Quote:
Originally Posted by rlauzon
PDF is not an eBook format. It does not support reflowing text. It is a page layout format. Meaning that a PDF is intended to be an electronic version of the paper product (with the page size, margins, etc. thereof).
The problem is that if a PDF is formatted for A4 paper, it will be unreadable on most eBook devices - because the device is probably not A4 size. eBook readers are usually smaller - much smaller.
As an eBook format, PDF is worthless. Right now, unfortunately, it's the best we have. But it's not something that we should be pushing forward.
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I've read these arguments here before I posted and I agree with you somewhat. I'm not advocating that PDF be used as an ebook standard, but that still doesn't change the fact that PDF is a wide-spread format that many texts are in. A lot of people who are not ebook geeks are bound to have a large collection of PDF files and device vendors should be working to capture this larger market. Have you noticed that quite a few people post here ask about PDF support?
The ebook device vendors are missing the boat in these regards and I disagree with you that this is way off base. The only reason an A4 PDF file is unreadable on a current device is because the vendor didn't design the device to support it properly. My laptop screen isn't A4 size either. At this point you'll have to ask yourself why iRiver announced it is creating an ebook reading device that utilizes Adobe Reader LE as mentioned here
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9398. If I were a device vendor, why should I wait around for a standard that would be several years off when I could sell devices now? I guess that is the point of the obscure formats like BBeB, but then you're limiting yourself to a smaller market.
Incidently, I find your comment about PDF intending to be an electronic version of a paper product humerous. Isn't that a definition of an ebook?