Which one should I get now? - Page 7

rcentros · 01-14-2015, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josieb1

Yes, they all do plus PDF as well. With some publishers a purchase gives all formats (I.e Dreamspinner Press) but for others (like AllRomance) a purchase only gets one format but it's your choice which format you take. You make the decision after purchase when you first download.

Okay, thanks. I was just curious. Although Feedbooks (as an example) releases public domain books in mobi format I believe that they only sell ePub formatted books. I thought maybe others were like that also.

JSWolf · 01-14-2015, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

Obviously mobi is not obsolete since so many still use it. Again, the definition of "obsolete" is "no longer in use; gone into disuse; disused; neglected; ..."

One of the definitions of obsolete is..."of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date:". Read the bold and you'll see this is exactly applies to Mobipocket.

susan_cassidy · 01-15-2015, 12:59 AM

I disagree. Just because something is older doesn't mean that it is outmoded or out of date. Mobi is a perfectly good format, as is it's successor, azw. Mobi/azw probably has more books sold than ePub, due to Amazon's market, and the availability of mobi from places like mobile read, Baenebooks, Smashwords, O'Reilly, etc.

rcentros · 01-15-2015, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

One of the definitions of obsolete is..."of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date:". Read the bold and you'll see this is exactly applies to Mobipocket.

Again, misapplied to mobi. The mobi format has not been "discarded," it's still in wide use. And the only way "outmoded" might be used in this context is using its "out of fashion" definition. But, obviously, the mobi format is only "out of fashion" for those who prefer the ePub format -- since (again) mobi is a widely used format in eBook publishing. Sorry, the definition simply doesn't stick.

"Outmoded" and "out of date" are synonyms to obsolete. The word "obsolete" (itself) is derived from the Latin word which means to "fall out of use." And, again, the mobi format has not "fallen out of use."

JSWolf · 01-15-2015, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

as is it's successor, azw

Mobi & AZW are one and the same.

JSWolf · 01-15-2015, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

Again, misapplied to mobi. The mobi format has not been "discarded," it's still in wide use. And the only way "outmoded" might be used in this context is using its "out of fashion" definition. But, obviously, the mobi format is only "out of fashion" for those who prefer the ePub format -- since (again) mobi is a widely used format in eBook publishing. Sorry, the definition simply doesn't stick.

"Outmoded" and "out of date" are synonyms to obsolete. The word "obsolete" (itself) is derived from the Latin word which means to "fall out of use." And, again, the mobi format has not "fallen out of use."

Just because something is used and exists doesn't mean it's not obsolete. Mobi is and always will be obsolete.

khalleron · 01-15-2015, 12:58 PM

Can we end this argument now? We're into 'is not, is too!' territory. Time to give it up.

speakingtohe · 01-16-2015, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just because something is used and exists doesn't mean it's not obsolete. Mobi is and always will be obsolete.

Not sure I understand you. Mobi still works, is still used and supported on a wide variety of devices, and is still a preferred format of some.

It is like saying text files, html files, Microsoft word files, many others are obsolete because they do no your personal preferences or standards.

Mobi is actually quite useful sometimes in that converting to mobi and back will often filter out a lot of bad formatting commands.

But basically because it is still fairly widely used it is by definition not obsolete

Helen

Josieb1 · 01-16-2015, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speakingtohe

Not sure I understand you. Mobi still works, is still used and supported on a wide variety of devices, and is still a preferred format of some.

It is like saying text files, html files, Microsoft word files, many others are obsolete because they do no your personal preferences or standards.

Mobi is actually quite useful sometimes in that converting to mobi and back will often filter out a lot of bad formatting commands.

But basically because it is still fairly widely used it is by definition not obsolete

Helen

I agree, how can you call a format widely sold today obsolete

Some of us just buy the ebook and read it.

rcentros · 01-18-2015, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josieb1

I agree, how can you call a format widely sold today obsolete

Some of us just buy the ebook and read it.

It seems like just about every thread here eventually ends up as an ePub vs Mobi thread. (I'm exaggerating a little.)

