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Your guide to the best PDF editors of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buyer's guide to the top PDF editors of this year.

We test and rate the best PDF editors you can get, including packages from Adobe, Foxit, Nuance, Nitro and more. Most of the packages here cost money but it is possible toedit PDFs for free.

PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most popular types of document for sharing as most devices and computers can open a PDF for the recipient to read. It doesn't matter whether you're using a laptop or a smartphone, nor which software was used to create it.

But while some PDF reader software allows you to annotate or add comments, such as the free Foxit Reader, sometimes you need to edit the actual PDF itself. This is possible with the tools below, even if a different program was used to make the file in the first place. Such programs allow to to do things like convert a PDF to Wordformat.

All software below lets you create PDFs from other files - including .doc - but they also allow you to edit PDF files so that you don't need to track down the original source file in its native format. In addition, most of them also provide advanced features such as form creation, digital signature and ID certification, and collaborative review and commenting, that you generally dont get with free PDF packages. We also take a look at one free package - AbleWord PDF editor - to see just how much you can get without spending a penny.

If you don't want to install any software, you can edit up to three PDFs online using PDF Pro for free, and there's also FormSwift PDF editor online.

Overall, we found Nuance Power PDF 2 to be intuitive and easy to use, especially if you're familiar with Microsoft Office. We have little doubt that most users will be able to quickly get up and running with it. We found the reviewing features particularly comprehensive, proving means of annotating, marking text in various ways and drawing attention to parts of a document, and it's great that there's now support for touchscreens. Given that it's so much cheaper than Acrobat, it makes a lot of sense for small business use.

Read our full Power PDF 2 review.

This is a fully featured PDF editor that's very easy to use and represents good value for money.Like other editors, itprovides facilities for PDF creation and editing, form creation, digital signatures and commenting, plus integrated optical character recognition (OCR) so that scanned paper documents can be turned into truly editable PDFs.

Version 11 adds various improvements including more performance enhancements compared toversion 10. it also adopts an Office 2016-style interface and it's possible to customise the Home tab at the top so it contains your most used options and tools. For those new to Nitro, there's a new Product Tour which walks you through the main features.

We like the integration with Box, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox which makes it very easy to open and save files directly to those cloud storage services.

When it comes to editing PDFs, Nitro makes it a breeze to change text, rearrange images, add forms and more. You can change the order of pages in a document simply by dragging and dropping. And it's also easy to sign a PDF using the QuickSign shortcut.

At133.99 for the Personal version it's not the cheapest, but you do get a lot of features.

Wondershare's PDFelement takes a lot of inspiration (as do other PDF editors) from Microsoft Office, so if you're used to Office 2007 or later, you'll instantly feel at home with PDFelement.

The interface is clean and intuitive and the tools are easy to use and do what you'd expect. You can create a PDF from scratch, but can also import a Word, Excel or PowerPoint document.

We found this worked well, except for large Excel sheets since there's no option to select just a portion of the sheet you want to import: it's all or nothing.

On unprotected documents you can click the 'Edit text'button and do exactly that. Unlike some PDF editors, which force you to 'Tippex' over text and then type over the top, PDFelement allows you to select and modify text just as you can in Word. Plus, you can select and move images around at will, delete elements and import new images.

As you'd expect from a paid-for product, it allows you to protect documents, create forms and sign documents.

It costs $69.99, which works out at exactly the same in Great British Pounds once VAT is added on. And at that price, it's good value.If you need OCR - the ability to convert scanned text documents into editable text - that version costs an extra20.

Foxit PhantomPDF Business 7 provides the level of functionality that the professional user has come to expect at a keen price. The user interface is modern and easy to use (mainly because it borrows heavily from Microsoft Office) and Foxit provides no shortage of tutorial videos and easy access to support options to get you up to speed in record time.

Plus, if you only need very basic editing options such as annotation, highlighting and signing PDFs, then Foxit Reader is totally free.

Read our full Foxit PhantomPDF review

Adobe invented the PDF, and so you'd be right to expect that it has the best - or at least very good - PDF editing software. These days, of course, Adobe wants you to pay a subscription to access the latest version of Acrobat Pro. The DC stands for Document Cloud, and hints at the fact that you can store your PDFs in the cloud and collaborate on them with others.

If you don't need many editing features, you can just use Acrobat DC, which is the standard version. However, while this works out at 11.42 per month ($15), the Pro version ishardly any more expensive at 13.33 per month.You can find out more at Adobe's website

However,unless you really need its features (or you can get it for education prices) then it's hard to justify the expense when other PDF editors do a lot of what Acrobat can do for a considerably smaller outlay.

