There are many good reasons for PDF files. Actually, you're wrong about
the size of PDF files. PDF files are compressed and thus typically much
smaller (depending on your formatting of the text) than a similar
HTML document.
The biggest reason though is simply that createing PDF documents is
easy - much easier than creating HTML documents in say Word and
converting them to HTML. The conversion and output is hardly
ever usable as is and if you want to look nice you have to use
an HTML page layout tool. If the document is even marginally complex
using such a tool is much, much slower and inconvenient than using
a Word processor.
Finally some odcuments simply require the full layout capabilities
that are not possible with plain HTML that runs on any brwoser.
HTML is good for presenting standard messages and information, but
it's lousy for providing lots of information in a single document.
+++ Rick ---
>>>I want to publish acrobat reader files (.pdf) on our web site and I want to know if there is some plug in for internet explorer to see these files directly in the explorer.
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>
>>>Michel
>>
>>The user must install the Acrobat reader on his PC, then the PDF file will be displayed inside IE.
>
>Actually, I have a question, which may in turn become a whole new thread...
>
>Why do so many companies use PDF files published on the web. Personaly, I find them to be a burdon in more ways than one.
>
>First, the files aren't quite that small, compared to an HTML file and a few compact graphics. Plus, the browser must launch the plugin, then load the file. Plus, on more than one occasion for myself and other people I know, the system hangs not long after the file starts to load. Sure, the content looks nice, but I would much rather have a document that will load quickly and not so "flashy" than something that just bogs down my system and take a few minutes to download. After all, didn't a company once have a slogan "Moving at the speed of information"? If so, I'm sure he wasn't relying on stats for downloading and viewing PDF files!
>
>Just a point of view...
>
>Hugo Dahl
