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Old 12-07-2009, 07:57 PM   #8
thename
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thename has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.thename has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.thename has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.thename has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.
 
Posts: 106
Karma: 396
Join Date: Jul 2009
Device: Sony PRS-650, Sony PRS-700, Kindle 2
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
Perhaps because they feel that a well-formatted version is worth paying for? Yes, PG is very good as a source of books, but at the very least it takes, say, half an hour's work to convert a PG book into an acceptable ePub pub. Add many, many hours more to that it you proof-read it and correct the numerous errors that are common in PG books.

Some people may prefer to pay someone else to do all that for them, don't you think?
You're right, of course. And yes, it is a matter of priorities, I would say. I've never had much of an issue with PG's books. The occasional typo? Sure. But layout issues that made me unable to read them? I'm staring at the aforementioned book downloaded as a MOBI with images and an EPUB without. They don't look even 1/4 bad on my PRS-700. Far better than most PDFs books out there.

Now, I love my Tschichold and Bringhurst and will geek out over a beautifully designed book. But would I rather pay $10 for a possibly, maybe better laid-out edition of a public domain book that I will read on a 6" e-ink screen behind a slightly reflective touchscreen instead of a perfectly acceptable version converted from a raw text file? Nope. I'll take the free one any time.

Now, back to my FeedBooks edition of Nyarlathotep.
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