Top 7 ebook reading tools for Windows
While reading an Ebook will never be quite the same as holding an actual book in your hands (I'm old-school like that), I can't deny that reading on your PC can be very convenient. Just a little while ago, using your computer to read was a somewhat awkward experience, but today's applications are actually quite impressive, becoming constantly better at simulating the actual book-reading experience. Since more and more people prefer reading Ebooks on their devices, here are the seven best applications to help you read digital book on your Windows PCs.
Kindle
Kindle for PC
Amazon's Kindle was one of the pioneers in the field of Ebooks, so it's only natural that their PC application to be one of the best on the entire market. This tool stands out through its crisp design and the fact that it can work with a wide range of Ebook-related formats. The application keeps track of where you left off (syncing the data between devices), so whenever you open a book you've read before, it will automatically take you to the last pages you've read. Another big advantage is that you can effectively use the 'Find in Book' feature to find a passage that was important to you in any of the books stored on your device or on the cloud. The drawback is that Kindle is at its best when you're opening Ebooks that you bought from Amazon, while reading content that you acquired from other sources might turn out to be quite a problem.
Calibre
Calibre
Calibre is not only a spectacular book reader for Windows, but also a great way to convert HTML documents into well-designed digital books. Furthermore, if you're a writer, you can also publish your Ebooks on Amazon and Barnes & Nobles. To be honest, this tool's interface isn't as well designed as Kindle's or Nook's, but the functionality that it offers makes up for its less pleasing visual aspect. One of the things that I like the most about the application is that it's a very effective library management solutions, helping you organize your entire Ebooks collection with ease. Additional functionality includes the ability to download news from web sources, the option to send Ebooks to portable devices and make your library visible to others with the help of content server.
Nook
Nook for PC
Another highly popular Ebook reader, Nook is one of the most user-friendly tools of its kind that you can find on the entire market. The application's aesthetics are breath-taking, and it provides a distraction-free reading environment, so it would be a great choice for all those who wants to read on their PCs. What makes this tool better than Kindle is the fact that it doesn't only allow you to read books that you purchase from its own store (Barnes & Nobles), but also enables you to import Ebooks and PDFs from other sources. Lastly, you can access the book store directly from the application's interface, thus being able to easily find whatever book or content you are searching for.
Adobe Digital Editions
Adobe Digital Editions
What I like about Adobe Digital Editions is that it's one of the few book readers for Windows that incorporates the concept of "borrowing". With this tool you can borrow books from other libraries, print any Ebook that you own, read in full-screen mode and add bookmarks to all the books in your library (no matter what format they're in). Moreover, the latest versions of Adobe Digital Editions allow you to sign into the application using different IDs so that you can easily access your other book collections. (You can sign in to your Barnes & Nobles account using your B&N ID, etc.) The interface isn't quite at the same level as what Nook or Kindle offers, but it's still better than most of the other readers, and the library sorting functions are quite helpful.
Sumatra
Sumatra
Mostly known for its PDF-reading capabilities, Sumatra is also a powerful Ebook reading tool, since it can handle both the EPUB and MOBI formats. What makes this tool stand out is that it's a lightweight application which doesn't require a lot of system resource, so it will work better on low-end computers. Another feature you won't find in any other readers is the tabbed interface which allows you to quickly access content from multiple sources (really convenient in case if you are writing a paper or studying). Finally, Sumatra also comes in a portable version, so you don't even need to install it on your computer. As far as disadvantages go, tweaking its settings isn't as easy as you would like it to be, but I still think the trade off is worth it.
FBReader
FBReader
If you're looking for a very simple book reading tool for Windows, then FBReader should be your first choice. This tool can work with a wide array of formats but most of them are only partially supported (some of the formats' features are missing). I know it sounds very weird, but if you check out the product's support-related webpage, you will understand what I mean. The advantages that come from using this application are the ability to choose your own fonts and the support for litres.ru or text-to-speach (but only if you install the necessary plug-ins).
EPUBReader for Firefox
EPUBReader for Firefox
For those of you who require a simple solution to read the Ebooks that you find online, EPUBReader for Firefox would a be a great option. This plugin is very easy to use and allows you to open digital books (from the Internet or stored on your computer) directly in your browser. The biggest drawback for me was that it can only work with EPUB files, so I couldn't open any of the books I had in a different format.
Here you have it, these are some of the best Ebook readers for Windows that you can currently find on the market. But being totally honest, it doesn't even really matter which ones of them you choose as long as you keep reading. I feel that books are very underrated by the younger generations and that is a real shame.
