Best format choice for K4 + Calibre?

[chyron8472]

I've been a Kindle 2 user for a long while now. However, in recent months my wife and I both have upgraded to the Kindle 4 (non-touch).

I am aware that KF8 is superior to MOBI in general, but I really want to know if Calibre's support for KF8 at this point is good enough to make it my default output.

I /always/ use Calibre to convert and manage my Kindle books, and at times I convert to ePub in between the input file and the output file so as to repair problems in Sigil.

Given that K4 is now my primary reading platform, is it better for me to reformat my Calibre library as KF8?

[eschwartz]

It works perfectly, but then again, MOBI hasn't broken all of a sudden.

I would set the default output to AZW3 and convert new books that way, but not worry about the older books.

[AcidWeb]

AZW3.

[johnoz123]

I had a similar issue to consider when I recently moved from a Sony PRS 350 to a Kindle PW2 -- convert epub to mobi or epub to AZW3. I chose epub to mobi for these reasons:

1. I mostly read fiction and so mobi's poorer ability with style is almost irrelevant for me.
2. I sometimes read from my phone. My phone is always with me whereas my Kindle isn't and being able to just open my phone and start reading exactly and almost instantly where I'd stopped on my Kindle is a huge bonus. This, as far as I know, can only be accomplished emailing mobi format to your Amazon account or with a store bought, DRM intact Amazon book.

Hope this helps.

An after thought: I a world dominated by propitiatory technology silos, mobi is a more open-source format than AZW3

[AcidWeb]

Both formats are officially completely closed and proprietary.

[eschwartz]

How would you go about propitiating a filetype spec, closed or not, anyway? Or is it propitiating us?

Everything calibre knows about mobi/azw3 is based on reverse-engineering.

[s4nder]

AZW3 and KF8 have a bug on Kindle 3 and 4 where line height is too large. Small line height in AZW3/KF8 is bigger than medium on mobi. This is the sole reason I use mobi and it will probably never get fixed. I sent a ticket about it to Amazon though they're no doubt aware of it already and was met with a standard "thank you for your input" response.

[the_bookworm-i]

My choice is epub. Or mobi/azw3, if it is the original format the file came to me. I prefer epub, mainly because it is possible to edit in Sigil without any further conversion.
Just before sending to device, an extra step of conversion is needed, but I can live with this one. Then, usually, the mobi/azw3 file is removed from the library.

Please, point me out, if there is something wrong or a better way.

Thanks!

[katzz]

I just upgraded from my K4 to the PW2 and have the same question.

If I were to use the "personal archive" from Amazon (Send to Kindle), I would of course choose mobi (both) if applicable/required or the old mobi-format. Simply because Amazon doesn't accept any other eBook-formats.

Currently I'm using Calibre and sideload my books via USB and would usually just keep the input-format and convert them with KindleGen or Calibre, if required.

Same request: Please, point me out, if there is something wrong or a better way.