Becoming a format snob

ebusinesstutor · 08-12-2011, 04:15 PM

I love the free ebooks that people list in these forums but I find I am becoming a snob when it comes to formats.

I work all day in front of a computer so I really don't want to read a book entirely online in html. I want my reading to be relaxing, not an extension of my work.

My preferred reader is a7" Android tablet which would probably handle pdfs, but I prefer to read in my Aldiko reader app. So I prefer to download DRM free .epubs.

I do have the Kindle app installed as many of the free ebooks are only available there, so that is a second format I read.

So that is it -only two formats. Sure, I could use Calibre to convert ebook, but I just don't bother.

I think the only thing that would change this is if one of my favorite authors had an ebook in a different format. Then, I might try another format.

How about everyone else? Do you read all formats or are you picky?

cfrizz · 08-12-2011, 04:24 PM

I prefer epub, will accept pdf, If drm free, I will convert to epub via Calibre.

VicLavigne · 08-12-2011, 04:29 PM

I have the Kindle app and have downloaded a few kindle-ebooks, but they have all been converted to epubs. I am only interested in epub books..... not snobbery, but enables to me use just one reader without using any special apps.

Vic

abookreader · 08-12-2011, 04:31 PM

You are a format snob.

I am a price floozy. Sell it to me cheap and I'll make it work.

Phogg · 08-12-2011, 04:33 PM

I have a legacy library of stuff I have been collecting since 1998.
If someone puts out a new tablet that runs MS Reader well for all my .lit books that I haven't converted I will get one. My old Gigabyte M704 worked, but it feels so heavy by today's standards.

Illinifan · 08-12-2011, 04:36 PM

I inherited a Sony PRS-300 and quickly found out that I had to pick either epub or pdf as my format for it. I chose epub.

I do have a couple of books that I tried to use Calibre to change from pdf to epub but the results weren't as good as I had hoped so if I need to read a pdf book, I'll use Goodreader on my iPhone or iPod touch or Adobe on my laptop.

So, yeah, I guess I'm a format snob.

RDaneel54 · 08-12-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

How about everyone else? Do you read all formats or are you picky?

I originally had a Sony 505, then I bought a Kindle 3. I really don't care that much about format because there are tools to convert.

However, I prefer Mobi because I don't have to convert those.

Really not that big of a deal.

I certainly wouldn't avoid reading something just because it is only in a format other than my current reader.

And I can read just about anything natively on my iPod Touch.

carld · 08-12-2011, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

I work all day in front of a computer so I really don't want to read a book entirely online in html. I want my reading to be relaxing, not an extension of my work.

Other than being Kindle compatible, out of necessity, I couldn't care less what format a given book is in. I'll happily read plain text if that's what I've got, as long as it's readable.

The only exception is that, like you, I simply refuse to read a book online. I'm not really a fan of PDF either because it causes so many problems with ereaders.

RainingLemur · 08-12-2011, 05:27 PM

If it's a book that I want, there's likely a way to convert it to work on my device of choice.

amward · 08-13-2011, 03:57 AM

Epub everytime, although my ereaders will take other formats. I haven't yet investigated changing formats it just seems like one more thing to do when I just want to read.

Richey79 · 08-13-2011, 04:04 AM

Fully agree.

I used to be happy to have a wide variety of different formats and put the work in to make them readable / put up with dodgy formatting and that they used up a ridiculuous amount of space.

These days, I'll often pass if it's not available in epub. I might accept pdf if it's been well put together and isn't 130mb file size for a novel. If I need any other formats, I can make them myself from the epubs.

Sweetpea · 08-13-2011, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

How about everyone else? Do you read all formats or are you picky?

I read mobipocket on my WinMobile/WinCE devices. And PDF on my e-ink devices (hand-crafted).

I am so much a format snob, that I will reformat every single book I buy. First step is to extract the HTML and any pictures that are in the book. These are my source files. I then create an epub from that source, then the mobipocket from the epub and finally PDF from the source again (using LaTeX). Maybe when I buy a new LCD device (to replace my current WinCE one), I'll start reading epub (as the new device will most likely be Android). Or maybe I'll just use the Kindle App and continue reading the mobipocket...

Eisengoth · 08-13-2011, 06:47 AM

I'm an ePub snob too. I really think it's the better format, and being technologically-inclined as well, I can see the advantages to everyone unifying around a single format. I think it should be ePub.

I don't understand why Amazon had to go and develop their own unique proprietary format... but then, I am also firmly against DRM of any kind, so maybe I just don't have the mentality to properly understand it.

I will always pick ePub if given the option, either to read online via O'Reilly's Bookworm or on my PRS-505.

If you need to read ePubs at a place where you can't have your reader handy, I highly recommend Bookworm. It's better than reading in raw HTML because it formats based on the ePub format, and you can access it either from a computer or from a smartphone with a browser (I have done both).

pdurrant · 08-13-2011, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phogg

I have a legacy library of stuff I have been collecting since 1998.
If someone puts out a new tablet that runs MS Reader well for all my .lit books that I haven't converted I will get one. My old Gigabyte M704 worked, but it feels so heavy by today's standards.

