Adobe Announces Public Beta of Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, Version 2.0; Product Now Includes Support for Secured Adobe PDF Files, Macintosh Platform and Additional Languages.

Business Editors

FOSE 2002

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2002

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE), the leader in network publishing, today announced the public beta availability of Acrobat(R) Reader(R) for Palm OS(R), version 2.0, a software application that allows mobile professionals and others the flexibility to view Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files on Palm Powered(TM) handheld computers.

The latest version helps extend the value of award-winning Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) 5.0 software and Adobe PDF to an even broader user base. Now, customers have the ability to synchronize Adobe PDF files to Palm Powered handhelds from not only desktop and laptop systems running Microsoft(R) Windows(R), but also those based on the Macintosh platform. In addition, the shipping version of the latest product will be available in four additional languages -- French, German, Italian, and Spanish -- as well as English.

Users will also, for the first time, have the added utility of accessing secured Adobe PDF documents -- those including measures like password protection -- on Palm Powered devices. This will allow corporations, for example, to more easily and confidently share Adobe PDF files that include sensitive content across an extended enterprise.

"The initial Acrobat Reader for Palm OS release received an enthusiastic welcome from corporations and consumers alike, with well over one million copies downloaded from the Adobe Web site," said Rick Bess, director of Acrobat Reader product management. "With enhancements in the latest version, we're now able to offer a much larger audience more freedom in the way they access visually rich Adobe PDF content. As we move forward, our goal is to help Acrobat customers streamline their business processes even further by extending the reach of Adobe PDF to devices of all kinds."

"Document security is an issue of growing importance in business today," said Gabriel Acosta-Lopez, senior director of Platform Development Services for PalmSource, Inc., the Palm OS subsidiary of Palm, Inc. "By adding support for secured Adobe PDF files in the latest version of Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, Adobe is responding to the needs of our customers. The significant number of Palm Powered handheld users on the Mac platform will be equally excited that Adobe is now providing them access to an important application in Acrobat Reader and a ubiquitous platform in Adobe PDF."

The new version of Acrobat Reader for Palm OS allows users to read, navigate and search color and black-and-white Adobe PDF documents, such as product manuals, reference guides and other graphically rich content, in a format re-flowed to fit the width of a smaller handheld screen. Adobe PDF files created using Acrobat 5.0, Adobe InDesign(R) 2.0 and Adobe PageMaker(R) 7.0 will offer the best reading experience on Palm Powered devices because they are automatically tagged with information on page structure and organization. This allows for easier and more reliable text re-flow on a handheld device.

The process of preparing and transferring an Adobe PDF file for viewing on a Palm Powered device is simple and fast. After launching the Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, version 2.0 desktop application, the user drags and drops an Adobe PDF document onto it. The next time a synchronization is performed, the Adobe PDF file is transferred to the viewing application on the handheld. Using the device, the user can then launch the Acrobat Reader application and select the desired Adobe PDF document.

Pricing and Availability

The public beta of Acrobat Reader for Palm OS, version 2.0 is immediately available free of charge at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/palmbeta.html for Windows 98, Windows NT(R) 4.0, Windows ME, Windows 2000 (users must have Palm Desktop 3.0.1 or higher) and Windows XP, Mac OS 9.X and Mac OS X.1 (Classic mode), and Palm Powered devices with Palm OS 3.5 or higher and a minimum available memory of 315K. The public beta version of the product is available in English only. French, German, Italian, and Spanish language localizations are expected to be available shortly after the English shipping version. The shipping product is expected to be available by the end of June 2002. For more information, please visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrrmobiledevices.html.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated

Founded in 1982, Adobe Systems Incorporated (www.adobe.com) builds award-winning software solutions for network publishing, including Web, ePaper, print, video, wireless and broadband applications. Its graphic design, imaging, dynamic media and authoring tools enable customers to create, manage and deliver visually-rich, reliable content. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Adobe is the second-largest PC software company in the U.S., with annual revenues exceeding $1.2 billion.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Acrobat Reader, InDesign, and PageMaker are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Palm OS is a registered trademark of Palm, Inc. Palm and Palm Powered are trademarks of Palm, Inc. Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.