Why so many different file formats? - Page 3

mr ploppy · 01-02-2011, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

The Mobi file format is not documented, and of course it's proprietary to Amazon.

How are non-Amazon approved programs like Calibre and Mobiunpack able to handle them?

HarryT · 01-02-2011, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by screwballl

When I did my research a little over a month ago, ALL currently selling readers can use the mobi format (since mobi was around before amazon bought them)

No, that's absolutely untrue. The majority of the best-selling readers on the market (eg Sony, B&N, Kobo, etc) can't read Mobi files. They all use Adobe's ADE and support ePub. There are some multiple-format devices around (eg Pocketbook, the various Hanlin clones, etc) which can handle both ePub and DRM-free Mobi) but, other than Amazon, ePub is totally the dominant standard and has been for the last couple of years.

HarryT · 01-02-2011, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

How are non-Amazon approved programs like Calibre and Mobiunpack able to handle them?

Because the format has been reverse-engineered, but the fact remains that it's not officially documented. You can't go to Mobipocket or Amazon and find a definition of the Mobi file format as you can for ePub. EPib is an open standard, meaning that anyone can easily develop tools for it; Mobi is not. And I say that as a Kindle owner; I have no axe to grind here.

s1mp13m4n · 01-02-2011, 03:57 PM

After reading all the replies, what is seems to boil down to is to use whatever my ereader can use and what looks the best to my eyes. I just bought a Jetbook Lite so it will use Mobi and ePUB. I guess I will have to wait and see how the Jetbook looks to me when using Mobi, ePUB, and PDF.

Thanks for the help.

theducks · 01-02-2011, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

After reading all the replies, what is seems to boil down to is to use whatever my ereader can use and what looks the best to my eyes. I just bought a Jetbook Lite so it will use Mobi and ePUB. I guess I will have to wait and see how the Jetbook looks to me when using Mobi, ePUB, and PDF.

Thanks for the help.

Can and DO WELL are 2 different things.

My reader has a Long List of formats that it will Do.

Some it Locks up if you leave it idle. Others run the battery down lots faster. Others just have limited flexibility (besides PDF

)
The last Biggy: If you want to read Library books (in the USA) , Adobe EPUB (or gasp, sometimes, PDF) is what you need (DRM).

s1mp13m4n · 01-02-2011, 10:37 PM

I did not realize that a question about file formats could cause such an issue.

I thought it would be a simple answer. LOL

So, those of you out there with a Jetbook Lite, what file format or formats seem to work the best on the unit? This is turning into a rather fun and exciting ride. I am enjoying learning and I am excited about my new ereader purchase. I just want to learn what I can so when I get it I can use it and get some of the trail and error out of the way now.

tomereader · 01-03-2011, 11:41 AM

I can't find the web page that had it, but I thought an Ectaco features/specifications page had that .txt was the lite's preferred format so I convert to that and have no problems the library format is okay too

astra · 01-03-2011, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomereader

.txt was the lite's preferred format so I convert to that and have no problems the library format is okay too

I know. It is a very personal point of view.

TXT...I would sooner revert back to printed book reading than destroy my reading experience with TXT files. Most of the books (Fantasy and some Sci-Fi) I read have tons of italics, bold, different layout to emphasize different things etc. TXT would completely ruin reading experience for me.

HarryT · 01-03-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

I know. It is a very personal point of view.

TXT...I would sooner revert back to printed book reading than destroy my reading experience with TXT files. Most of the books (Fantasy and some Sci-Fi) I read have tons of italics, bold, different layout to emphasize different things etc. TXT would completely ruin reading experience for me.

I totally agree. A large part of the proof-reading I do consists of restoring the formatting to what were originally PG text files which have lost all their formatting.

tomereader · 01-03-2011, 05:33 PM

It wasn't my point of view really..s1mp13m4n had asked those who _used_ a JBL to comment and I finally remembered where I read that:

"The following book formats are supported: eReader DRM, FictionBook (.fb2), Plain Text (.txt), Mobipocket (.mobi), PRC, EPUB, RTF, PDF. For best performance, it is recommended that you use TXT (text) files"

quoted from the Ectaco Quck Start Guide: http://www.ectaco.com/products/mater...e_QS_ENG1_.pdf

screwballl · 01-03-2011, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1mp13m4n

I did not realize that a question about file formats could cause such an issue.

I thought it would be a simple answer. LOL

So, those of you out there with a Jetbook Lite, what file format or formats seem to work the best on the unit? This is turning into a rather fun and exciting ride. I am enjoying learning and I am excited about my new ereader purchase. I just want to learn what I can so when I get it I can use it and get some of the trail and error out of the way now.

