Roboreader

Applications you find over the web are meant to enhance, if not completely replace some utilities that Windows comes with, but provide little variety of features or flexibility. For instance, viewing pictures might not be a sophisticated activity, or requiring too much interaction, but Roboreader is sure to convince you image viewing can greatly be enhanced.

The setup process is finished in a few seconds. When the application runs, a pretty compact main window appears, that doesn’t look like anything you’re used to, but rather like a Windows gadget. This doesn’t make accommodation difficult, because tooltips are displayed when hovering the mouse over the main window, letting you know what’s to be done.

You can set the application to be your default picture viewing utility, which is only one of the ways you can load files. Another method is to simply drag them over the main window, or use the default hotkey to open up the browsing dialog. File support is neat, with formats like JPG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, ICO, ZIP, RAR, CBZ, CBR, and more being up for selection.

Once you load a picture, it’s shown in a neat interface that displays nothing more than the image itself, and a small border. You can zoom in and out, move the picture around your desktop, and even perform some basic operations like rotating or flipping.

A small button covers the rest of the screen with a black filter for an overall enhanced experience. Controls are simple, either via mouse and keyboard. The target folder is considered the library, so you’re free to scroll through all pictures, with loading time being close to zero. Moreover, you can initiate a slideshow for even less effort.

Bottom line is that even small activities or those that might seem irrelevant can be upgraded, or at least have navigation and practicality enhanced, just like Roboreader does with the default Windows Photo Viewer. It uses little resources and is sure to make browsing through your collection of pictures a bit more fun.