Applications for opening fb2. FB2 - how to open and how to work with this e-book format
How to open fb2 file to read an e-book on a computer.
Date: 2015-12-20
How to open an e-book in fb2 format?
Information technologies bring a lot of useful and enjoyable things into our lives, for example, reading e-books on various computer devices: desktop personal computers, laptops, tablet computers (tablets), smartphones, etc.
Of course, because now a small smartphone or tablet can fit a huge number of books, an entire library of several hundred thousand volumes, and you can read them anywhere. Agree this is very convenient. And on a desktop computer, I’m even afraid to imagine how many books will fit in electronic form. To be honest, I myself have been reading fiction for the last few years mainly on a tablet running the Android operating system.
But there are also some problems: there is a wide variety of formats in which e-books are published. Today we will talk about one of the popular formats, namely the fb2 format.
fb2 format
Format FictionBook(abbreviated as fb2) is the most common xml format for storing and reading e-books. Please note, it is fiction books, because... it has its own specific markup tags for each element of the book. This format is not very suitable for technical literature due to the complexity inherent in technical literature. For reading fb2 There are a lot of free programs (software). Books can be simply read, converted to other formats, formatted and modified to your liking.
There are a huge number of libraries on the Internet, both free and paid, from where you can download almost any book in electronic form. Therefore, I will not bore you with technical details, the main purpose of this article is to tell how and how to open e-books in FictionBook format (fb2 format) so that you can fully enjoy reading books.
How to open fb2 file on a smartphone or tablet?
As a rule, opening files in the fb2 format on smartphones and tablet computers does not cause any difficulties. In most cases, manufacturers of mobile gadgets install special programs for reading this format (also called e-readers). All that remains is to download the book you need and read.
If suddenly you, for some reason, still don’t have such a “reader” on your smartphone or tablet, it’s also not a problem, go Play Store(you need to register first) and download the e-book reading application completely free of charge. There are a great many such readers. Personally, my favorite free program is: AIReader. Enter the program name: AIReader in search Play Store(Google Play). Download and install. It will take no more than 3-4 minutes.
Why did I choose AIReader?? Because the program is very simple, intuitive, in Russian, absolutely free. Excellently opens not only files with the extension .fb2, but also many other popular formats in which e-books are published, such as: .rtf , .rb , .txt , .doc etc. Therefore, I see no point in installing other “readers”.
How to open a fb2 file on a laptop and desktop computer?
The situation is somewhat more complicated if you want to read e-books in fb2 format on a desktop computer or laptop running Windows operating system. Although there are no big problems here either.
AIReader is a program for reading electronic books.
For reading e-books in fb2 format on a laptop or desktop computer I recommend the same "reader" AIReader, only version for the Windows operating system. As I mentioned above, the program is absolutely free, simple and at the same time very functional. Opens many different formats. Perfectly customizable to individual characteristics and requirements. Opens many different formats and files with different extensions: .fb2 , .rtf , .rb , .txt , .doc etc.
What I especially like is AIReader program does not require installation on a computer. This means that you can keep this program on a USB drive (USB FLASH DRIVE, flash drive) and can connect it to absolutely any computer or laptop. For example, I put the books I need on my flash drive in the root folder with the program and sometimes I read books on various desktop computers.
In my opinion, AIReader is by far the best of all e-readers!
You can download the AIReader program for free from the official website or here on our website by clicking on the button below: Download AIReader.
FBReader is a program for reading electronic books.
Another, a free program designed to read e-books on a computer running the Windows operating system - FBReader.
FBReader is similar to the program described above, with the only difference being that it is installed on a specific computer and has slightly fewer capabilities. But this doesn't make FBReader any worse. The FBReader program is also Russified and intuitive, so I think there is nothing special to tell here.
FB2 is a popular format used for storing printed materials: books, textbooks, magazines. It is an XML table in which each element is described with its own tags. This approach allows you to open FB2 on any device, provided that the reader you are using supports this format.
Online services
If you want to read e-books online, you can use the magazon.ru service, which provides the ability to download files in FB2 format. Unfortunately, other sites have stopped working: either they are blocked due to copyright infringement when downloading books, or they simply give an error when trying to add a new document.
The service magazon.ru/fb2/firstFormFb2 looks unpretentious, but it copes with the task, actually showing the contents of the book. How it works:
The page will refresh and you will see the text of the downloaded printed product. Pictures are not added, there is no table of contents either, but the text itself is formatted as the tags are written in the XML document.
Browser extensions
You will see the text of the book with all the pictures and correct layout. EasyDocs automatically saves the downloaded file in the library, so you can add all the books to your browser if necessary. If you open the FB2 format through Chrome without installing the extension, an XML document with all the tags will be displayed. Theoretically, you will be able to read the text in this form, but it will quickly get boring.
