Adobe Digital Editions vs AlfaReader

2022. Alfareader adds highlited annotations and notes



Alfa.NetSoft has released the new version of their reading app for Windows - Alfareader. The software was fully revamped and redesigned. It's home page now provides Google-like search with attractive bookshelf of recently read books. You can now adjust not only reading template, but also the theme of the main interface. The new timeline tool allows quickly navigate inside book. Moreover, Alfareader now provides tools to save and manage knowledge-blocks. You can easily annotate/highlight text and save the citate to Highlights panel. You can also add own notes/comments to these citates. Besides, Alfareader has a separate section where you can read and manage highlighted notes from all your books.


2017. Older versions of Adobe Digital Editions are no longer compatible with Overdrive



Ebook catalog software Adobe Digital Editions allows you to transfer e-books borrowed from the library or another bookstore to your e-reader, smartphone, or tablet. Many users have been encountering numerous errors recently with older versions of Digital Editions. In recent months, Google Play, Overdrive and various other online retailers have updated their Adobe Content Server, causing compatibility issues for those using outdated versions of Adobe Digital Editions. If you use this software, it’s advisable to upgrade to version 4.5, which appears to function correctly at present.


2016. Adobe Digital Edition patches critial security flaws



Adobe Digital Editions, the software for acquiring, managing and reading e-books, like other Adobe products, attracts hackers as a means to install viruses and malware on users' computers. Recently, four critical vulnerabilities that allowed arbitrary code execution were discovered in the software. These flaws enable unauthorized code execution. Considering that the software connects to the Internet to update and acquire books, this poses a significant risk to your computer. Adobe is now releasing a security update to address these issues. Please update urgently if you use Adobe Digital Editions to manage your e-books.


2015. Adobe Digital Editions app for the iPad released



Adobe has launched an iPad version of its personal library organizer, Adobe Digital Editions. The app supports ePUB, including ePUB3, as well as PDF formats. The app has a utilitarian design, as Adobe has not made significant efforts to showcase the app’s capabilities in an exciting manner. Once installed, users will find a straightforward guide to reading ePUBs and PDFs. Adobe is not unique in its lackluster presentation of its own eBook products. Apple’s iBooks in the iBooks Store rarely leverage iBooks Author effectively, indicating that the company’s own publishing tools may not be fully developed. Adobe Digital Editions will be useful for readers who want to access eBooks from their local library.


2014. Adobe’s e-book reader tracks readers’ data



According to an Ars report, Adobe Digital Editions, the e-book and PDF reader utilized by thousands of libraries, provides users access to electronic lending libraries—actively records and reports every document readers add to their local “library” along with their activities with those files. Even more concerning, these logs are transmitted over the Internet in plaintext, enabling anyone who can monitor network traffic (such as the National Security Agency, Internet service providers, cable companies, or others sharing a public Wi-Fi network) to track readers’ activities.


2014. Adobe Digital Editions 3.0 promises better DRM, layout support



Adobe has launched the new version of its library management software, Adobe Digital Editions 3.0, for Windows and Mac. The key new feature is the updated DRM Scheme, which Adobe claims has been “hardened and fortified” to prevent unauthorized access to files protected by Digital Rights Management. Version 3.0 also introduces search enhancements for navigating PDF files, allowing users to search for text within a specific range. There’s improved support for vertical layout and orientation, achieved by incorporating limited support for the “epub-text-orientation” CSS property. Four of the property’s six values – mixed, upright, sideways-right and sideways – are now available in Adobe Digital Editions. Additionally, the software now accurately aligns special characters that function as both full- and half-width. Adobe Digital Editions 3.0 is available now as a free download for Windows and Mac. Users will need an Adobe ID to sign in and authorize the computer as a supported device for reading protected eBook files.


2014. Adobe Digital Editions 2.0 adds accessibility support



Adobe has released Adobe Digital Editions 2.0, its free application for managing ebooks on a PC or Mac. It now features accessibility support for the first time and incorporates the latest mobile reader technology for syncing ebooks between computers and mobile devices. The major update in Adobe Digital Editions 2.0 is its enhanced accessibility features, making ebooks easier to read. These include support for high-contrast screens and assistive software such as Window-Eyes (Windows), VoiceOver (Mac), JAWS and NVDA. Version 2.0 also includes the latest mobile reader technology like Vendor ID, Bookseller ID and Japanese text, allowing users to log in using Vendor or Bookseller IDs (such as Google or Barnes & Noble) to read content purchased from these vendors. Adobe Digital Editions 2.0 is a free download for PCs and Macs. A compatible EPUB-capable eBook Reader is required to transfer book purchases using the program – a complete list of compatible devices can be found here.


2013. AlfaReader - new cool PDF/EPUB reading app for Windows PC



The creators of the popular ebook management software Alfa eBooks Manager have developed a new ebook reading application for desktop PCs - AlfaReader. It's promoted as a lightweight and speedy ebook reader, perfect for reading electronic magazines, educational textbooks, medical, scientific, technical books and illustrated children's books. It supports PDF, EPUB and TXT formats and allows users to create an attractive virtual bookshelf, set bookmarks and view ebook metadata. AlfaReader offers various e-reader templates, including a realistic virtual book with page-flipping effects. What we find most appealing is its EPUB reader, which enables users to split a book into pages, bookmark pages and view zoomed images. AlfaReader is completely free, making it a great option for those who prefer reading books on a desktop.