Preview (software) - Definition

Preview is a software application from Apple Computer, which is the built-in PDF (Portable Document Format) viewer for the Mac OS X operating system. Apple calls it "the world’s fastest PDF reader", and claims that it renders PDFs three times faster than Windows.

Due to the integration of the PDF display imaging model into Mac OS X, Preview is both a PDF viewer and an image viewer. It allows users to view, search and print PDF files, and shows pages as thumbnails. It was rewritten for Mac OS X 10.3 ("Panther") to give far greater performance when browsing PDF files, and to fix bugs. The application has its origins in NeXT's OPENSTEP software, and the bulk of its functionality comes as part of Apple's "Cocoa" programming environment.

External links

• Apple: Preview (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/preview/)
• AppleInsider review (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=135) from 2003
• MacProNews article: PDF and Panther: The Hidden Role of PDF in Mac OS X 10.3 (http://www.macpronews.com/2004/0722.html) from July 2004
• Sams Publishing sample chapter on Preview (http://www.samspublishing.com/articles/article.asp?p=169576&seqNum=4) from Mac OS X Panther Applications and Utilities. Includes some instructions for use, with screenshots.
• Technophile article: Preview is missing an important function in OS X (http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/mac090104.html)
• PDFzone.com editorial: Calling out Apple on Panther PDFs (http://www.pdfzone.com/news/693-PDFzone_news.html)