No-one will put out a new reader that supports .lit. Just strip the drm and convert to your preferred format — if you still have a Windows installation that can read them.

.lit is one of the DRMed formats that's becoming very hard for the legitimate owner to read.

pdurrant · 08-13-2011, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

How about everyone else? Do you read all formats or are you picky?

At the moment I read Kindle/Mobipocket format. I am also downloading ePub versions of multi-format books, and I expect that in five years I'll have carefully converted everything over to ePub. (I fully expect Amazon to start support DRM-free ePub and ePub with their own DRM in that time frame.)

Luckily the formatting capabilities of ePub are (very nearly) a superset of Kindle/Mobipocket, so it should be possible to do that without formatting loss.

08-12-2011, 04:15 PM	#1
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Becoming a format snob I love the free ebooks that people list in these forums but I find I am becoming a snob when it comes to formats. I work all day in front of a computer so I really don't want to read a book entirely online in html. I want my reading to be relaxing, not an extension of my work. My preferred reader is a7" Android tablet which would probably handle pdfs, but I prefer to read in my Aldiko reader app. So I prefer to download DRM free .epubs. I do have the Kindle app installed as many of the free ebooks are only available there, so that is a second format I read. So that is it -only two formats. Sure, I could use Calibre to convert ebook, but I just don't bother. I think the only thing that would change this is if one of my favorite authors had an ebook in a different format. Then, I might try another format. How about everyone else? Do you read all formats or are you picky?

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08-12-2011, 04:24 PM	#2
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,569 Karma: 36389706 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	I prefer epub, will accept pdf, If drm free, I will convert to epub via Calibre.

08-12-2011, 04:29 PM	#3
VicLavigne e-reading since 2008 Posts: 197 Karma: 112730 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hinesville Georgia Device: Nook STR, Sony PRS-T1	I have the Kindle app and have downloaded a few kindle-ebooks, but they have all been converted to epubs. I am only interested in epub books..... not snobbery, but enables to me use just one reader without using any special apps. Vic

08-12-2011, 04:31 PM	#4
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	You are a format snob. I am a price floozy. Sell it to me cheap and I'll make it work.

08-12-2011, 04:33 PM	#5
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	I have a legacy library of stuff I have been collecting since 1998. If someone puts out a new tablet that runs MS Reader well for all my .lit books that I haven't converted I will get one. My old Gigabyte M704 worked, but it feels so heavy by today's standards.

08-12-2011, 04:36 PM	#6
Illinifan Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 210032 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dayton, OH Device: iPad 4, iPhone 4, iPod touch, Sony PRS 300	I inherited a Sony PRS-300 and quickly found out that I had to pick either epub or pdf as my format for it. I chose epub. I do have a couple of books that I tried to use Calibre to change from pdf to epub but the results weren't as good as I had hoped so if I need to read a pdf book, I'll use Goodreader on my iPhone or iPod touch or Adobe on my laptop. So, yeah, I guess I'm a format snob.

08-12-2011, 05:27 PM	#9
RainingLemur Spork Connoisseur Posts: 2,355 Karma: 16780603 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Nook Color	If it's a book that I want, there's likely a way to convert it to work on my device of choice.

08-13-2011, 03:57 AM	#10
amward Wizard Posts: 1,299 Karma: 2081110 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: SW Australia Device: Eco Eclipse, Sony PRS 350 (pink), Ipod Touch, Kindle Touch	Epub everytime, although my ereaders will take other formats. I haven't yet investigated changing formats it just seems like one more thing to do when I just want to read.

08-13-2011, 04:04 AM	#11
Richey79 mrkrgnao Posts: 241 Karma: 237248 Join Date: May 2010 Device: PRS650, K3 Wireless, Galaxy S3, iPad 3.	Fully agree. I used to be happy to have a wide variety of different formats and put the work in to make them readable / put up with dodgy formatting and that they used up a ridiculuous amount of space. These days, I'll often pass if it's not available in epub. I might accept pdf if it's been well put together and isn't 130mb file size for a novel. If I need any other formats, I can make them myself from the epubs.

08-13-2011, 06:47 AM	#13
Eisengoth Independent Author Posts: 47 Karma: 36836 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: Sony PRS-505	I'm an ePub snob too. I really think it's the better format, and being technologically-inclined as well, I can see the advantages to everyone unifying around a single format. I think it should be ePub. I don't understand why Amazon had to go and develop their own unique proprietary format... but then, I am also firmly against DRM of any kind, so maybe I just don't have the mentality to properly understand it. I will always pick ePub if given the option, either to read online via O'Reilly's Bookworm or on my PRS-505. If you need to read ePubs at a place where you can't have your reader handy, I highly recommend Bookworm. It's better than reading in raw HTML because it formats based on the ePub format, and you can access it either from a computer or from a smartphone with a browser (I have done both).

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