Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5

Do you work in an environment that relies on PDF documents as much as it does on Microsoft Office? If so, you may find it becoming difficult to manage all those file formats. That's when you need to invest in a PDF conversion tool. I tried out Nuance's $100 PDF Converter Pro 5, and was very impressed with its ease of use and outstanding accuracy. I converted a 154-page PDF file (containing text, images, links, and tables) to a Word document. PDF Converter Pro 5 completed the task in 4 minutes, 1 second, with an accuracy level near 99 percent. Only a few images were converted incorrectly; they came out as groups of images and not single objects. Able2Extract took 4:45 to complete the same task--that's 18 percent slower--and the accuracy level wasn't quite as high. Like PDF Converter Pro, Able2Extract does offer two-way conversion, but it supports fewer file formats. Neevia's Document Converter Pro, meanwhile, uses a clunky interface that's better suited to batch conversion, not one-off use. And, despite being four times the price of Converter Pro 5, it offers only a one-way conversion to PDF.

Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5 also provides seamless content editing, regardless of the file type. You can edit PDFs directly within the app: Objects can be resized or rotated, notes can be added, and changes can be tracked for review and approval. One of the nicest features: similar to creating a compressed ZIP file with multiple objects, PDF Converter Pro 5 can create a single PDF package made from any or all of the supported file types. Nuance also includes a PDF comparison tool that provides a side-by-side look at two PDF documents and points out all changes. If PDF usage is prevalent in your office, Nuance PDF Converter Pro 5 should find a place in your toolbox.