Epub =?

[Alpha o]

What class of object is an ebook considered to be? Is it data or media?

Android, in its upgrading wisdom made a hash out of using an external SD card in Marshmallow. It has to be either media or data, it won't work as both.

Mine is media as I take pictures with phone, so it's handy.

Now I've found a couple of epub books that I want on the phone as they fit well into my reference library. I am trying Pocketbook, which is new in Play store. Pocketbook sees the card, but not the books folder, so before I try fudging files, are EPUB, PDF, KEPUB, Amazon's files, data or media?

If I try a search, all I get are definitions about ebook files and types, but no discussion of class which is no help with MM and and EXT SD card.

I'd opt for media as you mostly read for amusement and entertainment.

[barryem]

Media is data. Ebooks are data. MP3 files are data. Everything but programs are data and even they are actually data and they're only distinguished from other data for security reasons.

Android may be using a different definition of data but that's the real world definition and they know it. If it's a different definition it's something they invented for this special purpose. So what I think I'd do is see if I can find exactly what their definition of data is in this case. It might just include everything.

Media is really a subset of data if it's media in a device. A paperback book won't fall under any computer definition of data although it would fall under other definitions. The same is true for a movie playing in a theater, although that's probably digital data in some computer.

I'm probably not being very helpful here but it might get easier if you do find out just how they're using the term "data".

Barry

[Cinisajoy]

Media is tv, books, movies, videos, music.
Data is documents, spreadsheets and stuff like that. Also known as information.

That is why school libraries are known today as multi-media centers.

Though from a programmer standpoint Barry is technically correct.
Since it is all data transformed into media.

[Alpha o]

Books are usually considered media - I agree.

You have to format the card if you wish to use it for storage. In that case it is not removable.

If you don't format and wish to remove, it's pure media which is the way I use it.

I made a folder called books. If I do that on any earlier Android and my laptop, all apps see it. However, Pocketbook reader does not see the books folder while it does see the card. All the other stuff stored is photos and music. The file manager sees the books folder and opens it.

Since I can see that the books are on the phone with a file manager, I can read them.
They just are not storing where I am used to storing books, not where I wanted to put them.

This is the first issue of an upgrade OS with this particular setup for an external card.
Almost everyone who has a Motorola X Pure Edition was baffled by it. So were some Nexus users. Some still are.

Most are still complaining about photos, videos, and music. I don't see many questions about reading on the phone.