Similar functionality is offered by an add-on for Mozilla Firefox called “FB2 reader”. You can install it in the “Add-ons” section of your browser settings. 
The FB2 reader does not save books in the library, but has another advantage - it displays a clickable table of contents, making it easier to navigate through the text. 
On Mozilla Firefox you can also install the EasyDocs extension, which is used in Google Chrome to open the FB2 format.
Computer programs
If you constantly open e-books on your computer, then it is much more convenient to install one of the programs that can work with the FB2 format and offers a number of additional functions. There are similar applications for Windows 7, Windows 10, and Mac OS, so there will be no problems with reading.
FBReader is distributed free of charge. The program allows you to quickly create a real library of e-books on your computer, neatly sorted by genre and author.
A simple program with a minimalistic design that does not distract from reading, and a small set of functions. Ebook Reader has a free and Pro version.
The Pro version has the following advantages:
- Reading in full screen without restrictions.
- Copying text.
- Changes in the title and author of the book.
- Creating categories in the library.
But you can completely do without these options. In the free version of the program, FB2 files can be easily added to the library individually. You can add bookmarks and save them so you can quickly return to the right place. The library displays your reading progress.
Universal reader for different formats. It has a portable version that can be run from removable media without prior installation. Another advantage of STDU Viewer is the display of the table of contents of the book. If the Ebook Reader does not display the content, then STDU Viewer displays at least the division into parts, if it is present in the book.
It is possible to add bookmarks to pages. In addition, the program offers several reading modes. The page size can be changed in height, width, or manually specified as a percentage. Text and images can be selected and copied to be saved as separate files on your computer. 
The list of readers that support the FB2 format is not limited to these applications. You can find several other programs with similar functionality, but most users choose FBReader because this application has long established itself as the main assistant when reading e-books on a computer.
Readers for Mac OS and Linux
If you are using an Apple computer, install the Caliber program on it. This is a free utility that can work with EPUB, MOBI and FB2 documents. In addition to reading, Caliber provides the ability to create your own rating of the works you read. It syncs with major online libraries, so new books can be added directly from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
In addition, there is a version of the FBReader program for Mac OS. You can also install it on Linux – the corresponding version is also located on the program’s website.
FBReader is a popular multi-platform reader that allows you to play e-books and documents in the highest possible resolution. It can be installed on both a phone and tablet, and on a computer running Windows OS.
Features of the FBReader program
A distinctive feature is the realistic interface. All saved books and documents in any format are displayed on virtual shelves. Also users can create individual directories for free and directories with data to read. This feature is only available in some reading programs. Creating your own thematic sections by author and title makes it much easier to find the works you need. There is no need to scroll through books in alphabetical order; the user himself sets the necessary parameters.
Other features of FB2 Reader include the following:
- Using exclusive backgrounds for reading books.
- Support for working with external dictionaries. When reading foreign texts, you can instantly look up the translation of an unfamiliar word, phrase or entire text using dictionaries from Google, LEO, Prompt, Flora.
- The function of purchasing books from online stores is built into the program. Without leaving the reader, you can view the range of available products and purchase the books you like. Windows users can also download books to the phone’s memory independently and for free and then open them using the installed program.
- The interface is available in Russian.
- Supports most popular document formats and e-books.
- Supports different encodings for correct text display.
The reader has another important feature. It stands out among other programs in that the user can not only read the text, but also it in different languages. This feature is very convenient for students who can listen to the necessary material through headphones on the way to study, so it will be useful for them to download FBReader.
FB2 Reader installed on a computer running Windows OS can only work with, since it was created specifically for her. The user can open files in FB2 format directly in the window without making any unnecessary movements on the computer. You no longer need to search for where the file was saved and open other programs, just one click is enough.
In addition, the plugin displays pictures, author notes and title page. A Windows user can customize it to suit his perception and make the process of reading books even more comfortable. With the help of the FBI reader, they are unpacked directly in the program on the computer and opened like ordinary books.
This program is indispensable for students, office workers and book lovers who constantly work with text files of various formats.
Reading occupies an important place in the lives of many people, but there is not always a place for an ordinary paper book next to a person. Paper books are, of course, good, but electronic books are much more convenient. However, without *.fb2 reading programs, the computer will not be able to recognize this format.
These programs will allow you to open books in *.fb2 format, read them and even edit them. Some of them have a few more functions than just reading and editing, and some were not intended to read *.fb2 at all, but were included in this list because they can open such files.
FBReader is the simplest example of a reader that there can be. There is nothing superfluous in it, and there is something that complements it - network libraries. Using them you can download books directly in the program. This program for reading books in fb2 format is almost completely changeable, although there are fewer settings in it than in Caliber.
