Acrobat 8 UI

Joe · April 17, 2008, 01:27:18 AM

I posted the below text over at PP hoping to get a response from Dov or Leonard. Last time I tried I got some smart remarks from Leonard. So I'm trying again.

Okay, I've tried, I really have. All week I have not started Acrobat 7 and I've used Acrobat 8 for everything. It has not been a pleasant experience. Everything you click on you have to click twice. But not too fast or the 2nd one doesn't count. Need to click an icon on the toolbar. The first click will give the toolbar the focus. Then you have to pause. Then click again to actually click the tool you were going for. Got Separation Preview open and want to turn off a separation. Click it. Then pause. Then click it again to actually get it. Want to click the "Next Page" icon. Click...pause....click. Go back to seps preview. Click...pause...click.

Adobe...anyone home? This situation needs to be remedied. You can not get good production for actual prepress work. Beside the extra "click and waits" required everything is sluggish and jerky compared to Acrobat 7. It's too bad too. I like some of the features. I'm sure it's fine for the housewife that wants to browse an online catalog but it really sucks at trying to do real prepress work on it. Trying to switch from Separation preview to the various Pitstop tools, to preflight, to flattener preview and flip pages rapidly while doing it all is a complete exercise in frustration. And it should not have to wait until Acrobat 9 or beyond. This problem needs fixed NOW! Not that it will help but I thought I would try anyway.

Adobe people?

tapdn · April 17, 2008, 07:08:01 AM

I couldn't agree more Joe. If I have a 64 page book to preflight, impose and get to press by tonight's shift then I am not going to be bothered using Acrobat 8. Seven is still my choice to get production and eight will just sit in my dock until Adobe does something about these issues. Are they abandoning the professional print market?

Joe · April 17, 2008, 08:19:31 AM

I have made it through the bulk of the workload this week but there have been times when I just wanted to grab my monitor and start smashing it repeatedly over my desk. What ticks me off more than anything is Adobe believes they have created the ultimate prepress tool. I've tried support, Adobe feature request, Dov and Leonard at PP, Adobe forums and all I've gotten is Leonard saying it's because they are forced to conform to the latest interface requirements from Apple. And that's BS. Those are only recommendations. The Apple S.W.A.T. team is not going to show up at Adobe HQ if they make it so their product is useable.

jimking · April 17, 2008, 08:36:09 AM

Like everything these days it seems, quality is taking a back seat. Maybe its cheap lazy labor or outsourcing the coders for cheap labor or perhaps make work errors on purpose to justify a new version.

DigitalCrapShoveler · April 17, 2008, 08:51:56 AM

Joe, when Acrobat 8 came out, I had all the same experiences. I even tried to "fix" it thinking maybe it was the machine or system problem. I finally read online and now I don't use it all, except for flattening transparent PDFs, nothing else. Everything else is Acrobat 7. I am glad someone is taking up for us, they don't listen to me, or anyone else I have heard complained. I guess we don't matter.

ninjaPB_43 · April 17, 2008, 08:53:46 AM

Quote from: jimking on April 17, 2008, 08:36:09 AM.. or perhaps make work errors on purpose to justify a new version.

I put my money here.. :angry:

doubting_thomas · April 17, 2008, 08:56:03 AM

The click and wait thing is my biggest frustration with v8. Using dual
monitors basicly makes for twice the clicking and twice the waiting. Like
you Joe, I have solely been using it for better or worse. It provides decent
results, and from what I can tell, the features work, but the UI is a dog. It's
too bad it's at the finger pointing stage between Adobe and Apple as far
as a fix goes. That can mean a long wait.

jimking · April 17, 2008, 08:58:51 AM

I posted somewhere a few years ago that one day some law firm may get wise and try to drum up a class action suit against software manufacturers for forcing clients to upgrade their software because of bogus updates. Fat chance.

David · April 17, 2008, 11:48:27 AM

I don't have the click and wait problem...

It just doesn't do anything if I use the Acro tools (like the select object tool, can't make any selections, at all),
I have to use only Pitstop tools to do anything.
and I hate the fact that if you have Pitstop installed, you can't use the shortcut key to invoke the zoom (mag) tool.

but other than that, it works great for me.
Intel Mac here, tho.

PS. man this internet connection is slow..

zox · April 17, 2008, 03:47:42 PM

I've had same/similar problems on G5, since I upgraded to new MacPro, Intel 8 cores with Leopard and clean CS3 install, I love Acro 8.
7 is like garbage compared to 8, except for couple of bugs that are related to Leopard compatibility.
In this day and age, you have to follow with both hardware and software upgrades on 2-3 year term, otherwise you are left in a dust.
It is unfortunate but the only way for hardware/software companies to make money.
I guess YMMV

Joe · April 17, 2008, 03:53:35 PM

I've got two co-workers with Intel Macs that beg to differ about that. They both hate Acrobat 8 and have both reverted back to 7. Running under Rosetta it runs better than 8 does.

almaink · April 18, 2008, 08:10:49 AM

Just found out CS3 InDesign also has prepress issues. I imposed 170 page perfect bound book using RAMpage PDF FPO's only to find out once I was done it wouldn't work. Seems Adobe in their infinite wisdom decided to strip out OPI comments in PDF's starting in CS3. WTF they would do this is beyond me, their time would be better spent IMO fixing things not ruining peoples workflow's. I was able to export the CS3 to CS2 where it worked but really Adobe get with the frickin' program already! Don't even get me started on Acrobat 8, it's not long for the trash can here...

Joe · April 18, 2008, 08:44:42 AM

Quote from: almaink on April 18, 2008, 08:10:49 AMJust found out CS3 InDesign also has prepress issues. I imposed 170 page perfect bound book using RAMpage PDF FPO's only to find out once I was done it wouldn't work. Seems Adobe in their infinite wisdom decided to strip out OPI comments in PDF's starting in CS3. WTF they would do this is beyond me, their time would be better spent IMO fixing things not ruining peoples workflow's. I was able to export the CS3 to CS2 where it worked but really Adobe get with the frickin' program already! Don't even get me started on Acrobat 8, it's not long for the trash can here...

I'm telling you, they are falling into the same arrogance trap that brought Quark down. They've quit listening to customers and are barreling down their own self righteous path. That is a recipe for disaster. I know I sure won't be jumping on the CS4 bandwagon quite as eagerly as previous ones.

almaink · April 18, 2008, 09:31:19 AM

Took me 4 years, but I finally got bossman to pony up for the Adobe partners thing. So CS4 will be part of that just like CS3 was. I just hope ta hell it's better than CS3, but I'm not holding my breath.

Joe · April 18, 2008, 09:37:30 AM

LOL...oops, forgot about that. I have it too. I just won't tell our customers we can take CS4 files early on.

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Acrobat 8 UI