I thought I was loyal to NotebookLM – until this app came along (www.androidpolice.com)

Adobe has launched Acrobat Studio, an AI-first reinvention of the PDF that competes directly with Google’s NotebookLM by turning static documents into interactive, source-grounded knowledge hubs. Acrobat Studio lets users build “PDF Spaces” (up to 100 files) from PDFs, Word/PowerPoint, and live links, and surfaces summaries, insight cards and guided prompts. It also includes prebuilt assistants (Analyst, Entertainer, Instructor), custom-role assistants, and integrations with Adobe Express and Firefly. NotebookLM, by contrast, focuses on multimodal learning—supporting ~50 sources including YouTube transcripts and audio—and leans into synthesis outputs like flashcards, mind maps, audio overviews and study guides (backed by Google’s Gemini models). For the AI/ML community the shift matters because it accelerates a trend: document-centric, source-grounded LLMs moving from research tools to polished production platforms. Adobe targets professionals and enterprises with higher file limits, native Office support, encryption and centralized admin controls, and a $25/month individual price ($30 teams), while NotebookLM aims for mass adoption via a generous free tier and Google One AI Premium ($20/month with Gemini Advanced and 2TB). The practical implication is clearer product differentiation—NotebookLM for deep learning and exploration, Acrobat Studio for end-to-end document production—raising stakes around ecosystem lock-in, security, and how LLMs are embedded into knowledge workflows.