BEST ebook format? - Page 2

cancelx · 04-16-2010, 02:47 PM

Dave-- told ya i was new at this (grin)

thanks man

so-- epub is not read by coolreader unless you use .fb2 trick. ADE is reading epub right? and uses TTS, BUT only 9 fonts right? (only, ha, as if thats not enough)

PP is a cool unit !

cancelx · 04-18-2010, 07:08 PM

Hi.

Can PDF files be ZIPPED ON the PP in a directory (i mean on an SD card in the PP)

There is a series of comics I want to add, but they are like 16MEG per comic. Can I put them all in a Zipped Folder and have one comic unzip at a time when it's read?

Spiffy · 04-18-2010, 09:39 PM

Yeah... file sizes.

Overall its probably not a HUGE issue with the ginormous memory cards available these days, but I have to think that a format which tends towards a smaller (more efficient?) file size might load faster and be a bit less error-prone.

Don't ePubs tend to be a bit bloated compared to straight zipped HTMLs? At least that seems the pattern from ones I've spat out of Calibre conversions.

aegeus · 04-19-2010, 03:38 AM

Until I have recently discovered CoolReader on the device I would prefer mobi format but after that everything changed. Now I add an fb2 extension to the epub files and enjoy the multi choices of font type - font size etc. inside the CoolReader during reading. My new choice is epub format with an .fb2 at the end

)

Randal6393 · 04-19-2010, 11:34 AM

Hmmmm ... I always run my ebooks through Calibre and convert to mobi -- my personal favorite. Realize ePub is a great format but am used to mobi/prc.

But using Calibre to convert formats is a great way to increase the flexibility of sourcing ebooks. Have taken a tip from this forum and convert my books to ePub, then convert to mobi before sending to my PP. Seems to result in fewer errors. Next step: to experiment with CSS and formatting to get my text just the way I like it.

Enjoy

Spiffy · 05-01-2010, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegeus

Until I have recently discovered CoolReader on the device I would prefer mobi format but after that everything changed. Now I add an fb2 extension to the epub files and enjoy the multi choices of font type - font size etc. inside the CoolReader during reading. My new choice is epub format with an .fb2 at the end

)

Yeah, I think Coolreader makes a lot of the format question irrelevant. At least between the likes of epub, lrf, fb2 and maybe even html.

Can't stand that file renaming thing though. It's impractical and annoying. Better to change the firmware itself to make Coolreader the default for more things than to go around having to constantly manually renaming things.

Dave_S · 05-01-2010, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiffy

Can't stand that file renaming thing though. It's impractical and annoying. Better to change the firmware itself to make Coolreader the default for more things than to go around having to constantly manually renaming things.

Yes, that bothers me a bit too. A relatively simple way to give the user a choice would be to add an option to the "long press file manager" to open the file with an alternative reading application the way that it is done in OpenInkpot.

cloggy · 05-05-2010, 02:53 PM

My preferred format is ePub and by using OpenInkpot, I do not have the limitations (irritations?) of 9 zoom levels.

Several built-in fonts, margin settings, line spacing, zoom levels, etc. are all available with FBReader, plus a copy/delete functionality. Note that Coolreader3 is also available (not used by me..). PDF format handling is poor but I know they are working to improve it.

Sorry for the Jinke/Hanlin/Astak firmware die-hards ..

Robertb · 05-05-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aegeus

Until I have recently discovered CoolReader on the device I would prefer mobi format but after that everything changed. Now I add an fb2 extension to the epub files and enjoy the multi choices of font type - font size etc. inside the CoolReader during reading. My new choice is epub format with an .fb2 at the end

)

Dear all:

I think we should remember that the FB2 that came on the Pocket PRO was a 16 month old version. Dale DePriest was the one that pounded this into my head at CES. I took that to the factory and they agreed to do the updating. Thanks to Dale we have the latest version of FB2 and Coolreader and it seems to have made a lot of people happy.

Me on formats? I just use plain old EPUB and I am very happy with that. I realize that there are a ton of people on here who love to explore and try things. But... realize there are also SO many who do not engage in Calibre or FB2 and have found EPUB to be the universal standard and just plain old easy to read in.

cfrizz · 05-05-2010, 06:36 PM

Agreed Robert. I wish the standard was Epub across the board.

