Quote:
Originally Posted by ahi
Beautiful books are becoming increasing quick and simple to create. The same amount of time it takes to hack together an ePub, I can use the same source file and create a far more professional looking PDF via LaTeX. Add a few more hours, and I can generate an equally good looking PDF for all the popular eBook screen sizes, with two or three font-sizes for each, to accommodate people's font size preferences.
There is no real world reason that necessitates reflow formats, or even has them make sense with all things considered. If PDFs could include multiple PDF files, from which the user could pick which to view, font-size adjustment with perfect typography would be a reality today. And, unlike ePub viewers getting typography and hyphenation right, changing the PDF format and its viewers thusly is a software improvement that is actually possible.
Oh... and where you say "usual mediocre-quality physical book" leaves me confused. Are you not aware that 99.9% of physical books are, typographically, far higher quality than reflow formats can possibly achieve?
- Ahi
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Good Lord! How big would those files be? I'd like to have more than 2 or 3 books on my reader, thank you very much!
And stop the condescending tone. Your "
I have standards, so therefor I am superior to you" crap is getting really offensive.
I have some incredibly beautiful books in my collection - I take them out and admire them periodically. I don't see ebooks replacing beautifully crafted books anymore than computer graphics can replace oil painting. Your demanding that ebooks, which are mostly for convenience, be as big and beautiful as the most finely crafted pbooks, is puzzling. Especially since most commercially sold hardbacks are crap anyway - most fall apart in a few years time. Ask any librarian.
You love PDF for it's artistic qualities? Fine. Allow us to enjoy ePub for it's convenience and portability without talking to us as though we're Philistines, or idiots. Most of us have been booklovers all our lives.