A universal program for reading all formats. Review of free e-readers for computers. Video: Caliber - converting and synchronizing books between a computer and an e-reader

You can read an e-book on almost any mobile device, but it is more comfortable to do it from the large screen of a PC or laptop. It is this circumstance that supports the popularity of specialized reading programs. Today we will look at the best free e-readers for Windows, comparing their capabilities and ease of use.

A modern e-book is not just text. It contains chapter layouts, footnotes, and illustrations. All these features fully support only three formats:

• ePub (Electronic Publication) - international and most widespread;
• fb2/fb3 (Fiction Book) - created by domestic programmers and widely used only in Runet;
• azw3/Mobi - native Amazon Kindle reader formats.

We will conduct testing based on the fact that any e-reader for Windows under consideration should be able to work with them. Additional features, such as support for simple or formatted text files, will count as a nice bonus.

Liberty Book Reader

The first program in the review is available in the official Windows Store. Books can be purchased online or downloaded from your own collection. Considering that we are considering free programs, we will not take in-app purchases into account.

The interface corresponds to the description and is completely written in Russian. There is nothing superfluous in the main Liberty window. To the standard control buttons, another one has been added to switch to full-screen mode. Downloading books from local storage is done in one simple step. As stated by the developers, epub and fb2 formats are correctly recognized.

In reading mode, basic settings are available:

• text alignment;
• day/night mode change;
• navigation by four parameters: page, bookmark, note, table of contents;
• choosing a font type;
• change of presentation mode: one page, spread, scroll.

You can adjust the screen brightness and margin size. The settings you select are saved as a separate style that you can return to. Control elements are called by analogy with the context menu and are automatically hidden after performing the operations required by the user.

Periodically, the program generates an error, after which it continues to work.

As a standard reader for Windows, available for installation from the application store, Liberty copes with its tasks.

Cool Reader

Cool Reader for Windows can be downloaded as a zip archive. The program does not require installation to operate. Just unpack the archive and run the exe file. To add books, you must manually specify the folder in which they are located. Access to online catalogs has been implemented. Presets contain links only to English-language materials, but the user can add the desired resource independently. The interface language can be switched in the settings. To enable the Russian version of the help, you must manually add a document from the internal program directory:

cr3\res\manuals\manual_template_en

Inside the program, books are sorted using preset filters: by file name, author, title or series. In addition to the basic settings, the user can change the animation when scrolling through pages or enable read-aloud mode.

Owners of laptops with touch screens will be pleased to have support for them in the program. A separate help section is devoted to using the touchscreen capabilities.

Books in the tested formats were recognized correctly. In fb2 reading mode, footnotes are moved to the bottom of the overall text on the page. The solution is convenient and allows the user not to be distracted by additional menu navigation.

For a program that doesn't even install, Cool Reader for Windows has impressive capabilities.

AlReader

AlReader is positioned as an fb2 reader for Windows. The “Librarian” function is designed to scan a user-specified directory and automatically enter detected files of this format into the program database. Recognized books are immediately available for reading. Adding epub files, which the program can also work with, is done manually.

The settings are divided into separate blocks and placed on the top panel of the main window. Users who are more comfortable working with a graphical menu can place its panel under the main one. You can pin it in this position permanently or only in full-screen mode.

Reading fb2 with notes is implemented at two levels. It is possible to place them as footnotes on the page or go to a dedicated section of the book. Navigating back to the main text works with the click of a button. For epub, only quick return from the notes area is implemented.

Settings allow you to completely reconfigure all parameters of the displayed text. The selected book can be converted directly into the program into unmarked text format or an HTML file. The first one is accepted by Kindle readers, and the second one can be used without reading programs. Any browser can open such a document.

AlReader could claim the title of “the best fb2 reader for Windows,” but since 2011 the program has not had any updates. It copes with its task so far, but the user-friendliness of the interface leaves much to be desired.

ICE Book Reader

The next program that made it into the top e-readers for Windows was ICE Book Reader Pro. For residents of the post-Soviet space it is free. The “professional” prefix in the name is intended to attract foreign users.

