Mobi vs AZW

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Question - when I purchase a book from Amazon, what format am I getting?

Depends on:

a) The book
b) The reading device.

If the publisher has made the book available in both KF8 and Mobi format and your device or app supports KF8, you'll get the KF8 version of the book. If the book is only available in Mobi format, and/or your reading device/app only supports Mobi, you'll get the Mobi version.

I'd guess that about 80% of the books I buy these days are KF8.

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Question - when I purchase a book from Amazon, what format am I getting?

Depends on what Kindle you are downloading the file to, and what formats Amazon has available for the ebook. If I download to my Paperwhite, I most often receive an AZW3. If I download to my Kindle 2, I get an AZW. On occasion, I still get a TPZ file.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Illyria

I always convert all of my mobi files to azw3. Unlike many others here, I don't make any changes within the books (at least so far), so I wouldn't know about the possibilities there, but the one thing I love about azw3 is that on my Kindles the line spacing is displayed in a fashion that's much more comfortable to read (further apart).

You gain nothing converting Mobi to KF8. With Mobi on a Kindle, you can change the line spacing. With some eBooks, unless you know what you are doing with them, you can cause a problem the formatting with a conversion with the default options. So the only way to fix things would be to Tweak Books and edit the KF8 code. Of course, leaving them as Mobi is one way to fix things.

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Depends on:

a) The book
b) The reading device.

If the publisher has made the book available in both KF8 and Mobi format and your device or app supports KF8, you'll get the KF8 version of the book. If the book is only available in Mobi format, and/or your reading device/app only supports Mobi, you'll get the Mobi version.

I'd guess that about 80% of the books I buy these days are KF8.

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

Depends on what Kindle you are downloading the file to, and what formats Amazon has available for the ebook. If I download to my Paperwhite, I most often receive an AZW3. If I download to my Kindle 2, I get an AZW. On occasion, I still get a TPZ file.

Thanks. Since I have the Paperwhite, I will assume that I am getting mostly AZW3.

[jgaiser]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Question - when I purchase a book from Amazon, what format am I getting?

Depends...

Some recent books I purchased were AZW3 and some were MOBI. I think it depends on the publisher.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Depends...

Some recent books I purchased were AZW3 and some were MOBI. I think it depends on the publisher.

I thought you had no choice because when using the current Kindlegen, you get a combo file.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I thought you had no choice because when using the current Kindlegen, you get a combo file.

There are older versions of KindleGen and also other tools to create a Mobi so it could depend on tools/workflow.


For myself the only thing I've been getting Mobi7 files for are titles that have been out for a while.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

There are older versions of KindleGen and also other tools to create a Mobi so it could depend on tools/workflow.


For myself the only thing I've been getting Mobi7 files for are titles that have been out for a while.

I don't see publishers updating just to add KF8. But I would expect them to update Kindlegen.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't see publishers updating just to add KF8. But I would expect them to update Kindlegen.

Some still use Mobipocket Creator for their Mobi files and don't use KindleGen at all.

[jmilica]

Some of the older files are also being updated from AZW to AZW3. When I download to Mac some books I bought two - three years back and I indicate I will read them either on my Kindle 3 or PW, I sometimes now get AZW3 file of what was AZW when I bought them.

[Illyria]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You gain nothing converting Mobi to KF8. With Mobi on a Kindle, you can change the line spacing. With some eBooks, unless you know what you are doing with them, you can cause a problem the formatting with a conversion with the default options. So the only way to fix things would be to Tweak Books and edit the KF8 code. Of course, leaving them as Mobi is one way to fix things.

So far I have never had a problem but one thing is always true: with a book in the KF8 format, the smallest line spacing in KF8 is the largest one in mobi when viewed on the Kindle. I set it the KF8 on medium and it's most comfortable for me to read this way.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by jersysman

Question - when I purchase a book from Amazon, what format am I getting?

Kindle format.

Seriously. You might get Mobi, KF8, Topaz or even Print Replica when you buy from Amazon. Although at least you get told when you buy Print Replica.

Even for a book that's not in Topaz format, whether Amazon sends Mobi or KF8 depends on the device you get it sent to (unless Amazon only have the Mobi version).

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I thought you had no choice because when using the current Kindlegen, you get a combo file.

This is true, but when it gets uploaded to Amazon, Amazon strip it down into its parts, and only send the part appropriate to the device it's being sent to.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Some still use Mobipocket Creator for their Mobi files and don't use KindleGen at all.

I thought Amazon only allowing Kindlegen to be used.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

This is true, but when it gets uploaded to Amazon, Amazon strip it down into its parts, and only send the part appropriate to the device it's being sent to.

Yes, this I know. I was hoping that more of the eBooks I have from Amazon (the free ones) would have been updated more so to KF8. Oh well.