Although primarily a word processor, the fact that the free AbleWord can read and write PDF files means that its more than capable of acting as a PDF editor, thereby suggesting comparison with some seriously expensive competition. While the professional aspects of professional PDF editors are missing, for simply editing PDF documents, AbleWord is perfectly capable.

Here's our full AbleWord review.

Costing significantly less than virtually all other business-oriented PDF editors, yet providing the functionality youd expect, Tracker PDF XChange Pro is well worth trying out (there's a trial option on the website). The down-side is that some of the functions youd expect to find in the main package are in separate utilities but this is only a minor inconvenience, given the price.

Read our full PDF XChange Pro review

Able2Extract Pro 11 may have an odd name, but this is a fully fledged PDF creator and editor.

It can also take a PDF and convert it to various formats including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. When converting to Excel, you can select only the content you want to extract (the name is relevant here) and see a preview of what it will look like before actually exporting it.

Editing functions include being able to highlight and replace text (fonts cannot always be matched of course), remove pages and annotate and redact text. And as with other paid-for packages, you can protect a PDF with a password and differing file permissions.

At $149.99 (approx 143 inc VAT), this is one of the more expensive options, so if you don't need all its features, you can save money and opt for one of the cheaper packages here.

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The best PDF editors for 2017 - PC Advisor

Eagle Technology Media Release

AUCKLAND 29th March 2017

Students in both primary and secondary education in New Zealand now have free access to Esris ArcGIS Online software through the roll-out of a multimillion dollar enablement program to schools across America, Europe and now Australia and New Zealand. ArcGIS Onlinelets students and teachers explore and analyse data using maps. Eagle Technology, distributor for Esri in New Zealand and the South Pacific launched the Esri Program for Schools with an announcement at the Auckland Regional Esri User Conference today.

Mark Allan, CEO, Eagle Technology, says the free software brings the same technology widely used in both government and the private sector to the classroom.

In 2014 Esris founder and President, Jack Dangermond, joined then-president Barack Obamas ConnectED program. The 2013 initiative sought to make American schools more technologically savvy, and encouraged private technology companies to make in-kind contributions to the programme. Esris offer to donate ArcGIS Online to every school in the United States has resulted in the uptake by more than 4000 schools, and has encouraged Dangermond to take it to other parts of the world as the Esri Program for Schools.

Students can access instructional materials for using ArcGIS online, and explore data related to topics including World Population, Tropical Storms and Interpreting the Landscape (using topographic maps of NZ National Parks). At launch, there will be twelve exercises, or geoinquiries, adapted by Eagle for the New Zealand education curriculum, in addition to global content.

Says Allan, Whereas GIS is strongly associated with geography, it has a much wider application as a system of record, engagement and insight in real world environments for business but also for how we live in our communities. It is being used to manage the environment, but also right down to tackling human problems such as poverty and crime. Esri refers to its GIS as The Science of Where. Students may be introduced to GIS through geography or history in a school, but may find it embedded in their future careers through many different channels.

More about Esri Program for Schools

ENDS

About Eagle Technology Group Eagle Technology Group Ltd is a privately held New Zealand-owned systems integration and information management company established since 1969. It has approximately 90 employees with offices in Auckland and Wellington. Eagle Technology has a has a long-established and successful geospatial technology practice in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related technologies, as well as a unique understanding of on premise ICT infrastructure, communications and Field Force Management, managed services expertise and Cloud applications. Eagle Technology is the distributor for global software leader Esris ArcGIS platform in New Zealand and the South Pacific. Its traditional client base is in government, local government and enterprise class commercial organisations.

Scoop Media

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Roll-out of free GIS software for schools | Scoop News - Scoop.co.nz (press release)

While about 70 percent of taxpayers are eligible to file their returns for free online, fewer than 3 percent of them take advantage of the IRS Free File program.

IRS Free File, which began in 2003, is a partnership between the IRS and a group of private tax preparation companies that allows taxpayers to prepare and file their taxes for free online.

A lot of people get scared when you start talking IRS, said Jim Argo, an AARP tax-aide volunteer of 13 years, who helped people file taxes Thursday at Peru Public Library. Probably a lot of them would be eligible for Free File, but a lot of them are intimidated by the internet.

Judy Bence, 68, of La Salle is a match for that description.

No, I dont file alone or online. That scares me, said Bence, who filed her taxes with the assistance of AARP tax-aide volunteer Linda Reff. Im not a tax-filing person. Ive never done it on my own.

Bence has toyed with the idea before and done research, but she came away overwhelmed.

I looked at it one time, and I was like, Ahh!. Bence said throwing her hands up.

She has been getting help from AARP with her taxes for the past five years.

Filing online alone can be daunting for members of younger tech-savvy generations too even those who have used Free File before.

Ryan Wetsel, 25, of La Salle who was also getting free tax help said things are just easier with the assistance of someone who knows what theyre doing.

