The general rollout of the Windows 10 Creators Update for PCs is just around the corner, but if you're eager to try out the upgrade, you can do so right now through the Media Creation tool, or via Microsoft's Update Assistant.
The Windows 10 Creators Update for PCs packs a lot of new features and improvements, such as refinements to Windows Ink, Night Light, and app folders on the Start Menu, among other things. Another interesting feature in the update is the ability to download e-books directly from the Windows Store and read them via Microsoft Edge. In this piece, we'll walk you through the procedure required to download and read e-books from the Windows Store.
Step 1: Search for an e-book
There are numerous ways through which you can download e-books in Windows 10. The most direct path is visiting the Windows Store and using the search bar to check if the title you want is available. If your search item returns a lot of results, you can filter them via the options available in the top left corner. When you find your desired title, click on it to open its respective Store page.
If you're not looking for a specific e-book, and would rather just read any title you find interesting, there's a "Books" tab in the top-most pane in the Windows Store as well. Clicking on it will open a dedicated page, where you'll be able to see lots of books, categorized in different collections and genres, such as "Dystopian fiction", "Kids' favorites", and others.
A relatively indirect path to search for e-books is through Microsoft Edge. When you open the browser, click on the three horizontal lines on the top right, and then click on the books icon. At the bottom, you'll see an option "Shop for Books", which will take you to the Windows Store, where you can search for e-books.
Step 2: Download the e-book
Now that you've found the e-book you want to read, you can either click on the "Buy" (if it's a paid title) or "Get" (if it's a free book in the public domain) options to download the book to your device. If it's the former, you'll need to add a payment method to purchase the book. It is important to note that the listed price is exclusive of taxes, which will be charged after you purchase the e-book.
You'll also be able to view details regarding e-books on the bottom of their respective Store pages, including publisher and seller names, genre, number of pages, publication date, and file size. It is worth noting that you can download the e-book on up to six devices and that the content is DRM protected, which means that you can only read it via Microsoft Edge.
Step 3: Accessing your e-book
Once you have purchased your e-book, you have two paths to access it. The most straightforward one is to open Microsoft Edge, click on the three horizontal lines, and then the books icon, where you'll be able to see all e-books that you have bought from the Windows Store. You can click on the book's cover to begin downloading it.
Another indirect method to access your purchase is to open its respective Windows Store page and click on the "Read" option, which will open it in Microsoft Edge.
Step 4: Personalizing your reading experience
Once you've opened your e-book in Microsoft Edge, you can either start reading it, or you can tweak settings to personalize your reading experience. This can be done by accessing the options in the pane directly above your e-book.
Through these options, you can change the font size and style. Additionally, you can also switch themes to Sepia or Dark. If you'd rather multitask on your PC, you can also have Microsoft Edge read the book aloud to you, with the narrator's voice and reading speed being able to be tweaked as well. Other options include adding and viewing bookmarks, seeing the table of contents, and searching for specific items in the e-book.
That's it!
As can be seen, downloading an e-book from the Windows Store and reading it is quite a straightforward procedure. Although the personalization settings are quite minimal as of now, it's likely that the reading experience will improve over time.
Check out the comprehensive overview of all the major features available in the Windows 10 Creators Update here.
E-books in the Windows Store are currently available for US customers only.
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