I converted a number of complex PDFs using the program, notably an issue of , a book, and a booklet for a CD. While Solid PDF To Word takes a bit of time to make its conversions, the Word files do ressemble the originals.

(Image Caption: I used Solid PDF To Word to convert a Macworld issue with complex formatting. As you can see, the resulting Word file (right) looks a lot like the original PDF (left). The program had some problems with numbers, though, as you can also see in the page to the right.)

These conversions are not perfect—while similar fonts are used, graphics retained, and approximate layout kept, there can be some glitches. In my tests, Word had difficulty displaying the conversion, with texts blinking as the program struggled to paginate and display the complex formatting. But the book displayed almost perfectly, and the CD booklet as well.

You’ll find the results are certainly are good enough for accessing most PDF’s content. For PDFs with simpler layout, the resulting content is nearly perfect. You could use it to amend documents and print them out, or, in some cases, create new PDFs.

Depending on your needs—just the text, ma’am, or the full monty—you have two choices for how you convert your PDFs. Take your pick.