For some time now you've been able to download freeware that integrates a printer into your windows operating system which allows you to choose 'export to pdf' by switching 'printers'. It's a really great, easy, and wonderful freeware solution to the expensive option of buying the Adobe software to do the job. At first it feels a little like a 'jerry-rigged' solution but after you use it a few times you'll see that it's dependable, easy, and reliable. Normally there it is a great solution and everyone should use it. However there is one problem with a specific area. If you want to scan a documents onto your hard drive and you want to create a single pdf document from the several you've scanned you have to import them into another application to do it. I've been looking for a solution to that problem and I've found one that doesn't work very well so I won't recommend it here but what I do is import the documents into Microsoft Works word processor (I'm sure most word processors will work) and then print from there. However, before you import the documents you should format the page and move all the margins as far back as you can because if you don't do that your document will show up and be about 70% as large as the original. If you do format the page you get about 89% and it is hardly noticeable.There are several solutions that all work the same way. The best that I have tested is the Cute PDF writer and you can download it for free at the link below. It's a snap to install and after you install it you'll notice that when you go to print a document, it looks like you have a new printer named 'Cute PDF writer'.
http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp
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I posted the following comment on 'download squad' and I thought I should back it up by telling you how to create the pdf documents I mention in the comment below.
Sooner or later someone is going to come out with a free fax service and it will be a huge success because the ones that are currently out there don't work very well. I don't understand why some smart people have not seen that opportunity in the market. I've tried to use the fax pay sites that have deals where you can fax a page or two for free but their primary business is a fee based service but I've never had the faxes actually go through. Today users can easily create their own pdf documents on their desktop with freeware so I can't understand why it is so hard for someone to create an outgoing fax service and pay for it with advertising. Faxing is the only existing niche in the market that hasn't benefited from the web2.0 movement (that I know of). I just wanted to point out that the market is there and so is the business opportunity. I wish I had the money, time, and skills needed to go after this juicy slice of the Internet market! Hopefully someone out there will read this, go after the opportunity, and be the next big success story!
I maintain a blog that reviews freeware. I'm continually working to identify a 'best of breed' freeware solution for the Windows NT platform. Check out my blog at:
http://mightyjoesfree.blogspot.com/
Posted at 2:32PM on Aug 10th 2007 by Ethan Dickerson
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