Version 6 availability

[mikolajek]

Will version 6 of the Viewer be available? I can't see it among new product versions. I used to install both PDF Xchange Pro and Viewer as it suited me better than the Editor.

Am I supposed to rely fully on the Editor now? Or will Viewer be somehow available?

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi mikolajek,

Thanks for the post - the Viewer is still available on the discontinued products section of the downloads page, but we're not releasing any updates for it. It's been discontinued for quite some time and we've only been incrementing the build numbers, rather than actually really changing anything:
https://www.pdf-xchange.com/product ... scontinued

Thanks,

[davews]

I currently use PDFXchange Editor v5 but was previously very happy with the Viewer. The download for the Viewer, now on the discontinued tab, is 17MB. Why is the editor so huge, v6 is over 100MB? In the old days your product was praised as a bloat free alternative to Adobe, it now seems that distinction has disappeared. I am tempted to go back to the Viewer as apart from the occasional text editing I don't need any of the other features in the editor.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Indeed, PDF-XChange Viewer has also been my favorite PDF Viewer for a long time. It offered several additional features that were not available in other PDF viewers.

But now, I think, after some time, we have got to learn and to appreciate its successor, PDF-XChange Editor. It took a while before it came to maturity, but actually there is practically nothing more left that is not available in the Editor in comparison with the Viewer. And above this, it has plenty of 'editor' functionality, even Fillable Forms creation.

If you do not need the editor features and you like to see the Editor as a free 'viewer' version, then you can turn off and "Hide all licensed features from toolbars and menus" via Edit > Preferences > Registration.

The ZIP installer for PDF-XChange Editor includes the 32-bits version as well as the 64-bits version, and so it is over 100 MB.
Even though, if you opt for the MSI installer, then you can immediately select one of the two xx-bit packages, being half as large as the ZIP installer. Above this, you must know that the actual installer (also) includes the PDF-XChange Lite printer driver, and Shell extensions (for displaying Preview and Details of PDF files in Windows File Explorer).

To all people at Tracker Software Products, I would like to say congratulations with the release of this new major update.

Best regards to everyone.

[davews]

Thanks Willy. I had not noticed the separate .msi downloads. Just downloaded and installed the 64 bit version, 72MB. Seems to work, can't see any real changes from v5. Still a big download compared with the Viewer, it is a shame Tracker are not maintaining that for those who just need a viewer.

[Willy Van Nuffel]

Maybe Tracker Software will still have other arguments, but myself I think the main reason is that in the actual situation they only have to maintain one single version. If there should be a limited edition of the Editor AND also a standard AND maybe a professional edition, they would have to make their updates twice or even three times for the same product.

And, besides that, as an end-user you are free to use whatever feature(s) you like, you are not mandatory to use them all.

Personally, I do not have the feeling that PDF-XChange Editor is that large in file size.
Less than 100 MB, nowadays, for that multitude of features is not so unusual.

And last point, the new version is a normal evolution from build 316 to 317, but due to the important new feature that offers the creation of fillable forms, they have released this as a major update (Version 6.0).

Best regards.

[Patrick-Tracker Supp]

Hi Willy,

Thank you very much for the kind words! To reiterate what you have stated, we have a limited number of developers who work long days 7 days a week. They do a great job dealing with all the pressure. The plan has been to replace the Viewer with a more capable and advanced product as early as 2012. With the release of Version 6, I believe we have listened to, and responded to the majority of our customers' requests for the features that have been included. As you know, Willy, we try our best to implement user suggestions, but adding another variation of a "simple Viewer" is simply not something we will be doing.

davews - If you do not wish to use the more advanced features, you can customize the toolbars to contain only the tools and features you desire. See this link for more details: https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowled ... he-Editor-

I hope this helps!

[John_Farmer]

Hi. Is it a security risk if I stick with XChange Viewer, because Tracker Software won't provide any updates, not even security updates anymore? If yes, should I first uninstall XChange Viewer and then install XChange Editor?

[Will - Tracker Supp]

Hi John,

It is a potential security risk, but in the last 5 years only 2 were found and were fixed the next day. These were not issues with our software, per se, but issues with the PDF format in general. This makes it highly unlikely that any vulnerabilities will be found, but we cannot make any guarantees.

You're more than welcome to install the Viewer and Editor side-by-side, if you'd like, as they are designed to be able to be installed together.

Thanks,