Now that my K3 is updated... KF8

[AlexBell]

Now that I've installed the 3.4 firmware on my Kindle 3 I'd very much like to test ebooks in the KF8 format.
- How can I tell which ebooks are in KF8 format?
- What suffix will the ebook have?
- Can anyone suggest ebooks to download from the MR library? So far as I can tell there is no subforum for KF8 ebooks in the library so I don't know where to look.

You can always go to the Amazon Kindle Format 8 Overview page and download the sample docs listed (linked to) in the right column on the page.

EDIT; I cannot remember if these samples are already in KF8 format, if not you can build them in Kindle Previewer.

[PageLab]

AFAIK the only way to know for sure if a book is in KF8 format is to decompile it through mobiunpack. There's no change in the suffix or any visual indication in apps or devices.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by AlexBell

Now that I've installed the 3.4 firmware on my Kindle 3 I'd very much like to test ebooks in the KF8 format.
- How can I tell which ebooks are in KF8 format?
- What suffix will the ebook have?
- Can anyone suggest ebooks to download from the MR library? So far as I can tell there is no subforum for KF8 ebooks in the library so I don't know where to look.

First off, in my limited poking around I've concluded that all former azw books are now being sent in azw3. But, some if not many may have no specialized KF8 formatting added, but they all seem to be 4 times larger files 500 KB becomes 2 MEG. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King has drop caps added and in my opinion they render really badly and the overall appearance of the book is worse.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by alansplace

First off, in my limited poking around I've concluded that all former azw books are now being sent in azw3. But, some if not many may have no specialized KF8 formatting added, but they all seem to be 4 times larger files 500 KB becomes 2 MEG. Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King has drop caps added and in my opinion they render really badly and the overall appearance of the book is worse.

This could be because of the line height bug in the eink KF8 code. The dropcaps are usually created such that if you do change things like line height, they don't look good. The KF8 code has a large line height at it's smallest line height setting and there is no way to fix that as the code ignores a line-height command. If you don't like the way KF8 looks, there's nothing you can do about it. The Kindles with the KF8 firmware will always download KF8 if it's available. Same with Kindle for Pc or MAC.

The only thing you can do is download via KIndle for PC or MAC, strip the DRM and use Calibre to convert from KF8 to Mobi.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by PageLab

AFAIK the only way to know for sure if a book is in KF8 format is to decompile it through mobiunpack. There's no change in the suffix or any visual indication in apps or devices.

There is a visual indicator on the eink devices. That being greater line spacing between the lines.

[JSWolf]

One main advantage of KF8 is that if the underlying code is good, it will convert to fairly good ePub. It's a lot better then going Mobi > ePub.

[PageLab]

I hadn't noticed that, thanks

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

There is a visual indicator on the eink devices. That being greater line spacing between the lines.

You need to take a KF8-Line-Space-Bug Chill-Pill. Seriously man, it's like you're obsessed—and you don't even use a Kindle device. Isn't there something else Kindle-related you can harp on for a while?

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by PageLab

AFAIK the only way to know for sure if a book is in KF8 format is to decompile it through mobiunpack. There's no change in the suffix or any visual indication in apps or devices.

Mmmm.. No. KF8 ebooks have an extension of azw3. And they show up as AZW3 format within calibre.

[PageLab]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Mmmm.. No. KF8 ebooks have an extension of azw3. And they show up as AZW3 format within calibre.

Right, I got confused about the mobi enclosure created by kindlegen...

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One main advantage of KF8 is that if the underlying code is good, it will convert to fairly good ePub. It's a lot better then going Mobi > ePub.

I use a plugin in Calibre called Mobi Unpack that simple extracts the epub from the KF8. No conversation needed. It's brilliant!

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I use a plugin in Calibre called Mobi Unpack that simple extracts the epub from the KF8. No conversation needed. It's brilliant!

That is cool, thanks for mentioning it!!

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Mmmm.. No. KF8 ebooks have an extension of azw3. And they show up as AZW3 format within calibre.

Only when downloaded to a Kindle device (or run through a certain onImport plugin). KF8 ebooks downloaded to the Kindle app (the Windows app, anyway) usually still have an .azw extension. Alf's plugin poofs it to an .azw3 extension (if it's not already) before it's done.

Originally Posted by Blossom

I use a plugin in Calibre called Mobi Unpack that simple extracts the epub from the KF8. No conversation needed.

That reminds me ... I need to post an update for that plugin. The plugin is a few revisions behind the underlying mobi_unpack engine. No new features or anything, just some bug-fixes for some rare situations.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That reminds me ... I need to post an update for that plugin. The plugin is a few revisions behind the underlying mobi_unpack engine. No new features or anything, just some bug-fixes for some rare situations.

Well get to it then! No Seriously thank you so much for making the plugin. It has made it so much easier to work with mobi files. I love the epub feature. I love I can now have access to the html file inside the old mobi type. It makes editing alot easier when you're working with original coding instead of calibre's

For some reason Calibre xPath only works on the finished Calibre's mobi code. So if say the chapter headers uses bold tags it wont pick them up. I don't know why but I can use the plugin to get the html and reimport it back into Calibre as zip file and then it works.

Not many Amazon freebies come with a TOC so it's a must have for me to fix them up.