch to be created. See here.

Foxit Reader

Install size: 1.6 MB

Install time: 30 seconds

RAM usage: 3 MB

PF useage: 8 MB

Time to open a file: See notes.

Foxit Reader is a slim, trim version of Acrobat Reader. It’s beautiful, quick, and powerful. Foxit has almost all the same abilities of Adobe Reader, but is less than 1/25th the size.

To open a PDF from the desktop takes less than fifteen seconds, and opening a second one takes under five. To open a PDF from an internet browser takes less than twenty seconds, a definite increase over Adobe.

I have uninstalled Abobe from my machine, and put on Foxit, and I am recommending Foxit Reader to everyone I know.

SumatraPDF

Install size: 1.2 MB

Install time: 13 seconds

RAM usage: –

PF useage: –

Time to open a file: –

After hearing wonderous things about SumatraPDF, I got a copy and installed it. The program installed itself was almost frighteningly fast, and I was hoping the program would be amazing. Sadly, I never got a chance to check this, as SumatraPDF never sucessfully opened a PDF. It froze every time I tried to open a PDF, and once, it even caused the computer to freeze to a point where I had to do a hard reboot.

Sorry SumatraPDF lovers, I cannot endorse this program, as I cannot get it to run.

Computers can cost between $250 to $15,000, depending on what you want for your machine. A cheap computer will run software, but nowhere near what a very expensive computer can do. I can get a dual core Pentium 2.0 GHz 1 GB RAM, 160 GB HDD for $250, or a Pentium Quad Core 3.4GHz, 16 GB RAM, 2 TB HDD, nVidia video cards, fiber, and enough fans to move more air then a Republican convention.

Software can also be expensive. A copy of Windows Vista (basic) can cost upwards of $250, Photoshop is $700, and AutoCAD can cost a cool $25,000. However, one of the beauties of the information superhighway is that whatever exists is quickly copied, much like a Picasso in a cheapo sweatshop.

Programs, much like people, no matter how similar, are different. Some programs are far superior to others, but for each add-on to the program, there is a cost. More bells and whistles means greater size and slower speed. A plainclothes program is light and quick, but is crippled in terms of abilities.

Over the next thirty days, I will be reviewing 100 pieces of freeware, to help weed out the best and brightest, and give them the props they deserve.

I will begin with PDF viewers, push to Internet Browsers, amble over to Anti-Spyware/Malware, toss in some surprises, then finally end with a challenge to Windows (TM) itself; ie: Ubuntu Linux.

The computer the programs will be tested on is an ancient 733 MHz 256 MB RAM, running Windows XP Pro. The computer boots in 27 seconds, and is fully updated. Programs will be given a maximum of one hour installation time before being aborted, and they will be checked to make sure they work completely, start
up quickly, and are generally useable. I am not an expert computer user, so any and all difficulties will be posted, as well as all observations I have.