How to open FB2 file
The modern Internet has many faces, it has many sides, it is both a means of communication and a repository of information, which contains, among other things, print media of various directions. The creation of such electronic libraries was made possible thanks to the availability of digitization technology – to scan a book, magazine or booklet and put it into the network today for every user. It is important, however, to choose the appropriate format for reading the digital book as comfortable as possible.
What is the FB2 format
The most popular formats for storing digital books today are EPUB, MOBI and, of course, FB2 or FictionBook eBook File, which will be discussed today. The latter, although it is considered somewhat outdated, is still very popular due to the support of almost all desktop and mobile applications for reading electronic books. Why is the FB2 format so attractive?
Being based on XML , the format contains a minimum number of tags, which simplifies its processing by applications, but this is far from the only advantage. Like all XML documents, an FB2 file can contain text, images, and hyperlinks, and its inherent strict structure makes it possible to automatically convert to other formats. Plus, due to the same structure, the format allows the user to customize the display of content and apply various filters when sorting books.
However, FB2 is not without its drawbacks, which include layout limitations, lack of support for vector graphics and numbered lists. This is the main reason why the format is not suitable for technical literature, textbooks and manuals. In this regard, FB2 is significantly inferior to PDF, but its developers do not give up. Currently, the third version of the format is available – FB3, which is a modified ZIP archive. Such an archive is distinguished by the support of numbered and bulleted lists, separate data storage, as well as improved formatting. FB3 has not yet received wide distribution, mainly due to the lack of its full support by readers and online libraries that are in no hurry to switch to an updated version of the format.
How to open and read FB2 files on a computer
What kind of format is FB2 is clear, now let’s find out how it can be opened. Any browser or even Notepad allows you to view a FictionBook eBook, but since markup will be displayed in addition to text, it is best to use reader applications. There are many of them, so we will limit ourselves to the most popular.
Calibre
Let’s start with the coolest and most sophisticated Calibre reader. If you are not going to limit yourself solely to reading, then the question of how to open FB2 on Windows 7/10 should not arise. Calibre is not just a reader, it is a true advanced e-book manager with many additional features. With it, you can edit metadata and book covers, convert them to other formats, create e-books from PDF, RTF, HTML, etc. files, search and download books from online libraries and stores, send them to other devices.
The application supports reading books in archives, sorting according to various criteria, flexible configuration of the type of content being viewed (changing the font, background, changing the reading mode, etc.), news aggregation, several ways to scroll and scroll, in-text search, copying, and so on. There are so many functions that, most likely, a good half of them will never be claimed by you.
ICE Book Reader
After searching the net for information such as “how to open the FB2 file on a computer”, you will probably come across ICE Book Reader, a very good tool for reading electronic books. The main emphasis in this program is on ensuring reading comfort, as indicated by the large font installed by default, a calm neutral background color and smooth scrolling. ICE Book Reader supports voice reading using voice engines, Speech API SAPI4.0 and SAPI5.1, creating audio books from text with their own help, converting between common text formats, creating and managing a library, sorting books by many parameters.
The program’s capabilities also include changing reading modes, changing background color and font parameters, reading directly from ZIP and RAR archives, ultra-fast text search, text editing, bookmarking. There are a lot of options in the settings, allowing you to configure toolbars and panels, control mouse actions, set an alarm, and so on. Additional functions of the reader include the installation of language modules. A plus of the program is the automatic association of files with the FB2 extension, which allows you to open and add them to the library with the usual double-click.
IcecreamEbook Reader
Another good program that allows you to open FB2 on your computer. The Ebook Reader interface remotely resembles Caliber, but does not have such powerful functionality. The asset of the application is the creation and management of the library, the creation of categories and the batch addition of e-books to the collection, search and navigation. There are few global settings, you can set font parameters in them, change the background of the workspace and the path to the library directory.
The attractiveness of this program lies in its simplicity and unobtrusive interface. Among the functions are present: bookmarking, full screen, night and book modes, copying and annotation, switching between user profiles. Of the additional functions, we note the presence of a built-in web inspector that allows you to view and edit the source file. This is Ebook Reader Free, there is also a Pro version of the program with many features.
Cool reader
How and what to open fb2 yet? If you want to limit yourself to comfortable reading, download the free Cool Reader program. Like ICE Book Reader, it is great for reading large volumes of text, but unlike it has a smaller set of functions. Cool Reader supports two main modes of reading “scroll” and “book”, viewing the contents of archives, scrolling, reading by voice, converting text to MP3 audio, searching, creating bookmarks, there is a built-in pronunciation dictionary editor.
By default, the program opens in full screen mode, but it also has a normal window mode. Comfortable reading in Cool Reader is made by large font, convenient page turning and pleasant background color. There are several configuration settings, hyphenation, text editing, skin change, connection of pronunciation dictionaries. Application settings are aimed at improving the readability of the text. Unfortunately, both the second and third versions of the reader are poorly optimized for Windows 10, therefore it is better to run them in compatibility mode with earlier versions of the OS.
In addition to desktop programs, there are also universal applications for Windows 8.1 and 10, which can be easily found in the Windows Store. Also on the Internet there are services that allow you to view FB2 files online, however, their functionality in most cases will be very limited. In the latest builds of Windows 10, the built-in Microsoft Edge browser can open FB2 files, however, you can learn how to work with the FB2 format in both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox by installing the appropriate extensions in them.
If you need to convert the FB2 format (for example, fb2 to mobi), use the free AnyConv online converter.
