Set up a laptop as an e-reader

Update: I appreciate the responses so far. I have found that I can make a shortcut that performs the action I want, but I'd still like a nice big tile that has the image I want and performs the function, so I'm leaving this thread open for awhile. I'll add to my initial information that the publications I want to read are flipbooks served by the publisher, not any sort of content that can be downloaded and kept on the device.

----original post----

I have converted several of my subscriptions to digital. I used to read these publications in the evening in my lounge chair and I'd like to resume that habit.

Concurrently, I upgraded my travel laptop to a fantastic Dell 7470 (retired from its first job elsewhere) which has a touch screen and fantastic resolution.

It occurred to me that I can meld these. I have avoided the Windows 10 Tile interface to date and have no idea how to use it.

So, what is a good way for me to learn about using the interface, now that most of the sites have taken down their basic introductory tutorials, and what hints would you have for me? I'm thinking I'd just stick each web link in a tile, so it could be clicked on and there would be the publication. The web sites allow me to stay signed in.

I would love to have any advice you can share.

To be crea you want to keep a list of website link in one place what browser are you using

Going by the Title: "Set up a laptop as an e-reader" The Best Free Ebook Reader 2021 Just use any one of them to setup your system as a E-Reader. Simple enough.

Edwin said:

Are you able to download your subscriptions as .epub or .mobi files?

If so, install Calibre e-book management, (one of the best free e-reader softwares), then you can read any time, connection or no connection.

Thanks Edwin. But that app is in my link.

Hmm. There is a BIG difference between an e-book reader and a web-based magazine subscription service. I would assume that you are talking about magazines here and not things like Kindle Unlimited. An e-book is usually in a few different formats such as .awz .mobi .epub etc. and is just black and white text and simple illustrations. Calibre is your answer for that.
Magazines usually come out as PDFs which I use Foxit PDF for as you can go full screen to get the best reading experience. Other sites use their own proprietary screen apps to show the contents. so far tho, I have NOT found a suitable tablet or laptop that can do a magazine or large format textbook or comic justice and still get the paper versions.

Judy, Flipbook, eNewspaper, etc are ways to use a web page to show a digital copy of the actual newspaper or magazine rather than the CRON site (for the Houston Chronicle that is what it is called) where it has hyperlinks to stories. I am assuming that is the case here. An Example:




You are mentioning start menu and tiles, to use as shortcuts to open the websites you are looking at. It sounds like you are trying to access WEB-based sites i.e using a BROWSER like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox to view the contents.
First, IF you ARE using a browser to access the sites, you only need to create a bookmark for the site and enable a bookmark bar at the top of the browser to instantly go to the site. This is basic stuff if I am reading your post correctly and an Internet Browser for Dummies book would be very useful to you. Sorry if I am making basic Windows usage comments but I am not getting "tech-savvy" vibes from your posts, heh.

If you have a library card for the Houston area, you would be surprised to find that they often have ways of freely reading local papers online. for instance, I have The New Yorker free for me to borrow online from my library so no subscription needed:


See if you can find a relative or friend to help you set up this stuff as it is too hard for me to step you through basic stuff here on this site. Good luck!

Thanks for the feedback. Since I have no idea what a flipbook is, I will not be able to help....