Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan
So-the-heck-what? Just because it wasn't specifically designed for e-books, doesn't mean it can't be suitable for e-books (just like txt, rtf and html).
Jeffrey is right in observing that PDF is already embedded in people's daily usage, it can be (and, as his stats indicate, is regularly) opened in a browser without additional downloads or app fussing, and it gives newbies immediate access before having to figure out all the rigamarole we e-book vets go through, to read a single book. I see absolutely nothing wrong with considering PDF a format for introductory usage, and for those without the ability or patience to download and install other apps and formats as required (or without the money to buy a Kindle).
If, at some point, ePub becomes ubiquitous, is installed in every browser or preloaded on every PC for daily use, we may see the kind of ePub download numbers that we see for PDFs now. Until then, let them eat PDF.
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This is so true. You know the vast majority of new posters here don't ask hey can i read ePUB/MOBI/LIT,etc.. on an eReader. Most folks come here asking if they can read PDF on ereaders. My brother who is not a techi also has a PRS-505 but perfers to get books in PDF over ePUB/LRF.
You know the irony of ePUB is that PDF does today what ePUB has failed to deliver. I've come full circle with PDF it truly is the least fuss format with the greatest flexibility.
The biggest grip people have about PDF is that it cannot be easily read on smaller devices. This can easily be resolves by two feasible methods.
1) Publishers start making PDF for smaller ereaders, like Ahi did (Jeff if you removed your white space your PDF they would be readable on the SONY with no user modification needed or --no reflow needed)
2) PDF re-flow. There are some really good PDF reflow engines out there today. Adobe WindowCE is almost flawless in rendering PDF fro 3" screens. I recently purchased RepligGo for my BlackBerry and the rendering is almost as good as Adobe's.