Adobe announced the release of Adobe Digital Editions 1.0, a new software application for acquiring, managing and reading eBooks, digital newspapers, and other digital publications.

By using a new export feature built into Adobe InDesign CS3, publishers can create new Adobe Digital Editions-ready content, helping to reduce cost and conversion time. In addition, with versions for mobile platforms and reading devices also planned, Sony has committed to embed Adobe Digital Editions technology into its portable reader product line.

“Adobe Digital Editions will revolutionize how publishers deliver eBooks and other digital content and how consumers experience it,” said Rob Tarkoff, senior vice president, Corporate Development at Adobe. “The combination of Adobe Digital Editions, InDesign CS3 and a new generation of hardware from innovators like Sony shows that digital publishing is front and center for content owners — and millions of readers who are looking forward to innovations in the delivery of their favorite works.”

With native support for Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and XML-based publications, Adobe Digital Editions already works with more than 150,000 commercially published titles. Using Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 readers will find that content automatically re-flows, adapting to different screen sizes and support for Adobe Flash software promises to enhance digital publications through the integration of rich audio and video.

Adobe Digital Editions now enables users to annotate content through bookmarks, highlights and text notes. The library view offers advanced organization with multiple bookshelves. A slick new user interface enhances zooming and the overall reading experience, while support for the new IDPF Open Publication Standard (OPS) for XHTML-based re-flowable eBooks, guarantees a seamless viewing experience.

The Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 download is less than 3MB and leverages Adobe Flash Player technology to enable quick installation as part of the content download. The integration with Adobe Acrobat 8 and Adobe Reader 8 applications allows users to install and launch Adobe Digital Editions automatically.

Adobe Digital Editions 1.0 will be unveiled at the O’Reilly Tools of Change Conference in San Jose on June 19. It is available as a free download for Microsoft Windows and Macintosh systems. Adobe Digital Editions for Linux platforms and localized versions in French, German, Japanese, Korean and Chinese are expected to be available in the second half of 2007.

Recommended system requirements are Windows Vista, Windows XP with SP2 or Windows 2000 SP4, 500Mhz or faster Intel Pentium processor, 128MB of RAM, and a monitor with at least 800 x 600 screen resolution. For Macintosh systems, Adobe Digital Editions requires Mac OS X version 10.3.9 (or higher), 500MHz or faster PowerPC G4 or G5 processor and 128 MB of RAM. For Intel based Macintosh systems, Adobe Digital Editions requires Mac OS X version 10.4.8 (or higher), 500MHz or faster processor and 128 MB of RAM.