Foxit Reader 2.0 vs Adobe Reader 8.1

It used to be that PDF files were ruled by Adobe. Even if you can't write, you can read. Well, I mean, even if you don't have Adobe Acrobat Writer, you can download Adobe Reader too - since that is at least free. But let's face it, the reader is slow as h*ll and I wouldn't willingly open a PDF file unless I absolutely have to. When Gmail came out with that cool "View as HTML" thingy, I was elated. No more waiting for my computer to finish playing hangman just so I can read a PDF file! Then came Adobe Reader 8.1 - the relatively recent upgraded version that claims to be faster. If you have not done the upgrade and are currently using a non-latest version, I urge you to upgrade on the double. The claim that it is faster is not an empty one. It *is* indeed faster, so much so that I had difficulty reconciling the fact that this is still an Adobe product. :P Yet if you don't feel like using the Adobe Reader to read PDF files, what other alternatives do you have? I recommend Foxit Reader 2.0 that is likewise free for the basic functions that are likely all you need. You can take a look at the website - it makes many claims that I am inclined to agree with. For one, I like the lightning-fast speed. If I were to pit Adobe Reader against Foxit Reader in the past, I would certainly drop Adobe in favor of Foxit. Just the speed alone will decide my choice. But now, the situation has changed somewhat. With their new version of the reader, Adobe is as fast as Foxit. I installed both readers and tried them on quite a few PDF files. I cannot say for certain which is faster - both are similarly very fast. So it suffices to say that if you do not already have a PDF file reader installed, go for Foxit Reader 2.0 because it is "cleaner". But if you already have Adobe Reader installed, either upgrade to the latest version, or dump it and get Foxit Reader. Have fun flipping open PDF files like tossing pancakes. =)