YouTube: VERY short comparison - Paperwhite 3 and Kobo Glo HD - screen colour

[JSWolf]

The reviewer got that all wrong. The settings do work in RMDSK (ADE) no problem. I might have to put in a comment about this error.

[terendel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The reviewer got that all wrong. The settings do work in RMDSK (ADE) no problem. I might have to put in a comment about this error.

I sideloaded several ePubs, and I couldn't any of the options to work. I've updated the article to indicate it may be user error, though.

I thought I read somewhere (can't find the reference) that said that some of the Kobo options wouldn't work with ePubs. I truly had a miserable experience with straight ePubs, and I tried several. All I could adjust was margins. Nothing else. Not line spacing or font weight or any of the cool options which set apart the Kobo. Top and bottom margins were off, and the books just looked terrible. As soon as I converted to kePub, all oddness disappeared.

Just called it like I saw it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by terendel

I sideloaded several ePubs, and I couldn't any of the options to work. I've updated the article to indicate it may be user error, though.

I thought I read somewhere (can't find the reference) that said that some of the Kobo options wouldn't work with ePubs. I truly had a miserable experience with straight ePubs, and I tried several. All I could adjust was margins. Nothing else. Not line spacing or font weight or any of the cool options which set apart the Kobo. Top and bottom margins were off, and the books just looked terrible. As soon as I converted to kePub, all oddness disappeared.

Just called it like I saw it.

You can get ePub that will be badly coded such that the settings will not work. I downloaded the free ePub from Phoenix Picks today and I was unable to change the font size in ADe (2.0 for Windows). The problem is that if the settings worked everywhere, that would mean that RMDSK is overriding everything that's changeable via the settings. A lot of ePub reading apps for Android do this and they override so much, they almost ignore the CSS. Properly made ePub work.

Download the following free ePub and you'll be able to use the settings on a Kobo in RMSDK with that ePub no problem.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=177182

[terendel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You can get ePub that will be badly coded such that the settings will not work. I downloaded the free ePub from Phoenix Picks today and I was unable to change the font size in ADe (2.0 for Windows). The problem is that if the settings worked everywhere, that would mean that RMDSK is overriding everything that's changeable via the settings. A lot of ePub reading apps for Android do this and they override so much, they almost ignore the CSS. Properly made ePub work.

Download the following free ePub and you'll be able to use the settings on a Kobo in RMSDK with that ePub no problem.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=177182

Yes, that worked. Apparently I had a bad batch of ePubs, including files converted with Calibre from .azw to ePub. Any suggestions on Calibre settings to make properly coded ePubs?

For what it's worth, even on that file, I don't like where the top margin sits. I guess I prefer the header and footers in kePubs, even though there's less text on the screen.

I think my statement in the article that users will have to become conversant with Calibre is still valid. One of the ePubs I used was from my library, so it's not like I was trying files from odd sources the average user won't run across. (I'll admit the fanfic downloaded from AO3 might have been badly coded. )

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by terendel

For what it's worth, even on that file, I don't like where the top margin sits.

It's not appropriate for me to elaborate here, but if that bothers you for standard epubs there are a couple of different ways to configure the top page margin to your taste. Both solutions are of the type "fix-once-then-forget-about-it" rather than "fix every epub manually". If you want to pursue it you can post a question in the Kobo forum for more details.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by terendel

Yes, that worked. Apparently I had a bad batch of ePubs, including files converted with Calibre from .azw to ePub. Any suggestions on Calibre settings to make properly coded ePubs?

For what it's worth, even on that file, I don't like where the top margin sits. I guess I prefer the header and footers in kePubs, even though there's less text on the screen.

I think my statement in the article that users will have to become conversant with Calibre is still valid. One of the ePubs I used was from my library, so it's not like I was trying files from odd sources the average user won't run across. (I'll admit the fanfic downloaded from AO3 might have been badly coded. )

.azw = Mobipocket and a lot of Mobipocket can be full of poor code. Calibre does not fix up the code so you will be getting garbage in, garbage out.

