Cybook & Ebook Studio .pdb files

[adelheid]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

However, and I *keep* pointing this out in various threads, BookDesigner *WILL* create .prc files as well as *basic* Palmdoc .pdb files so what's the problem? It's *FREE* and if you scoot over to the Sony Reader part of these forums, you'll find download links to it.

As I said, I work on a Mac, don't have a Windows machine (only a virtual one). As far as I can tell, BookDesigner is Windows-only. And I would just like to create my books on the Mac.

*THAT* is the problem

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by adelheid

As I said, I work on a Mac, don't have a Windows machine (only a virtual one). As far as I can tell, BookDesigner is Windows-only. And I would just like to create my books on the Mac.

*THAT* is the problem

I take it you have an older Mac with the Motorola processor set, not one of the newer ones with the Intel Core 2? Because with the newer ones it's possible to install WinXP into its own drive partition and dual-boot. Perhaps an el-cheapo used notebook PC might be the solution??? That is, if you have a lot of ebooks to format.

[adelheid]

I think you miss my point. As I have mentioned, I have a virtual Windows machine on my Mac, I use Mobipocket Creator right now.

What I *WANT* is to work on my Mac, and not be forced to switch when I want to create an ebook. That's all.

Up to now, I had a Palm M515 as my ebook reader. I am used to being able to create my books on the Mac. I would wish to be able to continue to do so.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by adelheid

I think you miss my point. As I have mentioned, I have a virtual Windows machine on my Mac, I use Mobipocket Creator right now.

What I *WANT* is to work on my Mac, and not be forced to switch when I want to create an ebook. That's all.

Up to now, I had a Palm M515 as my ebook reader. I am used to being able to create my books on the Mac. I would wish to be able to continue to do so.

There are programs for a MAC that will create Palm Doc format. MAC Palm DOC is one of them. PorDible is another and makeDocDD is a third. Google is your friend.

Dale

[adelheid]

I have used Pordible. I have tried them all. But only Ebook Studio/DropBook can create files with chaptering, headings and footnotes and all, as far as I know. The output of the other tools is not much different from plain text files (which I can read on the Cybook just fine, after all, no need for conversion).

I don't insist on the PalmDoc format at all. I just want to be able to create ebooks, on the Mac, with chapters, headings, footnotes. Any format will do, as long as it is readable on the Cybook and doesn't require switching to Windows.

If it is not possible, then it is not possible.

I would still like to know however, how anyone was able to read Ebook Studio formatted pdb's on the Cybook. That was my original question.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by adelheid

I have used Pordible. But it can't create files with chaptering, headings and footnotes and all. They are not much different from plain text files (which I can read on the Cybook just fine, after all).

PalmDoc does not support these things although there is support in some versions for bookmarks which can be used to provide 'toc' chapter links. PalmDoc does provide compression and paragraph line wrapping but that is about it.

dale

[tompe]

Originally Posted by adelheid

I don't insist on the PalmDoc format at all. I just want to be able to create ebooks, on the Mac, with chapters, headings, footnotes. Any format will do, as long as it is readable on the Cybook and doesn't require switching to Windows.

Maybe there are tools for creating HTML files with the properties you want? You cannot have images then. For that you currently need some HTML to Mobipocket converter. And for that you can always try to get Mobiperl to work on a Mac (and if you do get it to work please tell me so I can add that in the documentation...).

Hopefully images will be supported in HTML files in a future update of the firmware.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by adelheid

I have used Pordible. I have tried them all. But only Ebook Studio/DropBook can create files with chaptering, headings and footnotes and all, as far as I know. The output of the other tools is not much different from plain text files (which I can read on the Cybook just fine, after all, no need for conversion).

I don't insist on the PalmDoc format at all. I just want to be able to create ebooks, on the Mac, with chapters, headings, footnotes. Any format will do, as long as it is readable on the Cybook and doesn't require switching to Windows.

If it is not possible, then it is not possible.

I would still like to know however, how anyone was able to read Ebook Studio formatted pdb's on the Cybook. That was my original question.

Well, as I said, I *have* been able to read them on mine, so you may well wish to talk to Bookeen about getting a firmware patch. As for chaptering... BookDesigner does that just fine. Never needed headers and footnotes in the novels I read, so I've never really checked out what BD will do in that area.

[adelheid]

Originally Posted by tompe

you can always try to get Mobiperl to work on a Mac (and if you do get it to work please tell me so I can add that in the documentation...).

Yes, I think I will invest time in getting that to work on the Mac. I will let you know how it works out.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Well, as I said, I *have* been able to read them on mine, so you may well wish to talk to Bookeen about getting a firmware patch. As for chaptering... BookDesigner does that just fine. Never needed headers and footnotes in the novels I read, so I've never really checked out what BD will do in that area.

Are you sure that you're not mistaken about the software, Derek? I've done a little checking, and "EBook Studio" is a program specifically for producing "eReader" format books. See:

http://www.ereader.com/products/ebookstudio

The CyBook has never been able to read eReader books. In fact, no eInk device will read this format.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by adelheid

I think you miss my point. As I have mentioned, I have a virtual Windows machine on my Mac, I use Mobipocket Creator right now.

What I *WANT* is to work on my Mac, and not be forced to switch when I want to create an ebook. That's all.

Up to now, I had a Palm M515 as my ebook reader. I am used to being able to create my books on the Mac. I would wish to be able to continue to do so.

The problem seems to be that the OS X is not all that well supported.

[adelheid]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are you sure that you're not mistaken about the software, Derek? I've done a little checking, and "EBook Studio" is a program specifically for producing "eReader" format books. See:

http://www.ereader.com/products/ebookstudio

The CyBook has never been able to read eReader books. In fact, no eInk device will read this format.

Hence my question

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are you sure that you're not mistaken about the software, Derek? I've done a little checking, and "EBook Studio" is a program specifically for producing "eReader" format books. See:

http://www.ereader.com/products/ebookstudio

The CyBook has never been able to read eReader books. In fact, no eInk device will read this format.

Doesn't FBReader read PDB without DRM? If so, then the iLiad has the ability to read eReader format as long as there is no DRM.

[HarryT]

"PDB" is not a format, Jon. You can have ANY type of information in a PDB file.

FBReader will read PalmDoc and MobiPocket files. I don't believe it'll read eReader files; I'm sure that someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Are you sure that you're not mistaken about the software, Derek? I've done a little checking, and "EBook Studio" is a program specifically for producing "eReader" format books. See:

http://www.ereader.com/products/ebookstudio

The CyBook has never been able to read eReader books. In fact, no eInk device will read this format.

See... That's the problem with not having a current-firmware-version Cybook to hand. The one I'm nursing along in hopes of getting it updated has such old firmware (0.91) that it won't read *anything* but non-secure mobipocket files or plain text files. I can't test any of my html or pdb-stored ebooks to see.

As soon as I stumbled across BookDesigner, I switched from eBook Studio to BD because I really wanted to be able to create pdb-Palmdoc, prc-Palmdoc, Sony lrf and MS-Reader lit files and I couldn't do that with eBook Studio. Thus, I have a mixture of eBook Studio pdb and BD pdb ebooks. (And for the definition Nazis here, I'm calling them ebooks as a shorthand from writing 'html or text ebooks stuffed into the pdb file structure' because that's what *EVERY* ordinary person does. )

Derek