FBReaderThe almost-released version of FBReader, e-reading freeware dear to savvy Nokia 770 users and other Linux users, will run on Windows XP even if it can’t handle earlier versions of the Gates OS. That’s the developer’s word on the FBRreader list.

Now, go to a larger version of the screenshot shown of the XP flavor. See the OpenReader reference? Is that reality or just filler for the screenshot or even confusion with the OEB specs from the IDPF? But wait. I also see an OEB reference. Old or new OEB? Other formats mentioned by name in the shot are FB2, HTML, CHM, RTF and Plucker.

If FBReader can read OpenReader documents, then could this freeware be the first program—rather than OSoft‘s dotReader—to do so? The other issue is, “How compatible?” Perhaps Jon Noring can enlighten us. I doubt that FBReader can handle OpenReader’s use of CSS.

Regardless, having been endlessly disappointed by dotReader’s failure to read OpenReader by now, I would be delighted to see an OpenReader client of any kind. And I suspect that Tamas would be in seventh heaven. Major kudos to the FBReader folks if indeed the software can do OpenReader!

Disclosure: I helped set up the OpenReader Consortium but suspended evangelization efforts when the group failed to distinguish the dotReader format adequately from the nonproprietary spec.

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