I've seen ePub from the big publishers be full of rather poor coding. It's a lot better now though. What eBook was it you downloaded from your library that didn't work. I'd like to know if I have access to it and can give it a try. I'd like to see what in the CSS/XML is causing the problem.

If you convert from KF8 (AZW3) to ePub, don't actually convert. Use the KindleUnplug plugin to shift the code to ePub and then use Calibre's eBook editor to validate the ePub. Once you fix any errors found, you've got a good conversion. Most KF8 started off life as ePub and was converted from there to KF8. So all you are doing is moving the code back to ePub.

As for the top margin, in that ePub I linked, all you need do is use the eBook editor in Calibre, change the top margin in bosy in the CSS and you can have it be whatever you want.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

.azw = Mobipocket and a lot of Mobipocket can be full of poor code. Calibre does not fix up the code so you will be getting garbage in, garbage out.

"AZW" is simply a file extension and tells you nothing about the format. All books downloaded directly to a Kindle will have a ".AZW" file extension, regardless of whether they are MOBI7 or KF8 format. "Kindle for PC", on the other hand, does use "AZW" for MOBI7 and "AZW3" for KF8.

[disconnected]

Originally Posted by HarryT

"AZW" is simply a file extension and tells you nothing about the format. All books downloaded directly to a Kindle will have a ".AZW" file extension, regardless of whether they are MOBI7 or KF8 format. "Kindle for PC", on the other hand, does use "AZW" for MOBI7 and "AZW3" for KF8.

I wonder why that is. When I download a book to the PC for transfer to a PW I usually get an AZW3 file.

[terendel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I've seen ePub from the big publishers be full of rather poor coding. It's a lot better now though. What eBook was it you downloaded from your library that didn't work. I'd like to know if I have access to it and can give it a try. I'd like to see what in the CSS/XML is causing the problem.

Envy the Night by Michael Koryta

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by terendel

I sideloaded several ePubs, and I couldn't any of the options to work. I've updated the article to indicate it may be user error, though.

I did find the Glo HD out of the box didn't format epubs brilliantly. It left a large gap at the bottom that I had to install a patch to remove. No big deal, but beyond the "average" user. Saying that, my epubs were side-loaded, and the average user will be buying direct from Kobo. As long as the Kobo books work good out-of-the-box, then I see no issue. If one leaves the path, one must find one's own way.

[terendel]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I did find the Glo HD out of the box didn't format epubs brilliantly. It left a large gap at the bottom that I had to install a patch to remove. No big deal, but beyond the "average" user. Saying that, my epubs were side-loaded, and the average user will be buying direct from Kobo. As long as the Kobo books work good out-of-the-box, then I see no issue. If one leaves the path, one must find one's own way.

That was kind of my point in the article. If you are okay with buying books from Kobo, then no problem. If, however, you want to buy from other sources, you're going to want to become good friends with Calibre or learn to hack/patch.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

"AZW" is simply a file extension and tells you nothing about the format. All books downloaded directly to a Kindle will have a ".AZW" file extension, regardless of whether they are MOBI7 or KF8 format. "Kindle for PC", on the other hand, does use "AZW" for MOBI7 and "AZW3" for KF8.

The .azw files in question are in Calibre and in Calibre .azw is Mobipocket.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by terendel

Envy the Night by Michael Koryta

I've put this on reserve so I can give it a go.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by HarryT

"AZW" is simply a file extension and tells you nothing about the format. All books downloaded directly to a Kindle will have a ".AZW" file extension, regardless of whether they are MOBI7 or KF8 format. "Kindle for PC", on the other hand, does use "AZW" for MOBI7 and "AZW3" for KF8.

Originally Posted by disconnected

I wonder why that is. When I download a book to the PC for transfer to a PW I usually get an AZW3 file.

Interesting. When I download to Kindle for Mac, the file comes with a flat .azw extension. I have to crack it open to find out if I ended up with an azw3 or mobi.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by odamizu

Interesting. When I download to Kindle for Mac, the file comes with a flat .azw extension. I have to crack it open to find out if I ended up with an azw3 or mobi.

Which precisely illustrates my point that the extension varies with the platform. One cannot make a blanket statement, as Jon did, that "AZW = MOBI7". That's not true.