Need opinion on K3 for use with epub exclusively

cfrock · 01-11-2011, 11:12 PM

My Nook crapped out on me; though it was a great reader while it lasted.

I bought and returned the Nook Color since I found reading on e-ink is better for me personally. So here's my situation.. my e-library is all epub (drm free, after I paid for my books) and really only want an e-reader but would love the better screen and better battery of K3. My question is for those with experience with K3 and epubs.. I know I can use Calibre or Duokan but.. how is it in practice? Is there formatting issues?

Thanks in advance.

Corran006 · 01-12-2011, 12:06 AM

Not many formatting issues at all; there is now a choice to ignore margins with Caliber. I am told this works very good , but I am using an old version using the below command. if you go under Convert options and under the look and feel tab enter this in the box, and I found it works 99% of the time.

body, p, div, .calibre1, .calibre2, .calibre3, .calibre4, .calibre5, .calibre6, .calibre7 {
margin-left: 0;
margin-right: 0;
}

CWatkinsNash · 01-12-2011, 12:07 AM

I often convert epubs to mobi and I haven't come across any issues related to the conversion yet. By that, I mean that any formatting issues were present in the epub file and not a result of the conversion. I use Calibre for the conversions.

The reason I do so many conversions is because of Smashwords - their "Meat Grinder" churns out decent epubs, but the mobis offered are often lacking in metadata, cover, formatting or all of the above. So, I download the epub and do my own conversion and get much better results. And I also like to shop at B&N sometimes, so those obviously need conversion.

There are format differences that could affect specific files, but I haven't come across any yet.

WalkingDistance · 01-12-2011, 12:23 AM

Personally I haven't had any problems with conversions from epub to mobi. The formatting seems to be retained.

Correct me if I'm wrong but currently in the market there's no e-reader out there that beats kindle 3 in screen quality (e-ink pearl) and battery life (~10-30 days).

But look at the "News" Section in the forums. I read of some cool new e-readers that may come out in the future. Maybe you could consider waiting for those devices? In that case, it depends on when you want your e-reader (now or in a couple of months).

Bookworm_Girl · 01-12-2011, 12:36 AM

Hi, cfrock. The new Sony readers have the e-ink pearl screen, excellent battery life and read EPUB files so you wouldn't have to convert your library to MOBI files. You might want to evaluate the Sony models as another option.

On the other hand, I have not had any issues with conversions from EPUB to MOBI to use on my Kindle. I then use calibre to transfer my books to my K3. It is very easy to use, and there is a whole section of MobileRead dedicated to calibre so there are lots of people to help you if you run into problems. I also like that the Kindle has an email address, and I can email files to it.

If you are used to the Nook integrated wireless bookstore experience, then Kindle might be a better option. The 5" and 6" Sony readers don't have wireless requiring books to be sideloaded via USB cable. The 7" Sony PRS-950 has both Wi-fi and 3G.

JeremyR · 01-12-2011, 12:55 AM

There were problems with Calibre converting epub to mobi, but now they are fixed with that ignore margins setting.

Indeed, I usually get epub versions of books and convert to mobi, as most places offer poorly formatted mobi versions. (Even amazon, sadly, I often have to convert to epub, edit with sigil, then convert back...)

HarryT · 01-12-2011, 02:37 AM

If your library is exclusively ePub, and you want a device with a Pearl screen, it would make a lot more sense to get a Sony Reader rather than a Kindle. Yes, you can convert your books, but unless you have a particular urge to buy a Kindle, why not get a device that can read the format that you actually have? Both the Kindle and the Sony are great readers - I'm sure you'd be happy with either.

TheKindleWorm · 01-12-2011, 03:40 AM

Hi OP and welcome to mobileread

I've converted many drm-free epubs to mobi with very few issues. Why don't you try converting some of the books you have in Calibre to see how they look. You can view them in Calibre as well to check the formatting.

I'd make a choice after testing it first.

Grensgeval · 01-12-2011, 07:14 AM

My library was/is in epub and needing a new reader, I found the K3 was the superior choice *except* for its lack of epub support.

Because of that, I did a lot of testing with Calibre and found very few problems with its conversions.

So I was happy to purchase the Kindle and read my converted epubs on it. After only a few days now, I certainly don't regret the choice. It's a beautiful little device and my books don't seem to mind they find themselves in .mobi all of a sudden.

Of course, I've kept all original epubs, just in case.

cybmole · 01-12-2011, 07:47 AM

i find .epub & K3, with freeware calibre & sigil tools to be a great combo.

start with .epub - use sigil to remove any annoying crap - like trailers / adverts for other books, copyright pages, author bios, other books by..., indexes which reference page numbers... long rambling acknowledgments etc etc- to taste.