Nah you will learn quickly there are a few people here that like to beat a dead horse and instead of letting the answer sit, they turn it into a 30 page thread.

OtterBooks · 01-03-2011, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Which ones are the most loved and preferred?

The cute bookish ones, naturally.

tomereader · 01-04-2011, 12:05 AM

I feel really stupid in not saying this in my previous post that as far as myself (blind user) ....

format really isn't going to matter much when at 24 font size I see 12-13 lines and at 32 font I see 5-7 lines per page turn in landscape mode I rarely see a whole paragraph on the screen...

JSWolf · 01-04-2011, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Examples:
NTSC vs PAL (old TV signal standard) ((DTV has a way better Picture but fails TOTALY in weak signal (emergency?) conditions)

HDTV rocks!

JSWolf · 01-04-2011, 09:26 PM

The top format (IMHO) is ePub. More devices support ePub then any other format. I have a 650 that handles ePub. If I decided to switch to a nook or an iPad (for example), the ePub I already have would be good to go. If I had say a Kindle or a Bookeen gen3 with the Mobipocket firmware and I wanted to switch to say a nook, my ePub could not come with me as is. And, if I was using a Gen3 with the Mobipocket firmware and wanted to switch to an iPad, none of them can go with me as is. So really, ePub is the most flexible format in terms on what reading device to get.

I am not so limited with ePub as I would be with other formats.

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01-02-2011, 03:57 PM	#34
s1mp13m4n Zealot Posts: 127 Karma: 1278 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Kindle Oasis	After reading all the replies, what is seems to boil down to is to use whatever my ereader can use and what looks the best to my eyes. I just bought a Jetbook Lite so it will use Mobi and ePUB. I guess I will have to wait and see how the Jetbook looks to me when using Mobi, ePUB, and PDF. Thanks for the help.

01-02-2011, 10:37 PM	#36
s1mp13m4n Zealot Posts: 127 Karma: 1278 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Kindle Oasis	I did not realize that a question about file formats could cause such an issue. I thought it would be a simple answer. LOL So, those of you out there with a Jetbook Lite, what file format or formats seem to work the best on the unit? This is turning into a rather fun and exciting ride. I am enjoying learning and I am excited about my new ereader purchase. I just want to learn what I can so when I get it I can use it and get some of the trail and error out of the way now.

01-03-2011, 11:41 AM	#37
tomereader Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 664461 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: North Coast of Ohio Device: Ectaco JBL, Archos 5, 7, 70, Kindle DXG, Craig 7, Vizio Vtab	I can't find the web page that had it, but I thought an Ectaco features/specifications page had that .txt was the lite's preferred format so I convert to that and have no problems the library format is okay too

01-03-2011, 05:33 PM	#40
tomereader Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 664461 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: North Coast of Ohio Device: Ectaco JBL, Archos 5, 7, 70, Kindle DXG, Craig 7, Vizio Vtab	It wasn't my point of view really..s1mp13m4n had asked those who _used_ a JBL to comment and I finally remembered where I read that: "The following book formats are supported: eReader DRM, FictionBook (.fb2), Plain Text (.txt), Mobipocket (.mobi), PRC, EPUB, RTF, PDF. For best performance, it is recommended that you use TXT (text) files" quoted from the Ectaco Quck Start Guide: http://www.ectaco.com/products/mater...e_QS_ENG1_.pdf

01-04-2011, 12:05 AM	#43
tomereader Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 664461 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: North Coast of Ohio Device: Ectaco JBL, Archos 5, 7, 70, Kindle DXG, Craig 7, Vizio Vtab	I feel really stupid in not saying this in my previous post that as far as myself (blind user) .... format really isn't going to matter much when at 24 font size I see 12-13 lines and at 32 font I see 5-7 lines per page turn in landscape mode I rarely see a whole paragraph on the screen...

01-04-2011, 09:26 PM	#45
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,785 Karma: 146391129 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The top format (IMHO) is ePub. More devices support ePub then any other format. I have a 650 that handles ePub. If I decided to switch to a nook or an iPad (for example), the ePub I already have would be good to go. If I had say a Kindle or a Bookeen gen3 with the Mobipocket firmware and I wanted to switch to say a nook, my ePub could not come with me as is. And, if I was using a Gen3 with the Mobipocket firmware and wanted to switch to an iPad, none of them can go with me as is. So really, ePub is the most flexible format in terms on what reading device to get. I am not so limited with ePub as I would be with other formats.

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