Content KF8 quesiton

[apastuszak]

How much stuff available for purchase on Amazon is in KF8 format? Is most stuff still in mobi/azw?

My example is the trilogy "The Dragonlance Chronicles." My wife bought it on her nook, and each Chapter starts with a very nice looking drop cap, which ePub supports. When I download the free chapter from Amazon, there is no dropcap, because mobi does not support dropcap. Obviously, if the book was in KF8 format, there would be a dropcap.

So, I'm curious if Amazon is planning to offer everything in KF8 format now along with mobi/azw and topaz/azw.

[HarryT]

It's not up to Amazon to offer it; it's up to the publisher. The tools are there. Amazon don't create the books that they sell.

[DiapDealer]

There's more and more KF8 books available all the time. But as Harry said, it's up to the publishers if they want to update their current and backlist offerings to the newer format. Most new stuff will likely be KF8 (even if the books don't utilize any of the new capabilities).

When I download the free chapter from Amazon, there is no dropcap, because mobi does not support dropcap. Obviously, if the book was in KF8 format, there would be a dropcap.

Make sure you're downloading to a device/app that can support the new format: Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, and Kindle Apps for PC and Mac >= v1.9. That's what I know of for sure... there may be others. You can't see it if you can't see it.

[apastuszak]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

There's more and more KF8 books available all the time. But as Harry said, it's up to the publishers if they want to update their current and backlist offerings to the newer format. Most new stuff will likely be KF8 (even if the books don't utilize any of the new capabilities).


Make sure you're downloading to a device/app that can support the new format: Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch, and Kindle Apps for PC and Mac >= v1.9. That's what I know of for sure... there may be others. You can't see it if you can't see it.

That's a good point. I'm holding out for a touch screen kindle with KF8 support AND physical page turn buttons.

As @DiapDealer says, even if the publisher uses the KF8 format there is no guarantee that the book will actually take advantage of the KF8 format. A plain text novel will look much the same in any format unless the publisher uses the KF8 to display newer formatting options.

Also, if the publishers are smart they will produce books with dual mobi 7/KF8 formatting. As such the same book file will work on both mobi 7 devices and apps as well as on KF8 devices and apps. Again, it is up to the publisher to do this. Many of them obviously cannot get mobi 7 correct, so I doubt they will do any better with KF8, or ePub as far as that goes.

To use dual formatting they only need to use the @Media statement within the CSS:

/* CSS for MOBI format only */
@media amzn-mobi {
       --list of styles--
}

/* CSS for KF8 format only */
@media amzn-kf8 {
       --list of styles--
}

[DiapDealer]

Also, if the publishers are smart they will produce books with dual mobi 7/KF8 formatting. As such the same book file will work on both mobi 7 devices and apps as well as on KF8 devices and apps.

I don't think that's technically correct. As things stand now, Amazon is only delivering one format or the other—even when publishers are submitting the dual mobi/KF8 file. So you're not going to be able to take a DRM-free version of a file delivered to a Kindle Fire and display it on a device that doesn't support KF8. In other words... no dual purpose files are being delivered to customers. The dual-purpose file is being split before delivery... based on what the requesting device/app can support.

But I think you're correct that many will neglect to even bother ensuring what they submit looks right on the older devices. But that's to be expected. It will be a very slow process, but mobi has been officially notified of its own demise.

[Lazer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't think that's technically correct. As things stand now, Amazon is only delivering one format or the other—even when publishers are submitting the dual mobi/KF8 file. So you're not going to be able to take a DRM-free version of a file delivered to a Kindle Fire and display it on a device that doesn't support KF8. In other words... no dual purpose files are being delivered to customers. The dual-purpose file is being split before delivery... based on what the requesting device/app can support.

But I think you're correct that many will neglect to even bother ensuring what they submit looks right on the older devices. But that's to be expected. It will be a very slow process, but mobi has been officially notified of its own demise.

"So you're not going to be able to take a DRM-free version of a file delivered to a Kindle Fire and display it on a device that doesn't support KF8."

What devices do not support KF8? Are you saying that a K2 doesn't open a Kf8???

L

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Lazer

What devices do not support KF8? Are you saying that a K2 doesn't open a Kf8???

That's exactly what I'm saying. Nor will a Kindle 3 (keyboard.. whatever they call it), or a Kindle 1. So far the only devices/apps I know of that do support KF8 are: The Kindle Fire, the Kindle Touch (only with the most recent FW update), and the Kindle for PC/Mac apps starting with v1.9.0 and higher. That's it. That could change. I expect the the latest Kindle 4 non-touch will soon support it... as well as the rest of the reading apps. The K3 has a very slim chance at getting an upgrade to support KF8, but I suspect the K1, K2, and KDX will never support KF8.

EDIT: I don't want anyone to think I'm whining that my device will likely never support KF8. I'll have no problem upgrading to a newer device if I ever discover that I just can't live without the luxuriant features of the KF8 experience.

[Lazer]

DiapDealer:

I'm about to publish book #2 and it'll be in KF8. It functions just fine in my K3. Now, I don't have anything in this book other than text and a couple of jpegs–perhaps you're talking about features that KF8 is capable of that I'm not aware. Can you expand on this a bit?

L

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Lazer

DiapDealer:

I'm about to publish book #2 and it'll be in KF8. It functions just fine in my K3. Now, I don't have anything in this book other than text and a couple of jpegs–perhaps you're talking about features that KF8 is capable of that I'm not aware. Can you expand on this a bit?

L

To name but a few of the enhanced features of KF8:

Drop caps.
Text wrapping around pictures.
Embedded fonts.

Basically, all the things that you can do in an ePub book but not in a Mobi one.

[InsulinJunkie72]

Originally Posted by Lazer

I'm about to publish book #2 and it'll be in KF8. It functions just fine in my K3

One other thing to note is that if you're creating the test files that you're trying on your K3 with the newest version of KindleGen/KindlePreviewer, it creates dual-format (MOBI/KF8) .MOBI files.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Lazer

DiapDealer:

I'm about to publish book #2 and it'll be in KF8. It functions just fine in my K3. Now, I don't have anything in this book other than text and a couple of jpegs–perhaps you're talking about features that KF8 is capable of that I'm not aware. Can you expand on this a bit?

L

If you built it with the latest version of kindlegen/Previewer and you're viewing it on your K3, then you're simply not seeing the KF8 version. You're looking at the regular old MOBI portion of the combination MOBI/KF8 you built with kindlegen/Previewer. If it looks like you expect it to on the K3, then you're just not using any of the new features like the ones Harry mentioned.

Once you upload your combination MOBI/KF8 file to Amazon it will be split into it's component parts before delivery to the various customer devices—whichever format is appropriate.

[Lazer]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

If you built it with the latest version of kindlegen/Previewer and you're viewing it on your K3, then you're simply not seeing the KF8 version. You're looking at the regular old MOBI portion of the combination MOBI/KF8 you built with kindlegen/Previewer. If it looks like you expect it to on the K3, then you're just not using any of the new features like the ones Harry mentioned.

Once you upload your combination MOBI/KF8 file to Amazon it will be split into it's component parts before delivery to the various customer devices—whichever format is appropriate.

Thanks Diap!