Foxit Reader 5.3.0

Foxit Reader is the latest generation of Foxit Software's lightweight and speedy PDF reader.

Performance is great, with the program loading documents much faster than Adobe Reader. And it makes fewer demands on your system resources, too, consuming a minimal 10.6 MB of hard drive space (Adobe Reader requires more than 100MB), and very little RAM when loaded.

This version of Foxit Reader sees many new features, too, taken from the now defunct Pro Pack. You're able to highlight or strike out text, for instance, or insert text comments of your own. There are tools to draw shapes, arrows and lines, add callouts or text boxes. You can fill out, print and even save completed PDF forms, and a new spell-checker will highlight spelling errors and offer suggested alternatives for anything that you type.

Other new features include a Text Viewer, which at a click removes complicated formatting to display a plain Notepad-type view of your document's text. A Text Converter similarly saves a complete PDF document as a simple text file. It's easy to embed movies and audio files into your PDF documents. And Foxit Reader's Safe Mode has been enhanced to offer even more protection from malicious PDF files.

And new document collaboration features allow you to save your PDF files online and work on them with others, via almost any computer with a web browser. This is a commercial service, but a generous 3 month trial period means you've plenty of time to try it out. Check the site for more.

It's always been a great PDF viewer, but this major update sees Foxit Reader 4 gain a host of professional editing and annotation features, too. The form filling alone justifies the download, but that's just the start - go grab a copy of this excellent tool immediately