Paper Must Die: Adobe Finally Gets It Right

I recently opined about an article that proclaimed the fax machine was now "obsolete." Much to my chagrin, I noted:

I only wish! It astounds me that we still don't have mainstream digital signature technology for contracts and the like. Companies like RightSignature are trying hard, but we're not even close to getting rid of this 1970's behemoth until we do. Sure, we can use scanners and PDF attachments to e-mail, but that's above the heads of most of the folks who deal with these things daily. Conclusion: Nope.

Well, Adobe, makers of the Acrobat PDF reader, finally updated the app this week, adding in signature support. Yes, you can now either let them make an ersatz version of our signature, as if you signed with your precious quill, or you can use your own scanned signature for more verisimilitude. Better yet, they also updated the mobile versions: that's right, you can now digitally scrawl your John Hancock from your iOS or Android device.

I have never been a fan of PDF's for this very reason. I was also particularly unhappy with Adobe's bloated Reader app, preferring FoxIt instead. But with this change, I heartily welcome my new PDF overlords back into my life. Well done. Adobe.

See for yourself:

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