Davimee · 05-05-2010, 09:51 PM

I've tried playing around a bit with CoolReader, but am having trouble with formatting. If I put .fb2 at the end of an epub book, it looks much different in CoolReader than with the epub viewer. I love the status bar at the top, and wish that was available in epub. But I can't figure out how to fix the formatting in CoolReader. It deletes all lines between paragraphs, chapter headings are different, and the reading experience just doesn't seem as good. As many people here that love CoolReader, I must be doing something wrong.

How do you all get the formatting to look the same in CoolReader as the epub viewer?

ThomasMcKean · 05-05-2010, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davimee

I've tried playing around a bit with CoolReader, but am having trouble with formatting. If I put .fb2 at the end of an epub book, it looks much different in CoolReader than with the epub viewer. I love the status bar at the top, and wish that was available in epub. But I can't figure out how to fix the formatting in CoolReader. It deletes all lines between paragraphs, chapter headings are different, and the reading experience just doesn't seem as good. As many people here that love CoolReader, I must be doing something wrong.

How do you all get the formatting to look the same in CoolReader as the epub viewer?

Yew configure the epub.css file to how yew want the format to look. Takes a bit of programming knowledge. I been thinking about uploading a few samples.

Davimee · 05-05-2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasMcKean

Yew configure the epub.css file to how yew want the format to look. Takes a bit of programming knowledge. I been thinking about uploading a few samples.

Oh... I was hoping it was something simple, like a setting on the Pocket Pro, itself. Guess I will have to pass on that, then. I need things to be easy.

theducks · 05-06-2010, 12:23 AM

The stuff you would mess with

is fairly simple, done with a text editor (not a Word Processor which will make a mess) like Notepad.exe (notepad++ is a free replacement that colorizes the scree to match parenthsis/braces and keywords for ease of getting thing paired up.

Make a copy of an EPUB file.
Unzip it into a temporary folder (You can add .zip to the filename or "Open With" <your unzip program>
Look for the css file(s).
Pick the first one (if numbered), Edit

A lot of the things will make sense, like Margins
What you need to figure out, is what way the original book designer used to specify things.
pt, em, % (of screen space)
Now that you have your head wrapped around this stuff, Time to figure out which one of thos do you change.

To start, open the book section you want to change in another text editor window So you can flip between the css and the page.

What you are looking for is the controlling style tag in the book
Now find the EXACT same name in the css (beware of similar: txt, txt1)
I wanted my font to default a little bigger (without resorting to the PEz zoom).
so I found the Body tag and changed the font from .978em to 1.1em

Oh and I wanted left justify, not justify, so I changed that line also
All the files up, and change the name back to .EPUB and tryit on a reader/program.

Sigil .2 takes care of all the work, just open the EPUB with Sigil
Find the Styles section.. doubleclick..edit
find the chapter in Text... doubleclick and see

Davimee · 05-06-2010, 01:05 AM

I think I'll just stick with reading books using the Adobe software on the Pocket Pro.

Looking at what you've got there, I could probably figure it out, but I don't think I'll take the time to do it. It's easier just to start reading the way things are.

04-18-2010, 09:39 PM	#18
Spiffy Groupie Posts: 160 Karma: 416 Join Date: Apr 2010 Device: Astak EZ Reader Pro AND Sony PRS-505	Yeah... file sizes. Overall its probably not a HUGE issue with the ginormous memory cards available these days, but I have to think that a format which tends towards a smaller (more efficient?) file size might load faster and be a bit less error-prone. Don't ePubs tend to be a bit bloated compared to straight zipped HTMLs? At least that seems the pattern from ones I've spat out of Calibre conversions. Last edited by Spiffy; 04-18-2010 at 09:41 PM.

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04-16-2010, 02:47 PM	#16
cancelx Nervous Groupie Posts: 154 Karma: 22 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Nova Scotia Device: Pocket Pro	Dave-- told ya i was new at this (grin) thanks man so-- epub is not read by coolreader unless you use .fb2 trick. ADE is reading epub right? and uses TTS, BUT only 9 fonts right? (only, ha, as if thats not enough) PP is a cool unit !

04-18-2010, 07:08 PM	#17
cancelx Nervous Groupie Posts: 154 Karma: 22 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Nova Scotia Device: Pocket Pro	Hi. Can PDF files be ZIPPED ON the PP in a directory (i mean on an SD card in the PP) There is a series of comics I want to add, but they are like 16MEG per comic. Can I put them all in a Zipped Folder and have one comic unzip at a time when it's read?

