One of Acrobat's strengths (over, say, raw PostScript) is that an
Acrobat document does not, in fact, lose all of its internal
structure. It's still searchable, has internal and external links,
headings, etc. And it's about as usefully searchable as an HTML
version (perhaps more so since Adobe actually has supported
searching and cataloging tools on store shelves now).
Its major drawback was succinctly expressed by TB-L in an article in
_Personal Computer World_ (Dec 94): `The ideal thing is that
[standards controllers] allow any changes that have to be made to the
standard to be done in the light of public discussion, in an open
process.'
Acrobat is a published standard, but control over its development
remains in Adobe's hands. It cannot therefore be used with safety or
security for the _long term_ repository of your corporate text,
however useful it undeniably is for immediate or _short term_ use for
the dissemination of information.
///Peter