Then convert to mobi, grab good quality metadata / cover art if needed , and copy to K3 via USB ( all of that with calibre )

the same tools will also fix up TOC if needed - handy for K3 as the left / right button then gives previous / next chapter.

you can also, if obsessive, repair typos in the epub and reconvert - there's no way to do that with a purchased .mobi copy. there's another freeware tool called microspell that will work with sigil.

mikeayers · 01-12-2011, 08:33 AM

I've have my K3 about 6 week and have just downloaded free books from the internet then use calibre to put them on the kindle. to me it very easy and have not found any issues in converting epub to the kindle.

abookreader · 01-12-2011, 08:58 AM

I very rarely notice any formatting issues when I put original ePub but now Mobi books onto my Kindle. A very high percentage of my books are just popular fiction though, very few special formatting instances beyond some italicized words here and there.

When I do see something off and then I go back to look at the original ePub file, I almost always see that the bad formatting is part of the original file.

cfrock · 01-12-2011, 09:14 AM

Thank you all very much for the suggestions; they are very helpful.
I'm going to take a look at the Sony readers and look to download Calibre and play with it and my current library. However, due to the info presented, I believe a K3 may be in my future.
Thanks all.

DiapDealer · 01-12-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

If your library is exclusively ePub, and you want a device with a Pearl screen, it would make a lot more sense to get a Sony Reader rather than a Kindle. Yes, you can convert your books, but unless you have a particular urge to buy a Kindle, why not get a device that can read the format that you actually have? Both the Kindle and the Sony are great readers - I'm sure you'd be happy with either.

I agree whole-heartedly with Harry, here. I'm a happy Kindle owner, but if your library is all epub, and you're used to epub... why reinvent the wheel? Get an ereader that will be natively compatible with the ebooks you own.

cybmole · 01-12-2011, 10:41 AM

but with calibre installed it's So easy to convert -

put all your .epubs into calibre library, plug in your kindle, select send to device...then eject kindle, start reading - calibre will even offer to auto-convert for you - on the fly.

you don't need to know anything about the underlying book formats, really.

kindle is much cheaper than a sony 605 with the same 6 inch screen & has wi-fi & thus web browsing built in.

only get sony if you like touch screen and/or if you like sony's awful pc software interface.

01-11-2011, 11:12 PM	#1
cfrock Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 1840 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook STR & K3	Need opinion on K3 for use with epub exclusively My Nook crapped out on me; though it was a great reader while it lasted. I bought and returned the Nook Color since I found reading on e-ink is better for me personally. So here's my situation.. my e-library is all epub (drm free, after I paid for my books) and really only want an e-reader but would love the better screen and better battery of K3. My question is for those with experience with K3 and epubs.. I know I can use Calibre or Duokan but.. how is it in practice? Is there formatting issues? Thanks in advance.

01-12-2011, 03:40 AM	#8
TheKindleWorm Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 177868 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: East Anglia UK Device: Kindle 3G, iPhone 3G, iPod 4G, PB 360, Sony 600 sold, Kindle 2i sold	Hi OP and welcome to mobileread I've converted many drm-free epubs to mobi with very few issues. Why don't you try converting some of the books you have in Calibre to see how they look. You can view them in Calibre as well to check the formatting. I'd make a choice after testing it first. Last edited by TheKindleWorm; 01-12-2011 at 03:43 AM.

01-12-2011, 10:41 AM	#15
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	but with calibre installed it's So easy to convert - put all your .epubs into calibre library, plug in your kindle, select send to device...then eject kindle, start reading - calibre will even offer to auto-convert for you - on the fly. you don't need to know anything about the underlying book formats, really. kindle is much cheaper than a sony 605 with the same 6 inch screen & has wi-fi & thus web browsing built in. only get sony if you like touch screen and/or if you like sony's awful pc software interface. Last edited by cybmole; 01-12-2011 at 10:43 AM.

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01-12-2011, 12:06 AM	#2
Corran006 Connoisseur Posts: 68 Karma: 7080 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kindle 3	Not many formatting issues at all; there is now a choice to ignore margins with Caliber. I am told this works very good , but I am using an old version using the below command. if you go under Convert options and under the look and feel tab enter this in the box, and I found it works 99% of the time. body, p, div, .calibre1, .calibre2, .calibre3, .calibre4, .calibre5, .calibre6, .calibre7 { margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; }

01-12-2011, 12:07 AM	#3
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	I often convert epubs to mobi and I haven't come across any issues related to the conversion yet. By that, I mean that any formatting issues were present in the epub file and not a result of the conversion. I use Calibre for the conversions. The reason I do so many conversions is because of Smashwords - their "Meat Grinder" churns out decent epubs, but the mobis offered are often lacking in metadata, cover, formatting or all of the above. So, I download the epub and do my own conversion and get much better results. And I also like to shop at B&N sometimes, so those obviously need conversion. There are format differences that could affect specific files, but I haven't come across any yet.

