As with any software, Adobe Reader 9 had its strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few:
Adobe Reader 9 was the last time a piece of software truly acted like a piece of furniture. It was heavy, it was hard to move, and it took up too much space in the room. But when you sat down to use it, you knew you were doing something serious.
Adobe Reader 9 is also famous for a specific kind of betrayal. It was the version that introduced "PDF Portfolios"—a way to embed Word docs, Excel sheets, and videos inside a PDF.
When you finally clicked the icon, the splash screen was majestic. It didn't just open; it launched . A grey, gradient-heavy box appeared, loading plugins like a plane taxiing on a runway. It loaded the OCR engine. It loaded the multimedia handlers. It loaded the digital signature suite. You could go make a coffee while Adobe Reader 9 prepared itself to show you a single sheet of paper.