Reason for PDF Format

[Stainless Steel Rat]

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"JT" == Jeffrey Thompson <jeffrey at thompsonic.com> writes:

JT> By producing a PDF by translating from sgml, you simply miss the whole
JT> point of producing a PDF in the first place.

By not using SGML, you simply miss the point.  PDF, for all its virtues,
sucks.  Give me a TeXInfo or SGML file and I can print up something that
looks really nice on just about any medium you care to name, ranging from
character terminals to the top of the line Linotype.  PDF does not even
begin to approach that degree of versatility.

If you get a chance, take a look at the bound and printed _TeX Book_.  It
was typeset entirely with TeX.

JT> Since the Adobe Acrobat Reader is free,

It is distributable without charge, but it is not free.  It is also
unavailable for many operating systems and environments.  TeX and SGML
tools are available for anything that has access to a C compiler or cross
compiler.
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