When installed, ICE Book is integrated into the system, taking over the work with e-book formats. It cannot be said that the program is an ideal fb2 and epub reader for Windows. Its appearance is quite specific, and the scrolling mode used is resource-demanding.

Its popularity is based on the prevalence of the formats used and built-in conversion capabilities. Comparing the level of support of free e-readers for Windows, we can say that ICE Book has the most complete help system.

The completely Russian-language help describes in detail the settings options aimed at achieving maximum program performance.

STDU Viewer

STDU Viewer is another universal reader for Windows that is included in our review. The only program reviewed that works not only with the old (mobi), but also with the new (azw) Kindle format. STDU is distributed according to a similar principle to the ICE Book. The program is available free of charge for private use. When registering, you must provide an e-mail and tick the non-commercial use box.

A special feature of STDU is its integration with common formats for storing scanned documents, which are used to create electronic versions of paper textbooks. The program is capable of exporting the material contained in them in “text” or “picture” modes. Extraction is performed on entire pages or individual blocks of information.

Exported materials are immediately adapted to a standard paper format, which allows them to be printed like regular office documents. As a result, the program can be used not only for reading, but also for working with electronic versions of paper media. The implemented ability to work with tabs is also intended for the same purpose. In the main window, you can open several documents and, by switching between them, search and retrieve information.

The user is encouraged to master the operation of the built-in tools independently. Help on functions is not only available in Russian, but also in English.

As an epub reader for Windows, it recognizes the format and table of contents of the book, but does not allow you to navigate to internal links that lead to notes. The versatility of working with formats in this case led to a deterioration in quality.

Finally

Having considered the best e-readers for Windows, we can draw the following conclusions. The Cool Reader program is best adapted for its intended use. In second place in terms of convenience is AlReader. In third place is Liberty. Universal readers ICE and STDU are best used as tools for editing and extracting information.

Good afternoon.

Whoever predicted the end of books with the beginning of the development of computer technology. However, progress is progress, but books have lived and still live (and will continue to live). It’s just that everything has changed somewhat - paper tomes have been replaced by electronic ones.

And this, I must note, has its advantages: on the most ordinary computer or tablet (on Android) more than one thousand books can fit, each of which can be opened and started reading in a matter of seconds; there is no need to keep a large cabinet in the house to store them - everything fits on a PC disk; Electronic video makes it convenient to make bookmarks and reminders, etc.

The best programs for reading e-books (*.fb2, *.txt, *.doc, *.pdf, *.djvu and others)

For Windows

Several useful and convenient “readers” that will help you immerse yourself in the process of absorbing another book while sitting at your computer.

Cool Reader

One of the most common programs, both for Windows and Android (although, in my opinion, for the latter, there are programs that are more convenient, but more about them below).

Among the main features:

• supports formats: FB2, TXT, RTF, DOC, TCR, HTML, EPUB, CHM, PDB, MOBI (i.e. all the most common and in demand);
• adjusting the brightness of the background and fonts (a mega convenient thing, you can make reading convenient for any screen and person!);
• auto-flipping (convenient, but not always: sometimes you read one page for 30 seconds, another for a minute);
• convenient bookmarks (this is very convenient);
• the ability to read books from archives (this is also very convenient, since many are distributed online in archives);

AL Reader

Another very interesting “reader”. Among its main advantages: it is the ability to select encodings (which means that when opening a book, “cracked” and unreadable characters are practically excluded); support for both popular and rare formats: fb2, fb2.zip, fbz, txt, txt.zip, partial support for epub (without DRM), html, docx, odt, rtf, mobi, prc (PalmDoc), tcr.

In addition, it should be noted that this program can be used both on Windows and Android. I would also like to note that this program has quite fine adjustments to brightness, fonts, indents, and other “things” that will help you adjust the display to perfect condition, regardless of the equipment used. I definitely recommend you check it out!

FBReader

Another well-known and popular “reader”, I could not ignore it in this article. Perhaps its most important advantages are: it is free, it supports all popular and not so popular formats (ePub, fb2, mobi, html, etc.), flexible ability to customize the display of books (fonts, brightness, indents), a large network library (you can always pick up something for evening reading).

