An Easier Way To View PDFs On The Web

If you use Google's Chrome browser, you can download the Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer for free. Now when you click a link to a PDF or Powerpoiont, instead of launching another program, which takes time, the file loads right into the browser.

"Reading PDFs posted on the Web can be an annoying experience. Click a link to one, and then wait...and wait...and wait...until Adobe Reader (or another PDF reader, such as Foxit Reader or Bullzip PDF Printer) launches, and hope it doesn't crash. Then, when you want to continue Web surfing, you'll have to switch back and forth between your PDF reader and the Web.

Google's free Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer extension for Chrome solves the problem easily. Click a link to a PDF, and the PDF loads right in its own Chrome tab. The PDF is easily navigable via thumbnails and you have plenty of options for viewing, including fitting the page to the screen, displaying two pages at a time, zooming in and zooming out, and more. You can also search through the document, share it with others, and e-mail it as an attachment."