Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of mrmoderate
mrmoderateFlag for United States of America

asked on

Need a print-to-PDF program for Win2k and WinXP

I need to add the ability to EASILY create PDF files to my company's Windows 2000 Professional AND Windows XP Professional computers.  I've seen some programs that essentially install themselves as printers, allowing the users to create PDFs by opening/creating a document in most programs (word processors, Web browsers, etc.), clicking File > Print, choosing "Print to PDF" (or something like that) as the "printer," specifying where the PDF file should be created (optional step), and clicking "OK."

I've been using pdfFactory Pro.  It's a little too complicated for the users I'm dealing with, but it's ESSENTIALLY what I need.  However, it will not work with Windows XP Professional; it forgets my configuration settings with XP, whereas it remembers them with Windows 2000 Professional.

Considerations:
The users are mostly morons when it comes to computers, so the interface has to be painfully simple (or at least configurable by me and simple to them).
A freebee program would be nice.
Disguised spyware (or other type of malware) would be AWFUL.  This MUST be avoided.

What do y'all suggest?

Thanks, folks.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of homemadebyx
homemadebyx
Flag of United States of America image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
SOLUTION
Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
Avatar of jimturk
jimturk

Here is a VERY GOOD print pdf utility.  It is called PrimoPDF and can be found at :

      http://www.primopdf.com/
A good program is ScanSoft PDF Professional.
I think it can just install the PDF driver.
I agree with mr_crust, having just a button to press is very easy. Adobe Acrobat writer do that. Another choice is Solid Converfer PDF from www.soliddocuments.com. It allows you even to create Word documents from PDF.  
Advantages of these 2 apps: the integration into office suite (just press button and you get PDF) and a printer driver for the other apps.

Little drawback: they are not free!
For a brill easy free pdf creator see http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator/ and it is open source.
I know you said you would like a freebee... but, there is an option for Adobe for those that would pay for it to be really easy. US$9.99/month or US$99.99/year.  I haven't tried it but I bet it is easy to use.  There is a free trial (5 free documents).  Users can add Adobe PDF creation as a desktop printer to convert documents and web pages directly from your desktop applications.

http://createpdf.adobe.com/?v=AFP

DeeDee
Avatar of mrmoderate

ASKER

Thanks, everybody!

I'm sure I'll be able to find something workable above.  However, if anybody has more suggestions, I'm going to keep checking this thread for another week, so suggest away!

Homemadebyx, I tried your suggestion.  Pretty good for a freebee!  Too bad the expanded features set is bundled with adware.

Again, thanks all.

--mrmoderate
i apologize, i guess i've never used the expanded features.  Thanks for the warning.
This is kind of a general statement,  but snapfiles.com is 1 great resource for software. There is free stuff and shareware, quality apps.  You'll find other PDF print software plus much more.  I don't remember who passed that site to me, but it's a gem.
The PrimoPDF is also freeware and no adware.  Forgot to mention it earlier.

     http://www.primopdf.com/
I used http://www.pdf995.com/ in the past and it was good, but you get ad's to buy occassionaly.
Thanks for everybody's input.  I haven't had time to review it.  The project got delayed due to a serious illness in the family/business.  I'll check it all out hopefully in a couple of weeks.

Thanks again.
With all those software posted, mrmoderate has full of choices. All the software listed here are wonderful and generate all pdf so it's up to the asker to say which best fit his need.