PDFs face an uncertain future as newer streaming technologies take off

The ubiquitous Portable Document Format (PDF) could soon find its position as
the file-format-of-choice for the web under threat. The proliferation of newer
streaming technologies is offering speedy downloads and more interactive ways to
view virtually any kind of document online.

"PDFs are a great option for printing paper documents, but the fact that
you have to download the entire file, coupled with the static nature of the
medium, makes them less well suited for online viewing applications," said
Richard Wan, CEO of E-Book Systems.

"The newest streaming solutions offer a way to immediately view any page
in a document without having to wait for the whole thing to download," said
he. The user interfaces are also easier on the eyes, banishing the risk of
getting a headache from looking at unwieldy document formats online.

E-Book Systems offers a range of products designed to transform the online
viewing experience. Its products make use of Digital Flip technology to organise
and present both static and dynamic rich media content such as text, photo,
music, streaming video and audio via a 3D page-flipping interface.

"In essence, what the Digital Flip technology does is to display
documents in their original paginated book format in a life-like virtual book.
The user flips the pages just like they do in real life," said Richard.

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