Mobi or epub-which do you prefer? - Page 2

OtterBooks · 06-24-2011, 12:24 PM

I presume the question refers to the formats, not the DRM commonly associated with them.

For obvious reasons I don't use epub, but honestly it does sound better. I like the bit of style that dropcaps and embedded fonts add to some novels (like handwritten letters), and some classic novels have cool illustrations that, so far as I hear, epub handles more gracefully.

Beerman · 06-24-2011, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

I presume the question refers to the formats, not the DRM commonly associated with them.

Yes, I was curious about the formats only.
I appreciate all the discussion on the subject.

PaulineDesigns · 06-24-2011, 02:24 PM

I have an Aluratek Libre Pro and it supports both. On it I'd take mobi over epub because the progress also shows up in percentage instead of just page numbers with mobi and also because mobi ebooks don't have the page numbers show up over the text on the right margin of the screen. Most of the time I convert everything to fb2 because it works great on both my and my Hip Street ereader or to rtf when I want to use my PDA with ubook.

shanghaichica · 06-24-2011, 03:40 PM

Mobi. I've got a kindle and a Sony. I prefer the look of mobi on the kindle. Plus there is no messing about with ADE.

Jack Tingle · 06-25-2011, 10:55 AM

I voted mobi, but it's by a very slight margin.

mobi/azw files are actually better for many things because of their lack of features. If all you want to do is read text with bold, italics, etc. mobi works very well and has few bad habits.

epub has more features, but it also has more features for the file creator to screw up. And they do. With great regularity, in my experience.

I still prefer MS Reader in a lot of ways. I think it was the overall best designed reading software to date. MS screwed up big there by trying to be anal.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

crich70 · 06-26-2011, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I chose MOBI because that's what I know.

Me too Nyssa. I've always been more familiar with Mobi format so though epub is more common place (or so I understand) I chose Mobi.

Danielle · 06-26-2011, 03:51 PM

ePub -- I can this format on more than one ereader!

AnemicOak · 06-26-2011, 04:07 PM

I honestly couldn't care less personally. Both deliver an adequate reading experience for the books I read, which are generally genre fiction or PD classics.

ePub is a better format in theory if not in practice. I don't know about you guys, but I own hundreds of books in both formats and almost 100% of the time they basically look the same. I've hardly ever seen a commercial book take advantage of the things ePub can actually do.

jabberwock_11 · 06-26-2011, 04:14 PM

I have always preferred other formats to epub. Even though the epub format has become the default semi-universal format it has always bothered me that a page turn does not usually equate to a page number. i.e. if you are on what is listed as page 101 and hit the page turn button, with an epub formatted ebook, you may still be on page 101. With epub it can take 2 or 3 page turns to move on to a new page. With mobi or lrf I always knew that a 600 page ebook would take 600 page turns to get from "cover to cover" but that same ebook in the epub format might be listed as a 340 page book...which ACTUALLY takes 600 page turns to complete. It may seem like a minor complaint, but it is enough of an annoyance for me to completely avoid epub whenever possible.

Greg Anos · 06-26-2011, 04:47 PM

Epub. Easier to bit twiddle - I use as hex editor (HexEdit 3.0 - recommended) to do global repair edits for the exploded epub files.

But most important, better compression! I am one of those who keeps a library in his reader. A typical epub is half the size of the same mobi title.

Phogg · 06-26-2011, 08:15 PM

I miss .lit reading.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Tingle

I voted mobi, but it's by a very slight margin.

mobi/azw files are actually better for many things because of their lack of features. If all you want to do is read text with bold, italics, etc. mobi works very well and has few bad habits.

epub has more features, but it also has more features for the file creator to screw up. And they do. With great regularity, in my experience.

I still prefer MS Reader in a lot of ways. I think it was the overall best designed reading software to date. MS screwed up big there by trying to be anal.

Regards,
Jack Tingle

+1

Namekuseijin · 06-26-2011, 09:12 PM

I prefer ePub because it's what everyone but Amazon uses. Also because it's an open format based on xhtml.

montsnmags · 06-26-2011, 10:14 PM

I prefer mobi for the one feature that is a priority for me (and I recognise the notorious subjectivity of this priority): user-selectable, purchasable dictionaries for dictionary-lookup (I know this is not any meaningful priority for some, if not many, but the poll is about personal preference, and it's a priority for me).