By the way, we can’t help but say that the application works on all the most popular platforms: Windows, Android, Linux, Mac OS X, Blackberry, etc.

Adobe Reader

This program is probably known to almost all users who have ever worked with the PDF format. And many magazines, books, texts, pictures, etc. are distributed in this mega-popular format.

The PDF format is specific, sometimes it is impossible to open it on other readers except Adobe Reader. Therefore, I recommend having a similar program on your PC. It has already become a basic program for many users and its installation does not even raise questions...

DjVuViwer

The DJVU format has become very popular recently, partially replacing the PDF format. This happens due to the fact that DJVU compresses the file more strongly, with the same quality. Books, magazines, etc. are also distributed in the DJVU format.

There are quite a lot of readers of this format, but among them there is one small and simple utility - DjVuViwer.

Why is it better than others:

• light and fast;
• allows you to scroll through all pages at once (i.e. there is no need to flip through them, as in other programs of this kind);
• there is a convenient option for creating bookmarks (convenient, not just its presence...);
• opening all DJVU files without exception (i.e., it’s not like the utility opened one file but couldn’t open the second... And this, by the way, happens with some programs (like the universal programs presented above)).

For Android

eReader Prestigio

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best programs for reading e-books on Android. I use it on my tablet all the time.

Judge for yourself:

• a huge number of formats are supported: FB2, ePub, PDF, DJVU, MOBI, PDF, HTML, DOC, RTF, TXT (including audio formats: MP3, AAC, M4B and Reading Books Out Loud (TTS));
• entirely in Russian;
• convenient search, bookmarks, brightness settings, etc.

Those. A program from the category - installed it once and forgot about it, you just use it without thinking! I recommend trying it, a screenshot from it below.

FullReader+

Another convenient application for Android. I also often use it, opening one book in the first reader (see above), and the second in this one :).

Main advantages:

• support for a bunch of formats: fb2, epub, doc, rtf, txt, html, mobi, pdf, djvu, xps, cbz, docx, etc.;
• ability to read aloud;
• convenient setting of the background color (for example, you can make the background like a real old book, some people like it);
• built-in file manager (it’s convenient to immediately search for what you need);
• a convenient “memorizer” of recently opened books (and reading the current one).

Cataloging of books

For those who have a lot of books, it is quite difficult to do without some kind of cataloguer. Keeping in mind hundreds of authors, publishing houses, what has been read and what has not yet been read, and to whom something was given is a rather difficult task. And in this regard, I would like to highlight one utility - All My Books.

Even with the gradual displacement of paper sources of information, a user may also need a book reader for a computer - to become familiar with fiction, scientific or technical literature.

And sometimes they are even released in book format.

All these books no longer take up space on shelves and do not require good lighting to read, but they can only be reproduced with the help of special programs.

Cool Reader

One of the most common reading programs for both computers and mobile devices is.

It supports both standard type formats. , .txt and .doc, as well as books with the extension .epub and .rtf, as well as web pages.

In addition, the application features include:

• The ability to adjust the brightness of the font or background according to user preferences;
• Automatic page turning function, which, however, is not always convenient, since reading even information of the same volume may take different amounts of time;
• Read books directly from the archive without the need to unpack.

ALReader

To work with most e-books, you can use the AlReader application, which works mainly on the Windows OS, but synchronizes well with the Linux system.

A huge number of settings, set at an acceptable level by default, many supported formats (including FB2 and even ODT) - all this makes the reader popular among many users.

The design of the program resembles a book printed on newsprint.

And as an additional advantage, it is worth noting that AlReader can work even without installation.

Thanks to the cross-platform reading program, you can familiarize yourself with literature written in most popular formats, and also easily customize the reading process to suit your requirements.

The setup process is simple and intuitive, and all book files opened by the application are sorted by their characteristics - genre, author or title.

And for this there is no need to move e-books to a shared folder - FBReader will create links to their location on the computer.

And among its shortcomings, only one can be mentioned - the lack of a two-page mode.

However, the same problem applies to other readers for this format.