AlReader
This fb2 reader program is more complex than the previous one and does not require installation, which is undoubtedly a plus. But that's not all that sets it apart from FBReader, it also has a translator, bookmarks, and even changes the book format. In addition, it has more extensive settings.
Caliber
Caliber is not just an e-reader, but a real library with many functions. In it you can create and divide your libraries as you wish. Allow other users to access your libraries or connect to others using the network. In addition to the reader function, it combines several other useful functions, such as downloading news from around the world, downloading and editing books.
ICE Book Reader
A simple library, auto-scrolling, searching, saving and editing - that’s all there is in this program. Simple, low-functional and understandable for everyone, and, at the same time, very useful.
Balabolka
This program is a unique exhibit on this list. If Caliber was not just a reader, but a library, then Balablolka is a program that can speak any printed text out loud. It just so happens that the program has the ability to read files with the *.fb2 format, and that’s why it ended up on this list. Balabolka has a lot of other functions, for example, it can convert subtitles into sound or compare two text files.
STDU Viewer
This program was also not designed for reading e-books, but it has this function, especially since the developers added this format to the program for a reason. The program can edit files and convert them into plain text.
WinDjView
WinDjView is designed to read files in the DjVu format, but it also has the ability to open files in the .fb2 format. A simple and convenient program can be an excellent replacement for an e-book reader. True, it has very little functionality, especially when compared with Balabolka or Caliber.
In this article we looked at the most convenient and well-known programs that can open books in *.fb2 format. Not all of the above programs are designed specifically for this, and therefore their functionality differs. All these programs are different from each other, and what program for opening fb2 is on your PC?
Fb2 format was created as a universal way to store books. It has many useful properties, and one of them is the ease of conversion to a number of other formats. However, not every user has a fb2 reader on their computer. This is what slowed down the development of the format. But if you have a special utility, you can enjoy convenient book reading.
Free FB2 readers
Universal "reader". It supports most formats for storing books and works with any amount of information and number of sheets. To use it, you don’t need to install anything, you just need to run the executable file. It's really convenient and fast.
It would seem that such a simple program should have little functionality, but this is not true. In fact, Cool Reader meets all modern requirements. In addition to reading the fb2 format, this program will ensure work with any documents, including those located on the network! For this, there is convenient access to online libraries.
The utility's interface is very convenient and simple. It is divided into several parts, one of which shows recent files, the second - the document directory, and the third - settings. This approach allows you to use it regardless of the localization language. According to many users, this is the best program.
A little old-fashioned, but very functional program for Windows. It allows you to work with absolutely any text formats, and can also connect to archives! Now you don't need to extract books from RAR, ZIP or other packages, you just need to specify the path to them.
In addition, it should be noted that there is a huge variety of settings. In the program you can customize almost everything - from the catalog to the font. It should also be noted that the cataloging system is incredibly extensive and convenient. In it you can divide books by categories, genres, your own wishes, the number of bookmarks and even corrections. By the way, they allow you to remove typos from the text.
ICE Book Reader Professional will help you preserve your vision. There are a number of different viewing modes available to suit different conditions. 
It's not called that for nothing. This program works with all formats that a user can find on the Internet. Docx, abw and even chm books can be read in Alreader. This is the main advantage of the utility. It does not have any outstanding interface design, but it is not irritating to the eyes, even after a very long time of reading.
Alreader will help you tune in and focus on the process. To do this, you can choose the most convenient font, background color and illumination, and even anti-aliasing mode. This approach to customization allows the user to truly enjoy reading. The program has the usual “day” and “night” modes, as well as a lot of unique settings.
It is important to note that the background for reading can be as authentic as possible - in the form of paper of varying degrees of preservation. The background images are made of very high quality, which will help you get aesthetic pleasure. 
At this stage, the program is still being finalized, so it has several shortcomings. For example, table formats and CSS styles are not fully supported. However, this practically does not limit the reader. Problems will occur extremely rarely, on single copies.
In FB2 Reader you can create an entire library, cataloging information according to one of a dozen different parameters. This program can be downloaded for free and used without any restrictions. 
STDU Viewer- can hardly be called a classic reader. It is designed to work with any documents, including e-books. Many free programs specialize in reading ease. This is very important, but not in all cases. The same program is more aimed at maximum functionality. You can view any document format in it. It's hard to even think of a book that STDU Viewer can't open.
The program interface is laconic, but very convenient. Small symbolic icons can be understood intuitively, especially since everything is translated into Russian. Despite the huge number of different possibilities, they are neatly placed in several panels, allowing the user to concentrate on the text.
Among the unique features, it is worth noting the format converter and the ability to work with images. Also, STDU Viewer allows you to print documents. 
