Gary, several Mac Power users have told me not to use Adobe Reader, Adobe AIR or Shockwave Player on my Mac for security reasons and that only Adobe Flash Player is ok to use. So I use OS X Lion, keep my Mac as well as 3rd party software up to date & follow all the rules of safe computing. Therefore I am not worried about the security of my system being compromised. But are these 3 Adobe applications a threat to my system if I install them even if they’re kept up to date? I won’t delve into my reasons for needing them because it’ll take a while to explain. But I really would like your feed back on the matter. Thanks!
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Allen
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Adobe Reader, AIR and Shockwave Player for Mac
Comments: 7 Responses to “Adobe Reader, AIR and Shockwave Player for Mac”
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I use all three.
I'm not aware of any security threat from any of them at the moment. And Adobe keeps all three up-to-date.
All three provide useful functionality.
You can always reduce your risk by using less and less. You can stop using these. Then stop using Flash. Stop using Java. Access only web sites from a special list. Only allow yourself to get email from specific people. Stop accessing the web altogether and stop getting email completely. Disconnect from the Internet. Maybe just not use computers.
If you have absolutely no need for something, like, say Shockwave, then there is no harm in not having it. But as someone why has developed a lot of Shockwave content (My site http://gamescene.com is mostly Shockwave games) it pains me to hear that someone is advising you to not use Shockwave. It is like I live in a nice little town and run a shop, and then I hear that people are being told not to come to my town because it is dangerous.
Hi Gary, this information is good to know. I was always under the impression that these adobe applications for the Mac were a little taboo. So I shouldn't have any security problems if I am doing online banking or other personal stuff with them on my Mac and keeping them up to date?
You shouldn't have any security problems -- just keep them all up-to-date, like with any software.
Replaced my iMac running Leapard with a new iMac with OS 10.7.4. Now cannot create (save as) a PDF file from certain web pages and older PDF files are not opening correctly. Have current version of Adobe Player. Thanks Gary and enjoy your web page help.
George
You should be able to create a PDF from any web page. Are you printing, and selecting PDF? Or some other method? As for opening them, have you tried Preview? If you are using Adobe Reader, maybe try to contact their support -- it shouldn't matter what OS you are using since that software is independent.
What specific product do I need to read PDF on new MacBook Pro?
For almost all PDFs you do not need anything. Just open the PDF in the Preview app.