To create a PDF, you use any editor, layout program, or other editor. You then either print to the Adobe PDF printer or in those applications that have the Acrobat menu (mostly just some of the OFFICE programs), select the menu and then create PDF (this is PDF Maker). This gives you a PDF that is almost universally readable by other folks. In Acrobat, you can add form fields and such.
The advantage of PDF Maker is that it will include bookmarks and other markup with the PDF. The print to the Adobe PDF printer is the equivalent of printing to paper and has none of the markup.