Fictionwise help

kelly1010 · 05-18-2009, 01:53 PM

Hi All,

I want to buy my first book from Fictionwise. It is multi-format and I have a few questions....

Which format should I choose?? Epub or LRF??

It doesn't look like it gives me an option to choose my format. I'm hoping to avoid having to do any conversion, etc myself. I simply want to download this book in whatever format necessary and load it onto my reader.

Thanks

MickeyC · 05-18-2009, 03:02 PM

You can read either LRF or ePub on your 505. I recommend ePub. You'll be able to specify the format once you buy the book and go to your Fictionwise Bookshelf. There will be a pull down list allowiung you to pick which of the multi-formats you want.

Xenophon · 05-18-2009, 03:11 PM

With the multiformat books at Fictionwise you are not stuck with the format you choose at first. You can come back later and download in any or all of the other available formats.

Xenophon

kelly1010 · 05-18-2009, 03:19 PM

GOOD TO KNOW!! I actually went ahead and downloaded the LRF because thats what fictionwise said to do. I might download Epub just to see if there's any difference.

Thanks!!

ShellShock · 05-18-2009, 03:45 PM

There are real differences between how LRF and ePUB are rendered on the PRS, which can affect your choice of which format to use:

1. LRF is displayed fully justified (straight left and right margins); ePUB is displayed left justified (straight left margin, ragged right margin).

2. ePUB is displayed with a small page number in the right margin--this can interfere with the text.

3. LRF uses real "page" numbers, ePUB uses virtual page numbers. This means that an LRF book is slower to open the very first time, or when you change the zoom factor for the first time on that book, because the software has to "pre-render" the pages to work out how many there are, so it can display the page number and total page count correctly.

4. ePUBs are an open standard and becoming more popular, and are likely to have a longer life than LRFs. However, it is easy to convert LRFs to ePUB (using Calibre), provided that they are not copy protected.

Personally, 1 & 2 are sufficient reasons for me to choose LRFs over ePUB for the time being. Also note that 1 & 2 are not problems with ePUB itself, but how the Sony software displays them. Some of us hope that Sony will address this with a new firmware update, but I have my doubts, especially considering their poor financies.

There is also the longer term to think about. When I buy an ebook I want it to last for my life time. I got burned recently by some music I bought online which I can no longer play because I upgraded my PC from XP to Vista, which requires downloading the license again, but the license provider (Microsoft MSN) is no longer active.

With ebooks I am careful to only buy products that are DRM free, or can have the DRM removed so that I can format shift if necessary at some future date, or as a last resort, are DRM ePUB which has a good chance of staying around for some time. So, in 10-20 years time, when Sony PRS505s are a distant memory, I will still be able to read my current purchases, regardless of the device I will be using by then.

kelly1010 · 05-18-2009, 06:19 PM

Thanks for the advice everyone.

@Shellshock
At this point, being able to read the books in 10-20 years not really that important to me, as I only read books once and then I'm done with them. And if I can get 10 years use out of my 505, I will be quite happy and definitely feel I got my money's worth out of them!

So, for now I think I will keep the LRF just because it's already there, and also since I like the idea of a straighter margin.

Renaldo · 05-18-2009, 08:12 PM

I alway buy LRF also. It works, I'm happy with the results, so I don't see any reason to go with EPUB. I have nothing against EPUB, I do have some, but when buying and converting I do LRF.

NuclearWinter · 05-19-2009, 09:48 AM

My preference is for LRF too, mostly for the justified text as mentioned above.

05-18-2009, 01:53 PM	#1
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	Fictionwise help Hi All, I want to buy my first book from Fictionwise. It is multi-format and I have a few questions.... Which format should I choose?? Epub or LRF?? It doesn't look like it gives me an option to choose my format. I'm hoping to avoid having to do any conversion, etc myself. I simply want to download this book in whatever format necessary and load it onto my reader. Thanks

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05-18-2009, 03:02 PM	#2
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,732 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	You can read either LRF or ePub on your 505. I recommend ePub. You'll be able to specify the format once you buy the book and go to your Fictionwise Bookshelf. There will be a pull down list allowiung you to pick which of the multi-formats you want.

05-18-2009, 03:11 PM	#3
Xenophon curmudgeon Posts: 1,481 Karma: 5748190 Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Redwood City, CA USA Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500	With the multiformat books at Fictionwise you are not stuck with the format you choose at first. You can come back later and download in any or all of the other available formats. Xenophon

05-18-2009, 03:19 PM	#4
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	GOOD TO KNOW!! I actually went ahead and downloaded the LRF because thats what fictionwise said to do. I might download Epub just to see if there's any difference. Thanks!!

05-18-2009, 03:45 PM	#5
ShellShock Wizard Posts: 1,176 Karma: 2431850 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: IPad Mini 2 Retina	There are real differences between how LRF and ePUB are rendered on the PRS, which can affect your choice of which format to use: 1. LRF is displayed fully justified (straight left and right margins); ePUB is displayed left justified (straight left margin, ragged right margin). 2. ePUB is displayed with a small page number in the right margin--this can interfere with the text. 3. LRF uses real "page" numbers, ePUB uses virtual page numbers. This means that an LRF book is slower to open the very first time, or when you change the zoom factor for the first time on that book, because the software has to "pre-render" the pages to work out how many there are, so it can display the page number and total page count correctly. 4. ePUBs are an open standard and becoming more popular, and are likely to have a longer life than LRFs. However, it is easy to convert LRFs to ePUB (using Calibre), provided that they are not copy protected. Personally, 1 & 2 are sufficient reasons for me to choose LRFs over ePUB for the time being. Also note that 1 & 2 are not problems with ePUB itself, but how the Sony software displays them. Some of us hope that Sony will address this with a new firmware update, but I have my doubts, especially considering their poor financies. There is also the longer term to think about. When I buy an ebook I want it to last for my life time. I got burned recently by some music I bought online which I can no longer play because I upgraded my PC from XP to Vista, which requires downloading the license again, but the license provider (Microsoft MSN) is no longer active. With ebooks I am careful to only buy products that are DRM free, or can have the DRM removed so that I can format shift if necessary at some future date, or as a last resort, are DRM ePUB which has a good chance of staying around for some time. So, in 10-20 years time, when Sony PRS505s are a distant memory, I will still be able to read my current purchases, regardless of the device I will be using by then.

05-18-2009, 06:19 PM	#6
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	Thanks for the advice everyone. @Shellshock At this point, being able to read the books in 10-20 years not really that important to me, as I only read books once and then I'm done with them. And if I can get 10 years use out of my 505, I will be quite happy and definitely feel I got my money's worth out of them! So, for now I think I will keep the LRF just because it's already there, and also since I like the idea of a straighter margin.

05-18-2009, 08:12 PM	#7
Renaldo Addict Posts: 294 Karma: 250590 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Great Pacific Northwest Device: Kindle 3G + WiFi	I alway buy LRF also. It works, I'm happy with the results, so I don't see any reason to go with EPUB. I have nothing against EPUB, I do have some, but when buying and converting I do LRF.

05-19-2009, 09:48 AM	#8
NuclearWinter Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505, Kindle PW2, iPad Mini, Nexus 6	My preference is for LRF too, mostly for the justified text as mentioned above.

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