Microsoft® Reader is a software application designed to deliver an on-screen computer reading experience that for the first time approaches the convenience and quality of paper.

Microsoft Reader is the first product to include ClearType™ display technology. ClearType greatly improves resolution on LCD screens to deliver a print-like display. Microsoft Reader also pays strict attention to the traditions and benefits of good typography. It offers a clean, uncluttered layout; ample margins; proper spacing, leading and kerning; plus powerful tools for book marking, highlighting and annotation.

What are the advantages of using Microsoft Reader?

Electronic reading software offers benefits of portability, storage and additional electronic features such as Search and instant word Lookup. Microsoft Reader for PCs and laptops can hold as many books as your hard drive will store – possibly thousands! If you travel, imagine having access to all of your reading material through your laptop, saving space and reducing the weight that you have to carry.

Microsoft Reader allows you to do many of the same things you do when you read a printed book, such as add Bookmarks and make notes in the margins. You can then review all of your margin notes (as well as Bookmarks, Drawings, and Highlights) in one place. Reader also allows you to easily do things you can’t do in a printed book, such as Search for a word or instantly Lookup the definition of a word.

Finally, Microsoft Reader is the only reading software available that includes ClearType display technology, which makes the words on the screen appear almost as crisp as the words on a printed page.

How can I get a copy of Microsoft Reader?

Visit www.microsoft.com/reader to download Microsoft Reader for your Windows®-based desktop and laptop PC. Also, Microsoft Reader for Pocket PC ships with Pocket PC devices.

How much does Microsoft Reader cost?

There is no charge to download Microsoft Reader for your PC. It’s available free via download and it comes preinstalled on the Pocket PC.

What is the average size of a Microsoft Reader file?

Microsoft Reader titles are quite small and range from 200 KB for a short to medium length book to 600 KB for a longer work. As an example, a 300-page novel is approximately 250 KB as a Microsoft Reader file.

What PC platforms does Microsoft Reader run on?

Microsoft Windows® 95; Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition; Windows Millennium; Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0; Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Microsoft Windows 2000 Server operating systems

Additional system requirements for Microsoft Reader are the following: Pentium 75 or higher microprocessor; 16 MB of RAM; approximately 13 MB of available hard-disk space (Microsoft Reader is 6.75 MB but additional space is required for installation); Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 1 or later; VGA or higher resolution monitor, and video card capable of displaying 256 or more colors; Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device.

Which Pocket PC devices include Microsoft Reader?

Pocket PC devices from Hewlett Packard, Casio Computer Co., and Compaq all include Microsoft Reader.

** Our collected articles and other guides are now available as e-Books in MS- Reader  format.  The articles are available individually in our reports section but at your request we can send you a copy in MS reader format.