What kind of readers are there? The best programs for reading on a computer. You can also pay attention to such features as

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 produces 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 directory specified by the user 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.

In order to read books in the popular FB2 (FictionBook) format, created specifically for compatibility with various operating systems, you need to use a special application - a reader. There are many such programs for PCs that allow you not only to view, but sometimes also to edit texts. Early versions are intended for use on Windows 7 and XP platforms, later versions are intended for Windows 10.

Almost every program for opening FB2 also supports most other formats. And the best readers are able to read information from an e-book out loud.

For the convenience of users, in the settings of almost all applications, from the popular Cool Reader to the infrequently used “Balabolka”, there are changes in the size and color of fonts, background and page turning options.

But in order to find the most suitable option, the user should look at the top similar programs with a description of their capabilities, disadvantages and advantages.

Fiction Book Reader

This fb2 reader for a computer gives the user the ability to work with files with the extension .epub, .mobi and .txt. The PDF format is not supported, but it is possible to sort books using OPDS catalogs.

Main menu of the free version of Fiction Book Reader.

To make text easier to read, the application allows you to switch to full-screen mode by removing panels from the screen. The disadvantages of this fb2 reader for a computer include its availability in the Microsoft Store online store - that is, the program can only be installed on Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.

In addition, the application is paid - although it is possible to use it for free by downloading the Lite version.

STDU Viewer

The program is designed to open other formats - from DjVu and PDF to ePUB and TIFF. And it has good functionality, allowing you to perform the following operations:

• scale the font size to see the text better;
• choose the page orientation and their number on the screen (one or as a book spread);
• adjust contrast and brightness.

STDU Viewer App

The application also has the ability to print the text being viewed by selecting various print settings. Using the program, you can create bookmarks in open documents. In this case, the files themselves are not edited or changed.

And to transfer information from one computer to another, they use the procedure of importing and exporting a tree of bookmarks.

Cool Reader

Another popular reader program is Cool Reader, which is considered one of the best due to its support for more than ten commonly used formats and its simple user interface.

The application works with archives, opening books that have been packed to reduce their size, provides reading texts aloud and editing information. With Cool Reader you can record an MP3 audio file using several pronunciation dictionaries.

One of the best readers is Cool Reader, v. 3.3.61.

Among other advantages that CR3 (the latest, third version of the reader) received is support for multiple languages, setting bookmarks and searching for information in an open document.

After formatting, the application allows you to save the edited text as .rtf, .txt or .html files. You can also use it to list the latest documents opened in the reader.

Sumatra PDF

• simple design that allows you to read the text without being distracted by the design;
• the ability to copy texts from an open electronic document in any supported format;
• multilingual interface, including menus in Russian and 59 other languages.

Application for working with Sumatra PDF e-books.

This program for reading books on a computer can be used in the form of a portable version, which allows you to do without installing it. And when opening fb2 files, it, unlike many analogues, displays pictures correctly.

If you download Sumatra PDF 0.9.1 or a later version of the application, you can leave bookmarks in any open electronic document.

Caliber

PC users who need a good program for reading books on their computer can also download the Caliber application, with which you can not only open texts in various formats, but also edit them and create your own electronic library.

The program supports downloading downloaded books from the network and connecting additional modules. Using the reader will allow you not to wonder how to open about 20 popular formats - from AZW and FB2 to PDF and RB.

Popular and feature-rich Caliber app

Among the features that this e-book reader provides is the conversion of one type of file to another. Moreover, the reader itself does not support all formats.

To work with most texts, an additional E-book viewer application is downloaded and installed at the same time.

FBReader

Among the features of the FBReader application that allow it to get into the ranking of the best e-readers are:

• support for various types of e-books (including in fb2 format);
• simple and convenient interface for viewing text, easily customizable even by an inexperienced user;
• automatic creation of links to books, regardless of their location on computer drives.

FBReader program

This program for reading e-books has only one drawback - the lack of a two-page mode. Therefore, if necessary, you will always have at your disposal a functional and convenient tool for working with various options for electronic documents.

It is recommended to download this fb2 reader for your computer from its manufacturer’s website. The application is open source and distributed free of charge. And the coolest thing is that there are smartphone applications for modern operating systems based on Android, Windows Phone and iOS.

