Tips on viewing PDF files

You can read a book in the library or book-shop; or you can take it home. Which you choose depends on how often you want to read it, how much money it costs, how much space it takes up on your bookshelf, whether there is a copy to buy, and so on.

In the same way you can read a PDF file from the server (the computer where it lives); or you can take a copy of it home, which means downloading it to your hard disc, or another storage disc like a diskette or zip drive. Which you choose depends on how often you want to read it, how much downloading time it costs, how much space it takes up on your storage disc, and so on.

But in the case of the computer file, it also depends on which web-browser you use, and how its options and preferences are set up. If it's your computer, you can change the set-up, of course.

Having your own copy also means you have many more ways of viewing it - you can zoom in and out freely, navigate easily between different pages, and so on: but on-line viewing of a first few pages may be enough to get an overview.

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