On Wednesday, 2nd March 2011 at 21:16:35 (GMT -0500), Mjit RaindancerStahl wrote:
What's the best way to read epub books on a Win XP laptop?
Definitely Mobipocket Reader. That's great freeware. Although if focuses on MOBI/Kindle files, it also allows you to open any EPUB, HTML, RTF, PDF (etc.) file with a single click. It gives you great, rich customization viewing options appropriate for the big screen, such as multiple text columns, even 4 columns, should you prefer that. ;-) (Similar to Stanza, Mobipocket Reader was purchased by Amazon a few years ago and then no longer developed, in favour of the Kindle app that does *not* support EPUB files, unlike Mobipocket Reader. Despite not being developed, Mobipocket Reader still works great today for all practical reading purposes. It also gives you a host of annotation options.) That all being said, I recommend to no one to actually *read* books on a big-screen device. For reference purposes, Mobipocket Reader or the reader integrated in Calibre are marvellous. For enjoyable reading, though, that is friendly towards your eyesight and reading comfort? You've got to go to a smaller-screen device instead, ideally a Kindle, Kindle DX, or iPad.
I want to support them, but I don't have the extra $300 for a Kindle...
Kindle does *not* cost $300, but only $139 nowadays. That's a ridiculously low price, considering how expensive the Kindle was only a few years ago. Just go ahead and buy a Kindle, Mjit. I guarantee you won't regret it. Even if you should starve for a month, :-D you've just *got* to expend $139 for a Kindle -- it's an essential purchase for any fan of the written word. (Of course, you can easily read any and all EPUB files on your Kindle, because converting any EPUB into MOBI is a single-click affair that will take you a couple of seconds, for example by using Mobipocket Reader as described above, or this great free online converter: www.2epub.com ) -- Yours, Alex. www.aboq.org [processed by "The Bat!", Version 4.2.10.12]