On behalf of Adobe Systems Incorporated ...
The reason why creating PDF by distillation of PostScript is considered archaic and obsolete is that PostScript is only a subset of the imaging model supported both by InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat/PDF.
Creating PDF by distillation of PostScript is potentially a very lossy operation:
(1) The PostScript output from InDesign is not optimized for PDF creation, but rather, for printing to actual PostScript printers.
(2) PostScript doesn't create live transparency or color management at all. Transparency is flattened and you lose ICC color management causing various image artifacts and other problems. You may very well lose the ability to use text touch up in Acrobat or search for specific text.
We are not aware of any situations in which Apple's Preview software provides objectively better display or printed output than either Adobe Reader or Acrobat.
- Dov