MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - New Ebook format AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format

blazejos · 10-26-2021, 04:57 AM

Hello

Just d'like to mention for author and developers that somewhere in network existing New format of Ebooks. Why was created because machines such like XT,AT,386,486 end early Pentiums are used by Retro-computer enthusiasts usually with some DOS as main OS. Now very popular is FreeDOS https://www.freedos.org/ which is an MS-DOS which many properties and commands of Linux. So for DOS not existing any epub reader only old and ancient pdf reader around v 1.0 which is working with pdf but only on the computers with VGA cards and around 486 and > UP in processor power.

That is why Mateusz created AMB with all this limitations of early PC in mind about hardware capabilities and text mode as main display.
Here about AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format official release document with specification and examples and web browser server software for opening this ebooks format in browser. BTW format isn't complicated is a series of txt files compiled together to create a hypertext that user can jump between chapters. Many limitations are imposed on text length in chapters for example based on capabilities of most ancient IBM XT computer which is a grandfather of all PC which we using today. Simple this new format can be easy and without problems used on oldest possible configuration of PC with most limited hardware possible like in famous joke from early 80's "640kb of RAM is everything what any user my need".

This format is now in use by retro computers enthusiasts to keep documentation which can easy access on your pc without use secondary modern tablet to browse manuals etc. Thera are also some examples of litrature book keep in this format like Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (Mary Shelley) http://amb.osdn.io/phpamb.php?fname=lib/franken.amb

In FreeDOS forum existing also an community around this format where others program for DOS where created which are helpful to use this on your old computer god example is amb-utils https://github.com/clasqm/amb-utilsmenu and tools to scanning your Ancient noisy HDD for existing AMB files after that you have nice txt menu where you can access collection of your books with arrows and enter button. Something like Calibre but from early 80's.

As for now AMB is working on early PC's but based on simplicity of format is possible to write readers for other ancient non PC's computer I have in mind Amiga, Atari ST and others 16bit they should handle this format without problem they have enough RAM and CPU power. Don't know how this format can be possible handled by 8bit CPU like Commodore 64 or Atari 8bit now they have new storage devices based on SD card so diskettes are not a limit probably RAM or power of CPU may impose some limitations.

So I d'like to ask Calibre community If you d'like to consider add this format to your program as a supported file. That may helps growing interest around this AMB and hopefully will your helps to establish AMB as a little brother of epub for old computers.

10-26-2021, 04:57 AM	#1
blazejos Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2021 Device: Sony PRS 300	New Ebook format AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format Hello Just d'like to mention for author and developers that somewhere in network existing New format of Ebooks. Why was created because machines such like XT,AT,386,486 end early Pentiums are used by Retro-computer enthusiasts usually with some DOS as main OS. Now very popular is FreeDOS https://www.freedos.org/ which is an MS-DOS which many properties and commands of Linux. So for DOS not existing any epub reader only old and ancient pdf reader around v 1.0 which is working with pdf but only on the computers with VGA cards and around 486 and > UP in processor power. That is why Mateusz created AMB with all this limitations of early PC in mind about hardware capabilities and text mode as main display. Here about AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format official release document with specification and examples and web browser server software for opening this ebooks format in browser. BTW format isn't complicated is a series of txt files compiled together to create a hypertext that user can jump between chapters. Many limitations are imposed on text length in chapters for example based on capabilities of most ancient IBM XT computer which is a grandfather of all PC which we using today. Simple this new format can be easy and without problems used on oldest possible configuration of PC with most limited hardware possible like in famous joke from early 80's "640kb of RAM is everything what any user my need". This format is now in use by retro computers enthusiasts to keep documentation which can easy access on your pc without use secondary modern tablet to browse manuals etc. Thera are also some examples of litrature book keep in this format like Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (Mary Shelley) http://amb.osdn.io/phpamb.php?fname=lib/franken.amb In FreeDOS forum existing also an community around this format where others program for DOS where created which are helpful to use this on your old computer god example is amb-utils https://github.com/clasqm/amb-utilsmenu and tools to scanning your Ancient noisy HDD for existing AMB files after that you have nice txt menu where you can access collection of your books with arrows and enter button. Something like Calibre but from early 80's. As for now AMB is working on early PC's but based on simplicity of format is possible to write readers for other ancient non PC's computer I have in mind Amiga, Atari ST and others 16bit they should handle this format without problem they have enough RAM and CPU power. Don't know how this format can be possible handled by 8bit CPU like Commodore 64 or Atari 8bit now they have new storage devices based on SD card so diskettes are not a limit probably RAM or power of CPU may impose some limitations. So I d'like to ask Calibre community If you d'like to consider add this format to your program as a supported file. That may helps growing interest around this AMB and hopefully will your helps to establish AMB as a little brother of epub for old computers.