Read web pages more easily with free software

The internet is perfect for short attention spans, with websites positively encouraging visitors to click here, there and everywhere. But what happens if there is an article that really demands attention? It can be hard to block out all that ‘noise’, and that is where Readpal comes in. It is a free tool that turns any website into a text-only tome, allowing visitors to read with no distractions.

Step 1
Launch a web browser and visit www.readpal.com. When the page loads, click the large orange Get Readpal Now button and follow the instructions to download the software. Navigate to where the program has been downloaded and double-click the icon to start the installation. Then follow the wizard, accepting the licence agreement and all of the defaults, then click Finish at the end. Click through the two screen tips and click Finish again to complete the installation.

Step 2
Readpal displays a message above the Notification Area to say it has been installed properly and is ready to use. Let’s have a look at how it works. Restart your web browser, visit the Computeractive website and find an article to read. When the page loads, notice the Readpal button that is positioned at the top right of the screen. Find some text you want to read, click on any part of it and click the Readpal button.

Step 3
By default, Readpal displays text as a single column in a large sans serif font (that is one without any flourishes at the ends of each character) coloured grey on a black background. However, there are various alternative views arranged as buttons along the top of the viewer window. Here, for instance, we have switched to Double view, which displays the text in two columns. Navigate by rolling the mouse wheel up and down, or dragging the orange dot in the centre up and down.