Microsoft details Read Mode in Word 2013, turns your docs into interactive digital magazines

In a new Office Next blog post, Microsoft details a new feature that is seen in the upcoming Office 2013 suite. More specifically, this new feature is called Read Mode and is available in Word 2013. Read Mode turns your Word documents into an interactive digital magazine.

“When you open a document in Read Mode, you’ll immediately notice that we’ve minimized the application UI as much as possible. When you read, the UI can be a distraction. Our goal was to eliminate distractions so the content had your full attention,” Microsoft explained in an official blog post. Microsoft created this new layout to allow users to work optimally, even when the window is resized or viewed on a different device. Navigating through a document in Read Mode is simple, just pan right or left or use your keyboard up/down or left/right buttons. Microsoft included several tools to assist users without having to leave Word. Word 2013 now allows you to quickly look up words in the dictionary, quickly translate text into the language of your choice, and search on Bing. Microsoft is also including a simplified view of revisions called Simple Markup, which pretty much uses hints to show you where comments are placed in your Word document. “We designed Read Mode from the ground up with the unique aspects of reading in mind. Just as Word already helps people create and share information, the new Word makes consuming those documents on any screen a great experience,” Microsoft adds. If you haven’t already, grab the Office 2013 Customer Preview and try out this feature!