The Microsoft Reader ebookstore frequently gives an error message saying, "the item you're searching for was not found in our database." However, many of the ebooks that readers are looking for are available to download online at different sites. Some stores call the files m-soft, ms-reader, or reader files, but as long as they are in the ,lit format, you will be able to read them in Microsoft Reader.
What Books Work with Microsoft Reader?
As Microsoft's mobile platforms evolved, Microsoft Reader changed and grew. PDAs with Pocket PC use an older version of Microsoft Reader in Windows Mobile. If you have any version of Windows Mobile 2.0 or above, your device can read .lit ebooks. Computers with Microsoft Windows operating systems have additional options for books, such as the free text-to-speech software for Microsoft Reader.
The native format for Microsoft Reader is .lit files. You can not read Adobe PDF files or Amazon Kindle books on a Microsoft Reader; you can use Kindle for Web to read a Kindle ebook on your computer or install a Kindle app to read a Kindle book on Windows Mobile. Microsoft Reader ebooks are formatted with ClearType for LCD screens instead of e-ink screens, which is what dedicated e-readers such as the Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, and Kobo eReader use. A .lit file should look clean and easy to read on a computer screen.
Where to Buy Microsoft Reader eBooks
Microsoft has a lot of titles listed in the Microsoft Reader ebookstore, but if you click on a book to purchase it you usually get an error message saying, "Book Details: Sorry, the item you're searching for was not found in our database." It is easier to locate and download books from online retailers that carry a lot of digital book formats, because .lit is not as popular as one of the more universal formats, such as EPUB.
Powell's Books has a section of their regular online bookstore that sorts electronic books by type. The Powell's Books Microsoft Reader ebook store has one of the largest collections of .lit ebooks that you can buy and download.
The friendly, personable CyberRead bookstore has ebooks in several formats, and you can download "MS Reader" ebooks. CyberRead is continuing to support .lit ebooks even though their "Get Software" page admits that "After a strong start a decade ago, Microsoft has sort of abandoned this platform."
The Diesel eBook Store carries a lot of .lit books, and one nice feature about Diesel is that you can bundle ebooks and get a little bit of a discount on buying multiple books. Diesel calls .lit books "M-Soft," so look for that format when you are purchasing and downloading ebooks.
If you have an old PDA collecting dust, you can restore it to a new mission learning how to make a Pocket PC into a .lit ebook reader. You may have to install some upgrades to make an old Compaq iPaq work as a .lit ereader, but software such as Calibre can convert EPUB files into different formats, including .lit. Even if Microsoft's ebookstore is not supporting ebook downloads, plenty of people who use Microsoft Reader are dedicated to keeping the format alive.
Sources
Microsoft Reader's ebookstore message errors were noted after repeated attempts to access books on February 5, 2011 and February 6, 2011. Powell's Books, CyberRead, and Diesel were accessed on February 6, 2011.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
