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More…Do you work in an environment that relies on PDF documents as much as it does on Microsoft Office? If so, you may find it becoming difficult to manage all those file formats. That's when you need to invest in a PDF conversion tool. I tried out Nuance's $100 PDF Converter Pro 5, and was very impressed with its ease of use and outstanding accuracy.
Nuance NUANCE PDF Converter Professional 5.0
PCWorld Rating, March 1, 2008
5 User Reviews Add your own »
$51.99 - $65.00
From 3 Vendors
Get Best Prices »
Pros
Excellent accuracy
Supports a wide array of file formats
Cons
Starts a little slower than other similar apps
Bottom Line
Offers excellent two-way conversion features, outstanding accuracy, and ease of use.
Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5
NUANCE PDF Converter Professional 5.0 Review, by Kevin C. Tofel March 21, 2008
Of course, you don't have to spend $100 on a PDF conversion tool--you can find free downloads and free Web services that convert documents into PDFs. For a quick conversion, such tools are fine in a pinch. You also can opt for one of the two $50 products that Nuance offers--PDF Converter 5 or PDF Create--that do one-way conversions to PDF. But Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5 is a veritable Swiss-army-knife solution, offering advanced features such as digital signature support, side-by-side PDF-file comparisons, form creation, and PDF archiving of Microsoft Outlook mail.
This Pro version is not only less expensive than two major competitors (the $130 Able2Extract and the $399 Document Converter Pro from Neevia), but it offers more features, converts documents more quickly, and improves on its competitors' conversion accuracy. It's also easier to use, thanks to a friendly interface and an optional assistant, and it handles images, links, and tables impressively.
PDF Converter Pro's most attractive features are its two-way conversion capabilities and its expansive file format support. It will generate PDF files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, MRC PDF (a compressed, three-layer format used by Nuance Omnipage and Paperport products), and searchable PDF files. It also converts PDF documents to any of these formats for editing with amazing accuracy.
I converted a 154-page PDF file (containing text, images, links, and tables) to a Word document. PDF Converter Pro 5 completed the task in 4 minutes, 1 second, with an accuracy level near 99 percent. Only a few images were converted incorrectly; they came out as groups of images and not single objects. Able2Extract took 4:45 to complete the same task--that's 18 percent slower--and the accuracy level wasn't quite as high. Like PDF Converter Pro, Able2Extract does offer two-way conversion, but it supports fewer file formats. Neevia's Document Converter Pro, meanwhile, uses a clunky interface that's better suited to batch conversion, not one-off use. And, despite being four times the price of Converter Pro 5, it offers only a one-way conversion to PDF.
Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5 also provides seamless content editing, regardless of the file type. You can edit PDFs directly within the app: Objects can be resized or rotated, notes can be added, and changes can be tracked for review and approval. One of the nicest features: similar to creating a compressed ZIP file with multiple objects, PDF Converter Pro 5 can create a single PDF package made from any or all of the supported file types. Nuance also includes a PDF comparison tool that provides a side-by-side look at two PDF documents and points out all changes.
If PDF usage is prevalent in your office, Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5 should find a place in your toolbox.
-- Kevin C. Tofel
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User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Nuance NUANCE PDF Converter Professional 5.0
1 Review Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 1 review
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Reviewed by: PhilipK50
Duration of ownership: 2 Weeks
Strengths: Has not worked so far
Weaknesses: Word documents do not open after installing this product. No repsponse from "Nuance Customer Care" so far to complaint
Overall: Does not work as said. No customer care.
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User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: Jazzinatl
Strengths: PDF creation
Weaknesses: User interface (menus, toolbars) is not very customizableQuirks in the functionality decrease usability
Overall: PDF Converter 5 is a decent lower-cost alternative to Adobe Acrobat. It includes many of the features available only in the more expensive versions of Acrobat. On the downside, the user interface is not very customizable. Many of the most used functions and features are buried in submenus or on toolbars that appear only temporarily when summoned. Given the price, PDF Converter 5 is a good value for casual users. Power users may wish to consider sticking to Adobe Acrobat.
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Reviewed by: jmbcmk
Strengths: This program is quite easy to install and also easy to use.
Weaknesses: I cannot find any weaknesses. It has recognized all of my multitudes of files and converts easily.
Overall: This is a great program if you need to create, convert, or edit PDF files, and I highly recommend it. It is easy to use, easy to navigate, and converts quite quickly. For me, filling out and saving online PDF files saves time, energy, and effort. Additionally, I have found no incompatibilities.
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Reviewed by: jackdistaso
Strengths: Easy to use; fast; flexible; converts in both directions
Weaknesses: Lacks a button for going to start or end of document; Selection of tools to display on top of page is limited.
Overall: Excellent program. It converts very quickly and works with all of the programs I have applied it to (through its Print to protocol). Good selection of editing tools work quite easily. Have not had any compatibility problems with other PDF document sources.
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Reviewed by: garylane
Strengths: Much faster than previous versions. Much more accurate than previous versions.
Weaknesses: None!
Overall: I love it. It not only works faster than any of their previous versions, but it is also far more accurate and less of a drain of cpu resources.I wish it had been out 5 years ago.
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