In a blog post today, Adobe announced that the next version of Adobe Reader and Acrobat would be released next month. Currently being on version 9, the next version should be Reader 10 but… they’re jumping to roman numerals, so Adobe Reader X, Acrobat X Pro, Acrobat X Suite, Acrobat X Standard will be available next month.
They also included a list of features they wanted to highlight in the new version:
- View and interact with PDF files that contain an even wider variety of content types, including drawings, email messages, spreadsheets, videos, and other multimedia elements.
- Make notes and share your feedback with others by marking up PDF documents using the Sticky Notes and Highlighter tools.
- Choose reading mode to fit more content on the screen or two-up mode to view page spreads. Use keyboard shortcuts like print, zoom, and find within the browser.
- Take advantage of the added security of Protected Mode in Reader, which helps ensure safer viewing of PDF files.
- Directly access online services at Acrobat.com from within Reader X. Perform common tasks such as creating PDF files, securely sharing and storing documents, and screen-sharing.
- Expanded PDF access via mobile devices with free Adobe Reader for Android, Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry Tablet OS
They have also updated the Adobe website to promote Acrobat X now which includes a number of child pages describing the new product:
- Top 10 Features
- Enterprise uses
- and more
The Adobe IT Matters blog posted a brief announcement reminding people that this version will include support for SCCM/SCUP and includes Protected Mode.
We’ll have to see what real changes have been made, how to deploy it, and the rest of our questions when it ships next month.