Quote:
Originally Posted by mcgriff
With this in mind, is stressing out about what device to get or what format to buy in to really that important? Fifteen years from now will it matter if one's ebooks are all epub or azw? The frustration of maintaining the usability of old computer files often outweighs the cost and convenience of simply diving into a new format. Yeah, txt, doc, jpg have been around for quite sometime, but should we expect the same from topaz or the like?
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There are two related, but distinct, issues with very old files, a) the media, and b) the format. With not quite so old files we add c) DRM. The obsolete media issue is the easiest to avoid going forward - just make sure to copy to a new storage device every few years. DRM is the enemy of longevity, so never buy a format that isn't circumventable and immediately strip the DRM and keep multiple copies of the DRM-free file. The format is now a non-issue if you stick to formats that Calibre fully supports. The point being that we know how to handle these formats and this knowledge is in an Open Source program that can give you back whatever other format you want.
TOPAZ is an example of a format that Calibre can't handle (i.e. can't convert to another format). This was initially due to DRM and lack of documentation and its unique approach to scan conversion. Now, due to heroic reverse engineering, it is possible to convert TOPAZ to something else, but only with difficulty. I can't see any reason for TOPAZ to exist in 15 years time, although Amazon might still be a major player and might still include TOPAZ support in its readers. My advice is not to buy a TOPAZ ebook with any expectation of support on future reading devices.