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Old 09-24-2012, 11:12 AM   #1
unboggling
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Posts: 1,065
Karma: 858115
Join Date: Jan 2011
Device: Kobo Clara, Kindle Paperwhite 10
Output Profile Importance and Switching ?

How important is the conversion with Default Input Profile and whatever Output Profile when reading the same book on different types of devices?

For almost 2 years I've been converting to EPUB master copy with Conversion -> Common Options -> Page Setup -> Input Profile = Default Input Profile, and Output Profile = Kindle. Then auto-converted those master EPUBs to MOBI to read on Kindle. Occasionally I'd read other formats (original formats) such as PDF on iPad, but those usually weren't converted so the Kindle Output Profile wasn't applied.

Now I've got a Nexus7 Android, in addition to iPad and e-ink Kindles. So I changed Output Profile to Tablet. But now I realize I may not want to do that, because I've got thousands of EPUBs based on previous conversion from Original Format to EPUB using Default Input Profile, to Output Profile = Kindle. I don't want to reconvert them all from the originals to be Output Profile = Tablet. And I don't want to end up with a bunch of sets of books, each set converted to master copies using a different output profile every time I get a new category of device.

The screen size of the Nexus7 is just a little bigger than the Kindle and Sony e-inks, so I don't know how much difference that makes. One thing that is probably different: for Output Profile = Tablet, no resizing of images is done (per the mouse tip in Preferences), and I assume that images do get resized with Output Profile = Kindle, or with Output Profile = Sony Reader. But due to the similar screen sizes I don't think that will matter much. Another difference may be the font rescaling, though again because the screen sizes are so similar it may not matter much.

Questions:

1. How important is the Output Profile?

2. What other kinds of things does the Output Profile change?

3. Would I be better off sticking with Output Profile = Kindle from now on, no matter what device I end up reading books on, so at least the conversions would be relatively consistent throughout the library?

4. Would I have been better off using the Sony Reader Output Profile for those EPUB masters instead of the Kindle Output Profile, a recommendation I just now read in the calibre user manual Conversion section?

5. Or would I have been better off using the Default Output Profile for those EPUB masters instead of the Kindle Output Profile? (oh well, water under the bridge….)

6. Is this one of the primary reasons experienced users advise not to trash the original formats?

7. What Output Profile would you use if planning to read most books on Nexus7 for the next few months, but don't want to be locked into any one particular device?

8. What would you do with the legacy books in the library if you were in my situation?

Last edited by unboggling; 09-24-2012 at 12:28 PM. Reason: clarify
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