Is PDF a legitimate ebook format? What a silly question. Is PDF electronic? Yes. Do PDF docs contain books? Yes. So is it a legitimate ebook format? Absolutely. I think it's dumb to argue that PDF is not a "legitimate" format just because you don't like it.
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Originally Posted by JohnClif
PDF is not a valid ebook format, although it is most likely the most predominant ebook format.
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That's a completely contradictory statement. The format isn't "valid" but it's the "predominant" one. How does that even make sense? What establishes an ebook format's validity?
Frankly, PDF is useful for a number of purposes as have already been noted in this thread. I agree with akiburis and ath about the usefulness of PDF in preserving format. I think it's an important feature which is why I use it most often for my Sony Reader. When I format my own PDF and load it on to my Reader, I know exactly how it is going to look. That's a comforting thought to me.
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Originally Posted by kovidgoyal
@ath: You seem to be coming from the perspective that the job of an ebook is to be a pbook. If that's you're perspective, then you're going to love PDF. If however, like me, you believe the job of the ebook is to make the pbook obsolete, then PDF is simply not the answer.
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Except when you can format your own PDF files to your liking then they are already superior to p-books. With the right program, converting and reformating PDF books is simple, as well. Why should a reading device tell me how my ebook is going to look when I can know exactly how it will look before I even load it on my Reader.
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Originally Posted by yvanleterrible
I have a question for you. How long does it take to reformat a document in the reader's size compared to remaking it in Book Designer? I can't compare because I don't have Acrobat Pro.
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I use Microsoft Word to format my books and then convert it into PDF. It doesn't take very long at all. I set the Word pages and margins to match that of my Sony Reader (which I set up using settings described on Sony's website). It's then pretty simple to scroll through Word and rearrange and rescale pictures and reformat any text that needs changing (though it typically doesn't). With Acrobat Pro, you have a PDF print driver (you might be able to find one without even having to get Acrobat Pro), so you just select Adobe Acrobat as your printer and it "prints" the book into a PDF doc. Therefore all formatting remains exactly as you had it. Personally, I love it. I needn't worry at all how it will look on my Reader.