04-19-2010, 03:38 AM	#19
aegeus Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 30 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: EZReader 5	Until I have recently discovered CoolReader on the device I would prefer mobi format but after that everything changed. Now I add an fb2 extension to the epub files and enjoy the multi choices of font type - font size etc. inside the CoolReader during reading. My new choice is epub format with an .fb2 at the end )

04-19-2010, 11:34 AM	#20
Randal6393 Ebook Addict for ten year Posts: 17 Karma: 58 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Charlotte, NC, USA Device: Ebookwise 1150, Bebook Mini as lbook, Dell Axim Pocket PC	Hmmmm ... I always run my ebooks through Calibre and convert to mobi -- my personal favorite. Realize ePub is a great format but am used to mobi/prc. But using Calibre to convert formats is a great way to increase the flexibility of sourcing ebooks. Have taken a tip from this forum and convert my books to ePub, then convert to mobi before sending to my PP. Seems to result in fewer errors. Next step: to experiment with CSS and formatting to get my text just the way I like it. Enjoy

05-05-2010, 02:53 PM	#23
cloggy Connoisseur Posts: 78 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Amstelveen, NL Device: Kobo Aura HD, Sony PRS-T1	My preferred format is ePub and by using OpenInkpot, I do not have the limitations (irritations?) of 9 zoom levels. Several built-in fonts, margin settings, line spacing, zoom levels, etc. are all available with FBReader, plus a copy/delete functionality. Note that Coolreader3 is also available (not used by me..). PDF format handling is poor but I know they are working to improve it. Sorry for the Jinke/Hanlin/Astak firmware die-hards ..

05-05-2010, 06:36 PM	#25
cfrizz Wizard Posts: 1,570 Karma: 36389706 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Quincy, MA Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite	Agreed Robert. I wish the standard was Epub across the board.

05-05-2010, 09:51 PM	#26
Davimee Happy Wife & Momma Posts: 532 Karma: 1634 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: USA Device: Purple Astak Pocket Pro! :)	I've tried playing around a bit with CoolReader, but am having trouble with formatting. If I put .fb2 at the end of an epub book, it looks much different in CoolReader than with the epub viewer. I love the status bar at the top, and wish that was available in epub. But I can't figure out how to fix the formatting in CoolReader. It deletes all lines between paragraphs, chapter headings are different, and the reading experience just doesn't seem as good. As many people here that love CoolReader, I must be doing something wrong. How do you all get the formatting to look the same in CoolReader as the epub viewer?

05-06-2010, 12:23 AM	#29
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 31,055 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	The stuff you would mess with is fairly simple, done with a text editor (not a Word Processor which will make a mess) like Notepad.exe (notepad++ is a free replacement that colorizes the scree to match parenthsis/braces and keywords for ease of getting thing paired up. Make a copy of an EPUB file. Unzip it into a temporary folder (You can add .zip to the filename or "Open With" <your unzip program> Look for the css file(s). Pick the first one (if numbered), Edit A lot of the things will make sense, like Margins What you need to figure out, is what way the original book designer used to specify things. pt, em, % (of screen space) Now that you have your head wrapped around this stuff, Time to figure out which one of thos do you change. To start, open the book section you want to change in another text editor window So you can flip between the css and the page. What you are looking for is the controlling style tag in the book Now find the EXACT same name in the css (beware of similar: txt, txt1) I wanted my font to default a little bigger (without resorting to the PEz zoom). so I found the Body tag and changed the font from .978em to 1.1em Oh and I wanted left justify, not justify, so I changed that line also All the files up, and change the name back to .EPUB and tryit on a reader/program. Sigil .2 takes care of all the work, just open the EPUB with Sigil Find the Styles section.. doubleclick..edit find the chapter in Text... doubleclick and see

05-06-2010, 01:05 AM	#30
Davimee Happy Wife & Momma Posts: 532 Karma: 1634 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: USA Device: Purple Astak Pocket Pro! :)	I think I'll just stick with reading books using the Adobe software on the Pocket Pro. Looking at what you've got there, I could probably figure it out, but I don't think I'll take the time to do it. It's easier just to start reading the way things are.