Quote:
Originally Posted by Richwood
Are Kobo Epub files only compatible with Kobo readers and reader apps? I note that side loaded epub files are listed in the reader index as Epubs while Kobo purchased items are listed as "Kobo Epubs". Is there a DRM free Kobo Epub that can be read by other ebook readers?
|
Kobo ePubs (AKA KePubs) are a type of ePub and can be read by any ePub reader. (Edit: Assuming they are DRM-free or have had the DRM removed.) Compared to the original ePub uploaded by the publisher they might contain some extra stuff, such as Javascript, extra HTML markup, stylesheet overrides, etc.
There are Calibre tools to remove all the extra stuff from the KePub (you could call this converting a KePub to an ePub), but if you buy the book at Kobo then you have the choice to download the original ePub from the website anyway, so there is not usually any need to do this.
There are also Calibre tools to add all the extra stuff to an ordinary ePub to make a KePub (you could call this converting an ePub to a KePub).
Edit: I should just add that the main difference you will see between how KePubs and ePubs behave on Kobo devices is due to the different programs used to read them, not because of the differences in the files themselves. So although it is possible to read a KePub on a non-Kobo ereader, there is really nothing to gain from doing so.