As a result, Adobe constantly releases updates to Reader, which causes it to take up quite a lot of space on your computer and take some time to install.

DjVuViwer

Due to the high popularity of the format. Such texts are easier to find and download, and they themselves gradually become available.

This is because the files are much better compressed, so they take up much less space.

There are many readers that reproduce the format - but one of the best is DjVu Viwer.

Among its advantages:

• High book opening speed;
• Scrolling through all pages at once, rather than flipping through them 2 at a time, as most other programs offer;
• The ability to conveniently and easily create bookmarks;
• Opening any files in DJVU and a number of other formats.

Helpful information:

Also pay attention to the program. This program can be called one of the best for viewing information in DjVu format. The utility is distinguished by the presence of several tabs for documents, continuous scrolling and many printing options.

Like Adobe Reader, the program is also designed for viewing books in PDF format, but takes up much less space. At the same time, Foxit Reader also has a lot of possibilities.

And the menu is in Russian and in a number of other languages ​​- to select them, just connect to the Internet and open a file using an e-reader.

The application works on Windows PCs, but there are also working versions for Linux.

The name of this reader contains the word Professional for a reason. Of all the programs presented in the review, this is the most multifunctional.

Moreover, it is localized in Russian and distributed by the manufacturer free of charge.

ICE Book Reader contains two modules of approximately equal importance - the reader and the library.

And for reading, you can choose one of two modes - either two-page or one-page.

Most often it is chosen depending on the screen size and user preferences. Moreover, each mode has its own configuration features.

The advantage and, at the same time, disadvantage (due to the increase in space occupied by information) of ICE Book Reader is the downloading of entire books to its library, not just the creation of links to them.

Thus, the file can be deleted from the main location.

Although, in order to still reduce the space that files occupy, it is worth adjusting their compression level.

You can also pay attention to such features as:

• Remembering personal settings so that the next time you turn on the reader settings are not required again;
• A huge list of supported extensions (including almost all formats, except, perhaps);
• Opening information from archived files (and, and.zip, and all other archives) without the mediation of archivers, which may not be installed on the PC at all.

It's worth noting that ICE Book Reader is not only the best reader, but also the most customizable.

Having spent a little time, you can configure the program for use on the street, and at night, and even in such a way that reading tires your eyesight less.

A program that does not have a particularly attractive interface, but is easy to use and has many settings.

In addition, it has a multi-tab mode, which allows you to open two, three or more books at the same time.

But the main advantage of the reader is its support for all popular formats for literature and pdf.

conclusions

Choosing the best reading program for you can be as personal as comparing different types of books (paperback or hardcover, A5, larger or smaller).

Moreover, each has advantages.

Still, ICE Book, AlReader and STDU Viewer are ideal for most tasks.

Thematic video:

The best program for reading books on a computer

Book reader for computer - Review of the best programs

On the website of the popular Google Play Books service, you can add and read texts online. At the same time, the project has an extension for the Google Chrome browser, which allows you to read downloaded books on your computer even without an Internet connection.

The plugin's interface almost completely replicates the design of the web version. You can open from your library, view their contents, search the text, and customize fonts and layout. To read offline, you need to first download the books you need into your computer’s memory. Bookmarks, reading positions, and other data are synced across all devices connected to your Google Account.

• Supported formats: EPUB.

Microsoft has built an EPUB file viewer into its browser, so you can use it as a free reader. The program has settings for text display, bookmarks, a book search function, and even a mode for reading text with a robot. You can also highlight words and attach comments to them. This is where the functionality of the reader ends.

To add a book to Edge, just right-click on the corresponding EPUB file and select “Open with” → Microsoft Edge. After this, the book will open in a new tab.

• Supported formats: FB2, EPUB.

This service, like Google Play Books, offers computer owners to read books on the site. In addition, Windows users can install the Bookmate desktop client, which allows them to add texts to their personal library and read them offline.

In both versions of Bookmate, you can customize the font, background, padding, and other visual elements. Bookmarks, reading positions and other metadata are synced across devices. The application may slow down slightly, but overall it is comfortable to read.

