Linking to a website

[Rivka]

I would like to build a web site mainly as a reference that is linked from the e-book for more detailed information, videos, audio, pdf, graphics but I don't know if any of the readers would support viewing all of it. Epub seems to do ok with the Html5 but I don't know that the readers will. Has anyone tried this?

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by Rivka

I would like to build a web site mainly as a reference that is linked from the e-book for more detailed information, videos, audio, pdf, graphics but I don't know if any of the readers would support viewing all of it. Epub seems to do ok with the Html5 but I don't know that the readers will. Has anyone tried this?

Most e-readers don't have web browsers that connect to the ebooks. While a few have internet access (the Kindle has a basic browser, and I understand the Nook has something, although I'm blurry about whether it's an in-store-only feature), none of the dedicated ebook readers allow web-hopping from inside an ebook--the ebook program and internet program don't connect. For the Kindle, web access is very limited; not quite text only but close--no java, very limited CSS support.

Tablet readers like the Nook Color or iPad might allow links from inside an ebook, but e-ink readers aren't likely to get that ability; the limitations of the display screen make it not worth developing. And even for tablet readers, they're likely to encourage a single-book app rather than make the browser software easily accessible from inside epub or mobi ebooks.

And a lot of us have ebook readers with no web access whatsoever, or do a lot of reading with the wifi turned off to save battery life. You can't count on an ebook being able to connect to the internet.