PDF Files: what are they and how do I read them?

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a format that preserves the original layout and graphics of a document such as a resume, ebook, letter, digital poster, graphic, etc. etc. You need a program that reads and prints PDF files if you want to view a file ending in .pdf. Two such free programs are Adobe Reader and Foxit Reader (there are others, but these two are widely used):

==> http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Reader/3000-10743_4-10000062.html?tag=mncol;pop
or
==> http://download.cnet.com/Foxit-Reader/3000-10743_4-10313206.html?tag=mncol

Example:

You have a nice looking portfolio resume in your word prepossessing program. It has a special cursive font and some pictures and photos of your work. You want to email it to a prospective employer, but when you copy/paste to any other program the results do not look the same. Plus, the prospective employer does not have the same word processing program that you do and will not be able to open it if set as an email attachment.

So a clear solution would be to turn it into a PDF format. That way you can send it as an attachment through email and it will look exactly as it did in your word processing program. The prospective employer can download a free program capable of reading and printing PDF files.