Abdio PDF Reader is a fast, well-designed freeware program and an excellent alternative to Adobe's slow, inefficient PDF software. It doesn't have as many options as other PDF programs, but it includes the functions that you're most likely to need when working with PDFs. You can zoom, view in single page or continuous mode, copy text, and search the file. All of these functions work reliably and quickly, although a close zoom sometimes looks blurry.

One of Abdio PDF Reader's strengths is its simple layout and menu structure. For users familiar with Adobe, it is especially intuitive. The toolbar icons and drop-down menus look similar to Adobe's and are arranged almost identically. This allows users who like Adobe's basic functionality, but dislike its extraneous plugins and drain on memory, to become comfortable with Abdio PDF Reader immediately. On the other hand, users who find Adobe's layout frustrating will find this program frustrating, too.

Abdio PDF Reader's limited functionality creates a few notable drawbacks. It lacks browser plugins, so you have to either save files to your computer or use another program to open files within your web browser. There's no help file - not a huge problem, since the program is fairly intuitive, but an annoying omission - and does not work well with forms. The program also severely limits your ability to adjust settings and preferences.

Abdio PDF reader is compatible with Windows XP and Vista. It will run on Windows 7 using compatibility settings, but slowly and with errors. If you need a basic, intuitive PDF reader and don't need to open PDFs in your browser, Abdio works well and is recommended.