Microsoft Announces Publishing Tools for Ebook Reader

Posted on September 28, 2001

Microsoft Corp. has announced the release of two new publishing tools focused on ebooks. The Dictionary Authoring Kit (DAK) 1.0 enables publishers to produce Microsoft Reader-compatible dictionaries or reference guides in multiple languages. An updated creation tool for consumers, called Read in Microsoft Reader (RMR) 1.1, lets Microsoft Word 2000 and Word 2002 users create and publish their own Microsoft Reader ebook content. Both tools are scheduled to be available at the time of the release of Microsoft Reader 2.0 in early October.

The RMR 1.1 tool includes a new Convert to Microsoft Reader Formatting feature that automatically removes formatting in Word (such as some font sizes and line heights) that conflicts with Microsoft Reader. The update also includes a new way to publish custom cover graphics for ebooks, giving them a more professional look. Improved graphics support allows any image included in a Word document to be transferred to the ebook. The RMR add-in can also generate a table of contents in an ebook from a table of contents in a Word document.

``This add-in is about simplicity: making it as easy as possible for anyone to create fun, interesting eBooks,'' said Dick Brass, vice president of Technology Development at Microsoft. ``If you can create a Word document, you can create an ebook.''

Installing the tool automatically adds a new Read button to the toolbar of the user's Microsoft Word program. Clicking on the button will create an ebook file (.LIT) that can be sent directly to Microsoft Reader's built-in library.

A Microsoft Reader dictionary is a specialized ebook that allows users to look up word meanings. Now users can download more than one dictionary and simply select between them at Lookup time. The Dictionary Authoring Kit is a collection of tools, data files, documentation, the build engine, and sample files and projects used by publishers to create dictionaries. DAK 1.0 supports one-way dictionaries (such as English to English or German to English dictionaries) for English (U.S.), German, Spanish, French and Italian languages.

``Publishers are excited about this new convenience for creating reference materials, but people who read eBooks are really the winners here,'' said Dick Brass. ``The possibilities are limitless, from travel guide references to wine and cooking references to character guides. A student studying literature, for example, might be able to toggle from a modern dictionary to an Old English dictionary, a thesaurus and a guide to Latin phrases. It's a powerful new option that will make ebooks more attractive.''