JSWolf · 01-18-2015, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

It seems like just about every thread here eventually ends up as an ePub vs Mobi thread. (I'm exaggerating a little.)

It's not ePub vs. Mobi. KF8 is not obsolete. Mobi is.

A good example of Mobi being obsolete is in the threads where someone says he/she is trying to convert to Mobi and it's not working well enough and the suggestion to convert to KF8 is suggested and that turns out to work.

DaleDe · 01-19-2015, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

It's not ePub vs. Mobi. KF8 is not obsolete. Mobi is.

A good example of Mobi being obsolete is in the threads where someone says he/she is trying to convert to Mobi and it's not working well enough and the suggestion to convert to KF8 is suggested and that turns out to work.

And with KF8 (also known as AWZ3) it is really ePub vs ePub in sheep's clothing. KF8 is really nearly equal and in some ways more than equal with ePub using ePub source and then compiling it into a binary and adding Amazon specific DRM on the results. Amazon has figured out what some here have not, mobi is obsolete. They continue to offer it since there are a lot of older devices that are no longer sold and Amazon is in the eBook business so as long as people buy eBooks they will sell the old format with all of its flaws. All of the current new devices use KF8 although they will still read the older format.

Dale

rcentros · 01-19-2015, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaleDe

Amazon has figured out what some here have not, mobi is obsolete.

When publishers quit selling Mobi books, then they may (eventually) become obsolete. But when publishers as big as O'Reilly's continue to sell Mobi formatted books, you can't call them "obsolete." (At least you can't if words have any real meaning.)

JSWolf · 01-19-2015, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcentros

When publishers quit selling Mobi books, then they may (eventually) become obsolete. But when publishers as big as O'Reilly's continue to sell Mobi formatted books, you can't call them "obsolete." (At least you can't if words have any real meaning.)

Just because Mobi is sold outside of Amazon does not mean it's not obsolete. Mobi is obsolete. It's so obsolete that given a choice of Mobi or something better, Mobi will always lose out.

Lots of obsolete things are still being sold. That doesn't make them any less obsolete.

speakingtohe · 01-19-2015, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just because Mobi is sold outside of Amazon does not mean it's not obsolete. Mobi is obsolete. It's so obsolete that given a choice of Mobi or something better, Mobi will always lose out.

Lots of obsolete things are still being sold. That doesn't make them any less obsolete.

I am sorry to repeat myself but....

Quote:

Not sure I understand you. Mobi still works, is still used and supported on a wide variety of devices, and is still a preferred format of some.

It is like saying text files, html files, Microsoft word files, many others are obsolete because they do no your personal preferences or standards.

Mobi is actually quite useful sometimes in that converting to mobi and back will often filter out a lot of bad formatting commands.

But basically because it is still fairly widely used it is by definition not obsolete

Mobi is very simplistic in that it strips a lot of the user/publisher supplied crap away and weird numbers for font sizes etc. are removed. With a really messy file it often gives you a cleaner place to start, which a few of us like.

Of course KF8 may do the same thing?

It will probably become obsolete in 10 years or more, when the readers that support it well start to die, and/or fancy formatting of the book becomes a primary consideration for most.

I'm probably a minority, but I like all of my books formatted the same. Same font, same justification, same spacing etc. Drop caps, florid letters etc. are fine, but give me consistency every time.

Not that I have any objection to you preferring the fancy formatting.

Helen

01-15-2015, 12:59 AM	#93
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I disagree. Just because something is older doesn't mean that it is outmoded or out of date. Mobi is a perfectly good format, as is it's successor, azw. Mobi/azw probably has more books sold than ePub, due to Amazon's market, and the availability of mobi from places like mobile read, Baenebooks, Smashwords, O'Reilly, etc.

01-15-2015, 12:58 PM	#97
khalleron Kate Posts: 1,700 Karma: 3605799 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Oregon, United States Device: MeeBook, Kobo Libra Colour	Can we end this argument now? We're into 'is not, is too!' territory. Time to give it up.

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