Why ePub rather than HTML?

Robotech_Master · 03-22-2009, 04:43 PM

Not my question, but one that I found interesting enough to link over here in the possibility it might attract answers from expert people:

http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/22/w...stead-of-epub/

JSWolf · 03-22-2009, 04:46 PM

I can see one very good reason to have ePub instead of HTML. ePub defines a way to keep all the pieces together. HTML can have them all over the place and it would be very easy to lose something. But because ePub is all in a single container, all the bits of the ePub are kept together without the risk of losing something.

tompe · 03-22-2009, 04:46 PM

As a source format or as a final format for the reader? For a source format you want more information and for a final format you want to be able to have just one file.

pepak · 03-22-2009, 04:58 PM

For source, I prefer HTML.

For destination, I can see myself using EPUB, if/when Sony provides a firmware that doesn't crash too often, is fast and isn't plagued by bugs.

JSWolf · 03-22-2009, 05:21 PM

I've not had ePub crash at all on my 505.

cerement · 03-22-2009, 10:25 PM

The biggest reason for the failure of HTML would require a full explanation of the concepts of "semantic markup" and "structural markup" (as well as discovering along the way why XHTML isn't much better, and why DTBook is a better choice for ePubs).

After that, you could branch out into the rest of the ebook format wars, why ePub is just the most recent buzzword in the eBabel marketplace, as well as corporate influences (like Amazon giving the appearance of killing of MobiPocket) ... should keep the conversation alive for a few days ... or weeks ...

pepak · 03-23-2009, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've not had ePub crash at all on my 505.

I have, many times. Much less stable than LRF with my books.

Valloric · 03-23-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepak

I have, many times. Much less stable than LRF with my books.

This is not the format's fault! It's Adobe's mobile version of Digital Editions that runs on the Sony Reader.

So give blame where blame is due.

[I'm just sayin'... I've personally never had mobile DE crash on me, and aside from the annoying margin page numbers, I find it rather pleasant]

pepak · 03-23-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valloric

This is not the format's fault!

That's rather redundant. If LRF kept crashing on me every three minutes, it almost certainly wouldn't be the format's fault either.

Quote:

It's Adobe's mobile version of Digital Editions that runs on the Sony Reader.

So give blame where blame is due.

The blame actually resides with Sony - it is Sony's responsibility to provide a reliable software for their reader. They don't have to write it all by themselves, but they are responsible even for third-party products they buy and use. I, the consumer, don't need to consider inner workings of Sony - I just want a stable product.

It's much like with any other products: If I buy a rotten beef from my local store, it is the store's responsibility; they can't get rid of it by telling me, "we buy beef from farm X. Go there and complain, we have nothing to do with it".

astra · 03-27-2009, 07:25 AM

I don't use epub at all. Probably on 700 it is a good alternative, but unacceptable on 505.

Student1 · 03-28-2009, 11:05 PM

Why is that? I use epup on 505, and for most of the google books its perfect! Fast and no crashes... conversions to epup are another story...

astra · 03-30-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Student1

Fast

Is it?
I have found out the opposite.
Going to TOC is a chore with spinning arrows. Changing font size sometimes is slow too.
Page count is a frustration in comparison to LRF, although a lot better than progress bar on other readers.

LRF is just working. The perfect page counting system. The best speed of turning pages or accessing TOC or changing font size.

I see no reason why to give up on it and use epub instead.

JSWolf · 03-30-2009, 10:54 AM

ePub allows you to use whatever fonts you want and you can put the fonts on the Reader without having to embed in each ePub.

astra · 03-30-2009, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

ePub allows you to use whatever fonts you want and you can put the fonts on the Reader without having to embed in each ePub.

It allows me to use different fonts without actually embedding the fonts? How will it know what fonts to use? Is there s/w feature that allows me to choose a font when I read a certain epub?

Quote:

you can put the fonts on the Reader

Do you mean there is an official, supported by Sony, guide how to do it?

gwynevans · 03-30-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

It allows me to use different fonts without actually embedding the fonts? How will it know what fonts to use? Is there s/w feature that allows me to choose a font when I read a certain epub?

See this post for details, but it's done by having the CSS in the epub book point off to a font on the Reader's local disk. As the epub is fundamentally just a zip file & the CSS file a text file, it doesn't require many tools (and even fewer if you use Calibre to do the conversion.)

If you point it to a folder below "/Data/", you're pointing it to the part of the disk that it exports as the USB drive, so you can create a 'fonts' folder (alongside the 'database' folder we're familiar with) and use something like "/Data/fonts/my-font.ttf".

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Do you mean there is an official, supported by Sony, guide how to do it?

Not as such, but this is a 'per-book' thing, rather than an 'across-reader' solution.

03-22-2009, 04:43 PM	#1
Robotech_Master Fanatic Posts: 514 Karma: 2954711 Join Date: May 2006	Why ePub rather than HTML? Not my question, but one that I found interesting enough to link over here in the possibility it might attract answers from expert people: http://www.teleread.org/2009/03/22/w...stead-of-epub/

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03-22-2009, 04:46 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,974 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I can see one very good reason to have ePub instead of HTML. ePub defines a way to keep all the pieces together. HTML can have them all over the place and it would be very easy to lose something. But because ePub is all in a single container, all the bits of the ePub are kept together without the risk of losing something.

03-22-2009, 04:46 PM	#3
tompe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,452 Karma: 7185064 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Linköpng, Sweden Device: Kindle Voyage, Nexus 5, Kindle PW	As a source format or as a final format for the reader? For a source format you want more information and for a final format you want to be able to have just one file.

03-22-2009, 04:58 PM	#4
pepak Guru Posts: 610 Karma: 4150 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T3, Kobo Libra H2O	For source, I prefer HTML. For destination, I can see myself using EPUB, if/when Sony provides a firmware that doesn't crash too often, is fast and isn't plagued by bugs.

03-22-2009, 05:21 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,974 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've not had ePub crash at all on my 505.

03-22-2009, 10:25 PM	#6
cerement Groupie Posts: 170 Karma: 2000 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: San José, CA Device: Amazon Kindle 1, Sony PRS-300, Amazon Kindle 3	The biggest reason for the failure of HTML would require a full explanation of the concepts of "semantic markup" and "structural markup" (as well as discovering along the way why XHTML isn't much better, and why DTBook is a better choice for ePubs). After that, you could branch out into the rest of the ebook format wars, why ePub is just the most recent buzzword in the eBabel marketplace, as well as corporate influences (like Amazon giving the appearance of killing of MobiPocket) ... should keep the conversation alive for a few days ... or weeks ...

03-27-2009, 07:25 AM	#10
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	I don't use epub at all. Probably on 700 it is a good alternative, but unacceptable on 505.

03-28-2009, 11:05 PM	#11
Student1 Groupie Posts: 159 Karma: 170 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: PRS-505	Why is that? I use epup on 505, and for most of the google books its perfect! Fast and no crashes... conversions to epup are another story...

03-30-2009, 10:54 AM	#13
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,974 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	ePub allows you to use whatever fonts you want and you can put the fonts on the Reader without having to embed in each ePub.

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