Read eBooks from your desktop... or not

Microsoft Reader is a desktop application for reading eBooks. It allows you to organize, annotate and bookmark your eBook collection. However, there are some major reservations!

While it has very readable text, and the annotation functions are really good it breaks down when you want to import eBooks. You can purchase eBooks from the Microsoft Reader store, but try to import your own eBooks and you come up against a brick wall. There is no toolbar, and no obvious way to import eBooks, and dragging and dropping doesn't work. Importing Word files also doesn't function.

This program hasn't been updated since 2005, so it seems as if Microsoft has given up on the program, and as it seems to be as good as broken, that's probably not a bad thing. It needs a proper interface, and more openness to the variety of eBook files around.

If you want an eBook reader for Windows, make sure it's not Microsoft Reader, it's a genuinely bad piece of software.

  • Pros

    • Very readable text
    • Good annotation functions
  • Cons

    • Terrible interface
    • Won't accept your stored eBook files
 0/3

App specs

  • License

    Free

  • Version

    2.1.1

  • Latest update

  • Platform

    Windows

  • OS

    Windows NT

  • Language

    English

    Available languages

    • English
    • Spanish
    • French
  • Downloads

    64K

    Last month's downloads

    • 31
  • Size

    3.76 MB

  • Developer

Program available in other languages


Icon of program: Microsoft Reader

Microsoft Reader for PC

  • Free
  • 3.3
    124
  • 64K
  • V2.1.1

User reviews about Microsoft Reader

by Anonymous

A typical horrible Metro interface app. I'll give it a 1 because it opens a file and allows you to read it.The interface is horrible, and the interface takes up the whole screen. Microsoft needs to get rid of the Metro interface on a desktop computer and go back to Windows

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Score result: Clean

This file passed a comprehensive security scan using VirusTotal technology. It is safe to download.

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Scan Info

Last scan
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
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File Integrity

File
MSReaderSetupUSA.exe
SHA256
b554b212a4f8d660d4c736b9671fab269708b7cec0ea211bc8fa7ddfb2a34e0f
SHA1
055af1f589e2ae9896f17dbf33d8a3f156d10282

Softonic security commitment

Microsoft Reader has been thoroughly scanned by our advanced security systems and verified by industry-leading partners. This file comes from the official developer and has passed all our security checks, showing no signs of viruses, malware, or spyware.