Liberty Book Reader

Liberty Book Reader, a free e-book reader for your computer, was developed by Microsoft. Therefore, texts can be uploaded directly from the application to the DropBox and SkyDrive cloud services.

In addition, the program user has access to books from the Microsoft online library - although it can only be downloaded for Windows 10, 8 and 8.1.

Liberty Book Reader from Microsoft

The advantages of using the application include the option that offers similar Microsoft storage genres. In the reader menu, you can create a catalog of good books, sorting them by genre, date or alphabet.

And among the additional features that the reader provides are creating notes on the text, jumping to individual fragments of text, and changing font sizes.

ICE Book Reader Professional

The popular program for reading fb2 on a computer, ICE Book Reader, is distributed free of charge and supports more than 70 interface languages.

At the same time, it opens a large number of e-book formats and allows you to find information faster than many similar applications. Among other functions of the reader it is worth noting:

• reading archived texts;
• quick search;
• conversion to other formats.

Text reader ICE Book Reader

One of the reasons for the program to be included in the rating is that there is no need to install it in Windows and register for further use. In addition, the reader allows you to create collections of files of any type (including not only books) and manage them directly from the menu.

And when you launch the application, it opens on the page of the document that was last used.

AlReader

• reading most existing formats;
• working with Slovoed and Lingvo dictionaries;
• several text scrolling options;
• editing open e-books.

AlReader program interface

This fb2 reader supports bookmarks, footnotes, and various styles. You can download it from the official website of the developer. The latest version dates back to 2016, and the list of supported platforms includes not only Windows, but also Android.

"Balabolka"

The rating is completed by the “Balabolka” application, the functionality of which allows you not only to work with texts, but also to read them out loud. Downloading the reader will answer the question of how to read e-books on a computer, edit them and record them as audio files.

Moreover, during the recording process you can change both the reading speed and voice timbre.

Interface of the program "Balabolka"

Conclusion

When choosing a suitable application for working with e-books, the user should try several options. Finally, not only the list, but also personal acquaintance with the capabilities and interface will help you understand which fb2 reader program is best suited.

Although, if we take into account the opinions of other users, the best program for working with books in electronic format is Cool Reader, which supports dozens of extensions. Or ICE Book Reader, which you can work with not only without registration, but also without installation on your computer.

Reading books in electronic form on a computer is not very convenient. To make this process comfortable, special programs (readers) are created with different capabilities and features that minimize discomfort and eye strain. This is important for those users who do not have a tablet or e-readers (special small tablet-type reading devices). Today we’ll look at the well-known and most frequently downloaded programs for Windows 10.

Tools for reading books on Windows 10: choosing the best

The choice of programs for reading literature on a PC with Windows 10 is quite wide, despite the fact that many utilities have headed for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems. Today we will choose the best options that offer maximum capabilities, free use and a clear interface.

ICE Book Reader Professional: a powerful modern e-reader with a library

The ICE Book Reader Professional service does not have many competitors in terms of the number of functions. This free Russian-language reader with many fine settings that make it stand out from the general background of similar programs allows you to:

The program window can be easily customized: select the background color, the text itself, the general design theme, set automatic spacing, and much more. The software can also read books for you and run files with a wide variety of extensions, including lit, chm, epub and others.

The ICE Book Reader Professional service offers a convenient mechanism for searching books in its library

It is better to download the utility installer from .

Video: what is ICE Book Reader Professional software

Caliber: a functional reader for almost all book formats

The Caliber utility is a very convenient tool for reading fiction, textbooks, documents, magazines and more. The reader not only launches files with a wide variety of extensions on your screen (for example, epub, fb2, doc, pdf and others), but also converts them, that is, converts one format to another. Book management is as convenient as in ICE Book Reader Professional. It also allows you to customize the interface for yourself.

What other advantages does this software have:

The program has two disadvantages: the inability to automatically place soft hyphens after conversion, and the conversion itself is quite slow.

Video: Caliber - converting and synchronizing books between a computer and an e-reader

AlReader: a simple reader that does not need to be installed on your PC

The Russian-language tool called AlReader, unfortunately, cannot boast of wide functionality. Nevertheless, it has everything you need for reading: support for fb2, rtf, epub, odt and other formats, as well as interface settings (background color, graphic themes, text style and brightness, hyphens, indents, etc.). In books opened using this program, the user can make as many bookmarks as he wants. The utility also remembers the page on which you finished reading last time.