01-12-2011, 12:23 AM	#4
WalkingDistance Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 50018 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Personally I haven't had any problems with conversions from epub to mobi. The formatting seems to be retained. Correct me if I'm wrong but currently in the market there's no e-reader out there that beats kindle 3 in screen quality (e-ink pearl) and battery life (~10-30 days). But look at the "News" Section in the forums. I read of some cool new e-readers that may come out in the future. Maybe you could consider waiting for those devices? In that case, it depends on when you want your e-reader (now or in a couple of months).

01-12-2011, 12:36 AM	#5
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Hi, cfrock. The new Sony readers have the e-ink pearl screen, excellent battery life and read EPUB files so you wouldn't have to convert your library to MOBI files. You might want to evaluate the Sony models as another option. On the other hand, I have not had any issues with conversions from EPUB to MOBI to use on my Kindle. I then use calibre to transfer my books to my K3. It is very easy to use, and there is a whole section of MobileRead dedicated to calibre so there are lots of people to help you if you run into problems. I also like that the Kindle has an email address, and I can email files to it. If you are used to the Nook integrated wireless bookstore experience, then Kindle might be a better option. The 5" and 6" Sony readers don't have wireless requiring books to be sideloaded via USB cable. The 7" Sony PRS-950 has both Wi-fi and 3G.

01-12-2011, 12:55 AM	#6
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	There were problems with Calibre converting epub to mobi, but now they are fixed with that ignore margins setting. Indeed, I usually get epub versions of books and convert to mobi, as most places offer poorly formatted mobi versions. (Even amazon, sadly, I often have to convert to epub, edit with sigil, then convert back...)

01-12-2011, 02:37 AM	#7
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	If your library is exclusively ePub, and you want a device with a Pearl screen, it would make a lot more sense to get a Sony Reader rather than a Kindle. Yes, you can convert your books, but unless you have a particular urge to buy a Kindle, why not get a device that can read the format that you actually have? Both the Kindle and the Sony are great readers - I'm sure you'd be happy with either.

01-12-2011, 07:14 AM	#9
Grensgeval Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	My library was/is in epub and needing a new reader, I found the K3 was the superior choice except for its lack of epub support. Because of that, I did a lot of testing with Calibre and found very few problems with its conversions. So I was happy to purchase the Kindle and read my converted epubs on it. After only a few days now, I certainly don't regret the choice. It's a beautiful little device and my books don't seem to mind they find themselves in .mobi all of a sudden. Of course, I've kept all original epubs, just in case.

01-12-2011, 07:47 AM	#10
cybmole Wizard Posts: 3,720 Karma: 1759970 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: none	i find .epub & K3, with freeware calibre & sigil tools to be a great combo. start with .epub - use sigil to remove any annoying crap - like trailers / adverts for other books, copyright pages, author bios, other books by..., indexes which reference page numbers... long rambling acknowledgments etc etc- to taste. Then convert to mobi, grab good quality metadata / cover art if needed , and copy to K3 via USB ( all of that with calibre ) the same tools will also fix up TOC if needed - handy for K3 as the left / right button then gives previous / next chapter. you can also, if obsessive, repair typos in the epub and reconvert - there's no way to do that with a purchased .mobi copy. there's another freeware tool called microspell that will work with sigil.

01-12-2011, 08:33 AM	#11
mikeayers Zealot Posts: 136 Karma: 432377 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Kindle PW 10thGen, Kobo Clara HD	I've have my K3 about 6 week and have just downloaded free books from the internet then use calibre to put them on the kindle. to me it very easy and have not found any issues in converting epub to the kindle.

01-12-2011, 08:58 AM	#12
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	I very rarely notice any formatting issues when I put original ePub but now Mobi books onto my Kindle. A very high percentage of my books are just popular fiction though, very few special formatting instances beyond some italicized words here and there. When I do see something off and then I go back to look at the original ePub file, I almost always see that the bad formatting is part of the original file.

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01-12-2011, 09:14 AM	#13
cfrock Enthusiast Posts: 47 Karma: 1840 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook STR & K3	Thank you all very much for the suggestions; they are very helpful. I'm going to take a look at the Sony readers and look to download Calibre and play with it and my current library. However, due to the info presented, I believe a K3 may be in my future. Thanks all.