The Final Version of Fiction Book Reader 8.1 Is Heading to the Store

A universal app

Today a very important stage in the life of Fiction Book Reader came to an end: merging the two readers for Windows Phone and Windows into one universal app.

So the store now offers just one version of the reader. There will be no more Lite versions. Instead, there will be an unlimited trial.

What's new in version 8.1?

1. The user interface has been completely rewritten. It is now virtually the same on Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.
2. There will be no more built-in access to OneDrive and Dropbox. Instead, the app can now use the file providers installed on your phone. At the moment, OneDrive is one of them. I think others will follow. For now, you can open files from OneDrive, the phone itself and an SD card (if you have one).
3. You can now customize themes for the reading page. You can even pick a background image for the text.
4. There is now a fairly realistic 3D page-turning animation.
5. The OPDS catalog browser has been improved.
6. The Windows 8.1 version now has a download queue.
7. The app settings have been reworked.

How much does the app cost?

The app costs $1.99.

Buy the app on Windows Phone 8.1 and you get it for Windows 8.1 for free, and vice versa.

What are the limitations of the trial?

In the trial you can't work with text, use search, download more than 10 books at once, or use the synchronization service (subscription-based).

What is and isn't included in the price?

The price of the app doesn't include a subscription to the synchronization service. This service lets you sync your library with the cloud. Once you buy a subscription on one of your devices, you can use the synchronization service on any number of your devices. A subscription is sold for a year or for six months.

Why do I need the synchronization service?

The synchronization service is optional. In other words, you don't have to buy it at all.

Still, it lets you sync your book list, reading position, notes with your comments, bookmarks and book categories across devices.

What do I get from the synchronization service if I only have one device?

If you use only one Windows device, the synchronization service acts as an automatic backup for you. That is, if you lose your device or reset it to factory settings, you can easily restore your library to the state of the last sync.