PDF vs DjVu. Arguments for and against

Once created as formats for a digital document flow system, both formats could hardly be considered as rivals. They were worked out for a little bit different aims. Nevertheless, sometimes one format has advantages over the other one. Let’s have a glimpse at DjVu format and how users feel about it. The DjVu has the following advantages:

1. Too little size, too much graphics. It’s true. The format can include a great amount of graphics, fonts, colors patterns, etc and the size will be only a few kilobytes. You can make a whole book of scanned book sheets and needn’t worry about the space or Internet traffic if you want to send it.
2. It looks as a really good electronic book. This format can be looked through not by scrolling but just clicking the arrows. This is the best interface for the users accustomed to e-books.
3. The graphic is very rapid. Almost all users have ever used this format, agree that the graphics there is redrawing very fast. It happens because all pictures are rasterized beforehand. At the time, PDF draws the same amount of graphics much more slowly as it has to rasterize a picture again and again for each new user’s action.
4. It has no rivals as PDF does. Indeed, after the PDF format was embedded into Office of Windows Vista there were many complaints about it as follows. It has many problems with fonts. When using some special fonts as WP- MathB and others, the document cannot be converted into .pdf. Therefore, it has a restriction quantity of fonts. Many users complain that there is no special button in Office 12 for converting a document into this type. All these no matter for the DjVu format as it has quite other algorithms for scanning indecipherable elements. And, of course, it has no killer as PDF. After Adobe has brought an action against Microsoft for using freely this format for the document savings, PDF can be killed by its rival XPS worked out, apparently, to replace PDF sometime.
5. This format is good for manuals, historical documentation, rare documents and other documentation with graphics. It has the interface of a true electronic book. The cashing of the sheets allows to download and open them easily and very fast. It is the right means for viewing necessary documents many times.

But what about PDF? Had it been so worse, it wouldn’t have been so spread. The PDF also possesses some advantages:

1. Good data compression. The data compression algorithms act so that it has practically no losses. Maybe, it is not so good for graphics but it is the best thing for making contracts, special contact lists and other serious work or technical documentation.
2. Free usage. You can hardly find special software for using DjVu format in your office, at the very same time almost each company has freely spread software for opening and reading PDF format. Moreover, if you have not any peculiar soft, you can go www.adobe.com and create the PDF document right on the site.
3. It has ISO standard. PDF has a standard for storing archive documentation and exchanging information between companies. Some experts consider it an international standard for digital document flow system.
4. It is considered to be the safest format. Many IT specialists state the format has the best security means for saving information against unsanctioned access. There is probably no other format which can boast of such extra security. The security of documentation was tested many times both by IT experts and by ordinary users. They all confirmed this opinion.
5. The abbreviation PDF and internet. Many users guess the abbreviation PDF is easy to remember than DjVu. Although the same users think the DjVu is better format for graphical books, they report that manuals and other types of literature are broadly spread in PDF format. In addition, they know for sure, they can open this format without any problems wherever they are.

When users try to prove that one format is better than the other is, the IT experts used to say these formats are not rivals, many of them even state the two formats have nothing in common. One can catch an idea: if you want a good document in any of these formats, use a converting program. There are many programs converting one format into the other. One of the best software to use is Universal Document Converter. Enjoy the format you like.