In the software window you can also:

A huge advantage of this reader is that it does not need to be installed on your computer. You simply download the file from the official website and then run it - the program will be immediately ready to use.

EPUBReader: comfortable reading of epub files

The name of the program speaks for itself: it is intended only for reading files in epub format. The advantage of this format is that it takes up little storage space but is capable of displaying tables, unusual fonts and vector graphics. The EPUBReader tool also changes the book format (converts) epub to pdf, html or txt. The developer of the utility is FreeSmart. The program can be installed not only on Windows 10, but also on Android smartphones and Apple devices.

It is convenient to navigate through sections of the book in the EPUBReader window

In EPUBReader you can quickly move from section to section thanks to convenient navigation in the left column of the window, as well as customize the font and text scale. The functionality of the program is not as wide as that of ICE Book Reader Professional or Caliber, but this is compensated by a convenient and intuitive interface. If you only need to open epub files, this reader is a great option for you.

The reading tool must be downloaded from .

FBReader: a convenient tool with access to network libraries

If you need a versatile yet simple tool for reading books of various formats, take a look at FBReader. This tool opens epub, mobi, fb2, html, rtf, plucker, chm and other files.

The utility has access to network libraries. Some of them allow you to download books of various topics and genres for free. There are also paid libraries - the FBReader tool allows you to buy books there, that is, you do not need to go separately to the seller’s website.

All added books are distributed on shelves automatically according to genre and author's name. FBReader has a clear and convenient interface that even a novice who knows nothing can understand. In the window you can customize the background color, font, page turning method, etc.

This tool also has a drawback: it does not provide a two-page mode.

Books can be added to the FBReader program from network libraries

You can download this convenient reader from the official website.

Video: how to use the FBReader program

LightLib: reading books from Librusek

The LightLib utility is both a librarian and a reader, as stated on the official resource of this program, from which you can download the installer.

The main features of this tool:

1. Opens literature in formats such as fb2, epub, rtf and txt. Can also run zip archives.
2. Converts fb2 files.
3. Shows the contents of folders on disks.
4. Has access to the Librusek and Flibusta collections.
5. Allows you to view all images of the book with the ability to go to the page of the book on which the picture is located.

In addition, as in any other reader, in LightLib you can customize the appearance of the window, as well as preview the book and add files to the “Favorites” folder.

LightLib is both a library and a reader

Cool Reader: a functional tool with the option to unpack files from an archive

Cool Reader is one of the most convenient e-readers. It takes care of your eyes with the following options:

• smoothing and changing fonts;
• setting a textured background;
• smooth scrolling.

In addition to reading most book formats (txt, doc, fb2, rtf, epub and others), the utility can also:

You can download the program on Windows 10 from .

Video: how to install Cool Reader

Adobe Reader: classic pdf reader

It is difficult to find a user who has not heard of the Adobe Reader utility, since it is the most popular tool for reading and viewing pdf files. It is suitable not only for documents, but also for reading fiction, textbooks and magazines.

The following options are available in the program:

Download the utility installer from the official website.

DjVuViewer: a simple djvu reading tool

The DjVuViewer utility is one of the standard tools for opening djvu files. This format is better than pdf in that it saves space in PC memory due to better file compression. The program has the following advantages:

The file tool can be downloaded from its official page.

Foxit Reader: an alternative to Adobe Reader

Like Adobe Reader, Foxit is designed to view and read documents and books in pdf format. Its advantage is that installation requires much less hard drive space. In addition to reading, here you can also:

The program is available for download on the official website.

Video: where to download Foxit Reader and how to install it

Some of the most functional readers today are ICE Book Reader Professional, Caliber and Cool Reader. They not only allow you to read text in comfortable conditions and minimize the risk of damaging your eyesight, but also convert files into the formats you need and provide access to extensive databases. Simpler, but no less good are LightLib, FBReader and AlReader. In addition, there are readers for one format, for example, EPUBReader or Adobe Reader. Choose a tool depending on the file formats you download for reading.

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 the 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: the ability to select encodings (which means that when opening a book, “cracked-up” and unreadable characters are practically eliminated); 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.