I have filed online before, he said. It was through one of the free websites. The last two times I tried to do it myself it kept getting returned. I just decided this was easier. I tried it, then it never worked again.

According to tax-filing statistics, most people agree with Bence and Wetsel.

Fifty-eight percent of responses to a poll on http://www.newstrib.com said they dont file their taxes alone, and things are even more lopsided across the county.

Nationally, 112 million people filed income taxes in 2014, the most recent year on record on the IRS website, and few used Free File.

Around 3 million taxpayers a year use Free File, about the same number of taxpayers who use free volunteer tax prep assistance through our 12,000 locations operated by community organizations, said Anthony Burke with the IRS.

That number is also kept low by cannibalization from Free File Alliance members.

When Free File began in 2003, it was the only free software program available, Burke said. Today, many of the brand-name software providers, who also are members of Free File, offer free software outside of the Free File umbrella.

Free file qualifications

If youre wondering if you qualify for Free File ahead of Tax Day, April 18, this is what you need to know.

Taxpayers who make $64,000 or less 70 percent of taxpayers are eligible to use Free File brand-name software products, Burke said. Taxpayers who make more than $64,000 can use Free File Fillable Forms, the electronic version of IRS paper forms.

Taxpayers can access the forms at irs.gov/uac/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free.

This year, the Free File pages are optimized for various devices, which means taxpayers can now use their mobile phones and tablets, as well as their computers, to prepare and e-file their taxes, Burke said.

Eligibility guidelines are different for each of the 12 Free File partner companies. Their criteria is generally based on income, age and state residency.

Several offer both free federal and free state return software, Burke said. Active duty military personnel who make $64,000 or less can use any of the 12 software products they want.

Free local help through the AARP

While the AARP is most often associated with seniors, Argo said tax-aide volunteers with the organization help people in any age bracket.

He said volunteers are at Peru Public Library from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, Mendota Area Senior Center 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays and Bridges Community Center in Ottawa 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays.

More AARP tax-aide site locations can be found online at https://secure.aarp.org/applications/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.action.

Ben Hohenstatt can be reached at (815) 220-6932 or perureporter@newstrib.com. Follow him on Twitter @NT_Peru.

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Free file fear keeps tax preppers busy - LaSalle News Tribune

Microsoft Security Essentials, the free Microsoft antivirus software for Windows Vista and Windows 7, has always been a firm "better than nothing" option. That may have finally changed, if the latest evaluation from AV-TEST is any indication.

Credit: Microsoft

The German lab's latest twice-yearly Windows 7 results are in, and while Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE) still isn't the best way to secure your computer, it's within spitting distance of the top spot. (Usual contenders such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky Lab, Norton and Trend Micro took top honors, but you probably could have guessed that.)

AV-TEST conducts regular evaluations of antivirus software on a variety of operating systems. Up until now, the company's results have been deservedly unkind to MSE (and to its Windows 8.1/10 sibling, Windows Defender), dinging it for poor antivirus protection, even though the free Microsoft program's usability and system impact are often pretty good.

In the latest round of tests, however, MSE scored a very respectable 16.5 out of a possible 18: five in Performance, 5.5 in Protection and a perfect 6 in Usability. The program blocked at least 99.3 percent of widespread threats, and an impressive 100 percent of zero-day vulnerabilities, in two rounds of evaluations conducted in January and February.

MORE: Best Antivirus Software and Apps

Still, if you're looking for the absolute best protection that money can buy, you'll have to go with Bitdefender Internet Security, Kaspersky Internet Security, Norton Security or Trend Micro Internet Security, all of which got perfect scores of 18. F-Secure Safe and Quick Heal Total Security were right behind them, with 17.5 each. All six programs earned AV-TEST's "Top Product" honors. (All Windows antivirus packages from those vendors should offer the same level of protection.)

At the other end of the spectrum, Microworld eScan Internet Security Suite, Intel McAfee Internet Security Suite and Comodo Internet Security Premium scored 15, 14.5 and 13 points respectively. Each one earned a good-enough-for-government-work 4 out of 6 in Security, but fell down on the Performance and Usability Sections.

The home screen of Microsoft Security Essentials. Credit: Microsoft

Aside from Microsoft, all the other programs tested fell between 16.5 and 14.5: AhnLab V3 Internet Security, Avast Free Antivirus, AVG Internet Security, Avira Antivirus Pro, BullGuard Internet Security, ESET Internet Security, G Data InternetSecurity, K7 Computing Total Security and ThreatTrack VIPRE Internet Security Pro. If you have any of these programs, you probably don't need to worry much about your system's security.

In fact, even if you have the three lowest-ranking programs, you're probably still protected pretty well. Every program scored at least a 10 across the board, which earns it an AV-TEST Certification and (at least tentative) recommendation. However, MSE, which can be downloaded for Windows 7 and Windows Vista here, did better than each in the malware-protection sector.

