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Adobe releases eBook Reader 2.1, no longer beta

By Peter Cohen
Macworld MAY 10, 2001 5:00 pm PDT

Adobe Systems Inc. has released a final version of Acrobat eBook Reader 2.1 for the Macintosh. The new version is available for download from Adobe’s Web site. This release replaces a previous public beta version.

Acrobat eBook Reader enables users to read eBooks — graphically rich, formatted documents created in Adobe’s vaunted portable document format (PDF). Users treat eBooks just like real, physical books — they’re purchased from online sites like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, and depending on the publisher’s preferences, users can sometimes print them out, or even lend or give them to other eBook Reader users (though Adobe says this feature hasn’t been implemented in this version of eBook Reader, however).

Adobe notes the following changes in Acrobat eBook Reader 2.1:

  • Display rotation for laptops — enables users to rotate eBook Reader’s window 90 degrees.
  • Repositioning — pan or scroll a page after zooming.
  • Printing and copying — when authorized by the publisher, eBook pages can be printed and/or copied to the Clipboard.
  • Hiding the button panel — the control panel used to navigate and invoke various eBook functions can be hidden while viewing the eBook.
  • Drag and Drop support — eBook documents can be dropped onto the reader.
  • Listening to Books — Where supported, text can be spoken.
  • CoolType — Adobe’s adaptive font technology that helps make eBook text clearer and easier to read.
  • Dictionary Definitions — eBooks in some languages now include the ability to double-click on words to look up definitions and hear pronunciations.

    • The company makes a variety of titles — mainly classic fiction — available for free download to give eBook users a taste for how the technology works. Other commercial works, including popular fiction and non-fiction, are also available for purchase and download. This past week, Adobe announced the release of over 200 eBooks targeted at mobile professionals.

    Adobe Acrobat eBook Reader 2.1 is available for free download from Adobe’s Web site. System requirements call for a PowerPC-based Mac; Mac OS 9.0 or 9.1 (OS X is not yet supported, either in Classic or native modes); QuickTime 4 or higher; Internet Explorer 4.5, AOL 5.0, or Netscape Communicator 4.75 or later.

    More info || Download eBook Reader 2.1 [9.0MB]