Nielsen Says "PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption"
I said on May 28th that I didn't particularly like PDF documents. Jacob Nielsen's latest Alertbox summarizes some of the reasons that resonate with me. Here's his summary:
"Summary:
Users get lost inside PDF files, which are typically big, linear text blobs that are optimized for print and unpleasant to read and navigate online. PDF is good for printing, but that's it. Don't use it for online presentation."
One of my biggest online pet peeves is clicking a link and failing to recognize that it's a link to a PDF file. I use the time that it takes for Acrobat to load inside my browser (and rudely seize all running IE windows) to slap myself several hundred times for being so stupid.