Whichever program you choose, just be sure you protect your system somehow. No matter how careful you are online, its unlikely that you can avoid every single misleading link, phishing scheme, malicious popup and hidden malvertisement that comes your way, and an AV suite is much cheaper than losing all your files.

Read this article:
Free Microsoft Antivirus Software Finally Does Good Job - Tom's Guide

Why use text-to-speech?

There are lots of reasons to use text-to-speech (TTS) software. It can be enormously helpful for anyone who's visually impaired, or has a condition like dyslexia that makes reading on screens tricky. Text-to-speech can also help overcome language barriers for people who read a language but don't speak it, or are in the process of learning.

TTS is also ideal if you want to listen to a document while doing something else, if you find it easier to retain information you've heard, or if you want to sense-check something you've written.

In years gone by, TTS software was rather expensive, but these days there are excellent available free of charge. Of course, there are still plenty that you can pay for, but in many cases you should be able to get by with a program that doesnt cost you a penny.

Here are the best free tools for reading text aloud either individual paragraphs or whole documents.

Balabolka can read your documents in six voices, then save the audio with handy bookmarks

There are a couple of ways to use Balabolka: you can either copy and paste text into the program, or you can open a number of supported file formats (including DOC, PDF, and HTML) in the program directly. In terms of output you can use SAPI 4 complete with eight different voices to choose from, SAPI 5 with two, or the Microsoft Speech Platform if you download and install the necessary files.

Whichever route you go down, you can adjust the speech, pitch and volume of playback to create custom voice. In addition to reading aloud text, the program can also save narrations as audio files in a range of formats including .mp3 and .wav. For lengthy documents you can create bookmarks to make it easy to jump back to a specific location and there are excellent tools on hand to help you to customize the pronunciation of words to your liking. Balabolka is best free TTS software around.

Download here: Balabolka

A Microsoft Word extension that brings customizable TTS to your favorite word processor

Developed by the University of Edinburgh, WordTalk is a toolbar add-on for Word that brings customizable text-to-speech to Microsoft's word processor. It works with all versions of Word right up to the 2016 edition, and is accessible via the toolbar or ribbon depending on which version you're using.

The toolbar itself is certainly not the most attractive you'll ever see, appearing to have been designed by a child. Nor are all of the buttons' functions very clear, but thankfully there is a help file on hand to help.

There's no getting away from the fact that WordTalk is fairly basic, but it does support SAPI 4 and 5 voices, and these can be tweaked to your liking. The ability to just read aloud individual words, sentences or paragraphs is a particularly nice touch. You also have the option of saving narrations, and there are a number of keyboard shortcuts that allow for quick and easy access to frequently used options.

Download here: WordTalk

Novel text-to-speech software with built-in OCR and its own dedicated web browser

Natural Reader can be used in a couple of ways. The first option is to load documents into its library and have them read aloud from there. This is a neat way to manage multiple files, and the number of supported file types is impressive, including ebook formats. There's also OCR, which enables you to load up a photo or scan of text, and have it read to you.

The second option takes the form of a floating toolbar. In this mode, you can highlight text in any application and use the toolbar controls to start and customize text-to-speech this means you can very easily use the feature in your web browser, word processor and a range of other programs. There's also a built-in browser to convert web content to speech more easily.

Download here: Natural Reader

Despite its basic looks, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader has more to offer than you might first think. You can open numerous file formats directly in the program, or just copy and paste text.

Alternatively, as long as you have the program running and the relevant option enables, Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can read aloud any text you copy to the clipboard great if you want to convert web sites to speech as well as dialog boxes that pop up Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader can also convert text files to WAV format.

Unfortunately the selection of voices is limited, and the only settings you can customize are volume and speed unless you burrow deep into settings to fiddle with pronunciations. Additional voices are available for a US$25 fee (about 20, AU$30), which seems rather steep.

Download here: Zabaware Text-to-Speech Reader

Panopreter Basic lives up to its name, delivering text-to-speech conversion without frills. The list of supported file types is a little disappointing (no DOCX, for instance), as is the level of voice customization. Aside from choosing a language, volume and speed, there's nothing to adjust. When you compare this to the range of personalisation that can be achieved in other text-to-speech program, it's a little disappointing.

You do have the option of converting text to WAV format so you can listen to it when on the move, but it's a shame to find that MP3 isn't supported. The dual-pane layout of the program isn't particularly pleasant to work with either; it feels like there is a lot of space wasted unless you happen to be both listening to text-to-speech conversion there and then, and also converting to audio file. It gets the job done, but there are better tools out there.

Download here: Panopreter Basic

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The best free text-to-speech software 2017 - TechRadar