Texts you added to the service can be . Bookmate also offers paid subscriptions to books from its online library, but you can opt out.

• Supported formats: FB2, EPUB, DJVU, DOCX, HTML, AZW, AZW3, AZW4, CBZ, CBR, CBC, CHM, HTMLZ, LIT, LRF, MOBI, ODT, PDF, PRC, PDB, PML, RB, RTF, SNB , TCR, TXT, TXTZ.

Caliber is best known as a powerful free software. With Caliber, you can edit metadata, text, and other elements of book files, as well as convert documents from one format to another. But the program allows you to simply read books added to it. The built-in reader has background and text settings, a content viewer, a search form and other tools for easy reading.

• Supported formats: EPUB, PDF.

Book-loving Mac users are in luck: they get one of the best desktop readers out of the box. iBooks looks stylish, supports data synchronization between iOS devices, and offers only the most necessary tools - for those who like to read rather than delve into settings.

On the other hand, iBooks does not support the very popular FB2 format, which may not suit some users. But you can always convert.

Despite the fact that mobile e-books have appeared, replacing traditional paper sources of information for readers, it is advisable to have a book reader on your own computer. It may be needed, for example, for reading technical, scientific and fiction literature, as well as for viewing drawings that are now created in book format.
There are a lot of programs for reading books on a computer. Below is a selection of readers that have managed to prove themselves from the best side.

Cool Reader

The features of the computer reader are as follows:

• automatic page turning. The function can be disabled if you need to spend significant time familiarizing yourself with the data on the page;
• adjusting the background and font brightness in accordance with the user's wishes;
• viewing the contents of books in archives without unpacking them.

ALReader

The main feature of the reader is its many settings. But the average user is unlikely to have to change anything, and he can easily get by with the default settings. ALReader supports a lot of formats, including ODT and FB2. It is precisely thanks to the ability to view the last two formats that the reader has become in demand.

It is noteworthy that when creating the program, the creators paid special attention to its design. Having opened ALReader, the user will be surprised to see a book on printed newspaper sheets in front of him. To use the reader there is no need to install it. Immediately after downloading it can be used in full mode.

FBReader

It has a simple and intuitive interface that is easy to customize if desired. All open book files are classified according to characteristics - title, genre and author.

There is no need to move e-books to a shared folder - FBReader automatically creates links to their location in the computer's memory. The program has one drawback - a two-page mode is not provided.

Adobe Reader

Documents in PDF format can also pose a threat to your computer. Attackers inject malicious scripts into them, and therefore, before opening anything, you should check the file in an antivirus program.

The same problem applies to other programs where you can open books and documents in PDF. To minimize risks, you should use only the latest versions of the reader. The program takes up a lot of space in the computer's memory and takes much longer to install than other software products with similar purposes.

DjVuViwer

The advantages of the program are as follows:

• opening documents in other formats besides .djvu;
• you can scroll through all the pages, rather than flipping through them two at a time, which happens in the vast majority of programs;
• creating bookmarks in a simple and convenient way;
• fast speed of opening books.

Foxit Reader

The program menu is presented in several languages. The application operates primarily on computers running Windows. But, recently, versions have appeared that can run on PCs running Windows OS.

ICE Book Reader Professional

The program includes two modules of equal importance - a library and a reader. You can choose one-page or two-page mode to view documents.

Often the mode is selected in accordance with the user's preferences and the size of the monitor screen. Each mode has its own set of settings.

The advantage and at the same time the disadvantage (due to the increase in data space occupied) of the reader is that it automatically downloads all books to the library in full. So the file can be deleted from the main location at a later time.

If the amount of data storage space is small, then you should go to the settings and adjust the compression level.

ICE Book Reader Professional has the following features:

• support for files in various formats. Exception - .pdf;
• The entered settings are remembered by the reader automatically. The next time you turn it on, you will not need to change the parameters again;
• data can be opened from archives without involving one or another archiver. Information can be viewed in archives in the following formats: .zip, .rar and others.

STDU Viewer

The most important advantage is multi-format. With it you can open documents in .pdf format.

Conclusion