[rlauzon]

OK. Now that the iLiad supports Mobipocket content, I decided to look further into the format.

Previously, I eschewed the format because:
1. It's proprietary (only readable by Mobipocket).
2. It's not reversible - any eBook distributed in Mobipocket cannot be converted into something else.

Overall, the Mobipocket reader is 1 step forward from the PDF viewer - mainly because it supports reflowing content. But that's only reading.

I want to create my own content.

The Mobipocket web site is of limited use for this. The final instruction for creating content is always "use our proprietary software that only runs on buggy, insecure, overpriced Microsoft products" to create the eBook.

Now, I've successfully created Mobipocket content by putting an HTML file into a PalmDOC container. (Note that the Mobipocket reader will not read text files in a PalmDOC container.) Such Mobipocket eBooks are reversible. But have a drawback: only 1 file can be in the container. So no graphics, etc. Just the single document.

I've examined the .mobi files that came with the reader and the Open eBook Format documentation. The problem is that instead of using the standard ZIP container, Mobipocket opted for the file system container. They offer no documentation on this container and the file system they are using does not conform to any known file system.

So it looks like that the Mobipocket format also takes 1 step backwards: I cannot create the same rich content that I can using PDF.

My testing is by no means complete, but right now I don't see anything that has proven my original thoughts of the Mobipocket format wrong.

Mobipocket eBooks are proprietary.
Mobipocket eBooks (that are not an HTML/PalmDOC files) are not reversible.