Of course, if epub have brought this into their standard now, my preference will be made moot (I'm often inattentive to technical developments when the technology I have is satisfying my needs). Aside from that dictionary feature, my preference would me mild-to-non-existent, likely tending toward's epub's capabilities and future development of the standard but pared down by Calibre's easy "swiss-army-knife" conversions.

Cheers,
Marc

bhartman36 · 06-26-2011, 10:41 PM

I prefer MOBI.

Namekuseijin · 06-26-2011, 10:52 PM

I can use user-selected dictionaries with ePub, at least with my reader software (FBReader).

View Poll Results: Mobi or epub
Mobi	52	26.00%
Epub	148	74.00%
Voters: 200. You may not vote on this poll

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
mobi from epub or converted epub	1611mac	Conversion	2	04-18-2011 07:31 PM
epub to mobi	ConorHughes	Kindle Formats	5	10-24-2010 05:19 PM
Epub to LRF no problem, Epub to Mobi indexerror	Rogier	Calibre	3	06-09-2009 11:42 AM
Setting Calibre to prefer ePub?	Xenophon	Calibre	4	02-13-2009 03:50 AM
What do you prefer: Epub or Adobe Digital Editions?	Dr. Drib	Sony Reader	19	08-25-2008 11:27 AM

06-24-2011, 12:24 PM	#16
OtterBooks Wizard Posts: 1,262 Karma: 2979086 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 4, iPad Mini/Retina	I presume the question refers to the formats, not the DRM commonly associated with them. For obvious reasons I don't use epub, but honestly it does sound better. I like the bit of style that dropcaps and embedded fonts add to some novels (like handwritten letters), and some classic novels have cool illustrations that, so far as I hear, epub handles more gracefully.

06-24-2011, 02:24 PM	#18
PaulineDesigns Connoisseur Posts: 54 Karma: 1634 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Northern Ontario, Canada Device: Aluratek Libre Pro, HS M700, Axim w/uBook	I have an Aluratek Libre Pro and it supports both. On it I'd take mobi over epub because the progress also shows up in percentage instead of just page numbers with mobi and also because mobi ebooks don't have the page numbers show up over the text on the right margin of the screen. Most of the time I convert everything to fb2 because it works great on both my and my Hip Street ereader or to rtf when I want to use my PDA with ubook.

06-24-2011, 03:40 PM	#19
shanghaichica Guru Posts: 989 Karma: 5782970 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: Scribe,Kindle Oasis 3, iPad Pro 11, iPhone 13 Pro Max,iPad mini 6, PW5	Mobi. I've got a kindle and a Sony. I prefer the look of mobi on the kindle. Plus there is no messing about with ADE.

06-25-2011, 10:55 AM	#20
Jack Tingle Punctuation Fetishist Posts: 557 Karma: 1070000 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The Bluest Commonwealth In East America Device: Kindle PW, Nexus 7 (2013), Galaxy S5 phone, Galaxy Tab 4 8.0	I voted mobi, but it's by a very slight margin. mobi/azw files are actually better for many things because of their lack of features. If all you want to do is read text with bold, italics, etc. mobi works very well and has few bad habits. epub has more features, but it also has more features for the file creator to screw up. And they do. With great regularity, in my experience. I still prefer MS Reader in a lot of ways. I think it was the overall best designed reading software to date. MS screwed up big there by trying to be anal. Regards, Jack Tingle

06-26-2011, 03:51 PM	#22
Danielle Enthusiast Posts: 36 Karma: 9102 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: sony 950, eReader from eBookwise.com (sold)	ePub -- I can this format on more than one ereader!

06-26-2011, 04:07 PM	#23
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	I honestly couldn't care less personally. Both deliver an adequate reading experience for the books I read, which are generally genre fiction or PD classics. ePub is a better format in theory if not in practice. I don't know about you guys, but I own hundreds of books in both formats and almost 100% of the time they basically look the same. I've hardly ever seen a commercial book take advantage of the things ePub can actually do.

06-26-2011, 04:14 PM	#24
jabberwock_11 Addict Posts: 231 Karma: 1591305 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Savannah, GA USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2, Aluratek Libre Pro	I have always preferred other formats to epub. Even though the epub format has become the default semi-universal format it has always bothered me that a page turn does not usually equate to a page number. i.e. if you are on what is listed as page 101 and hit the page turn button, with an epub formatted ebook, you may still be on page 101. With epub it can take 2 or 3 page turns to move on to a new page. With mobi or lrf I always knew that a 600 page ebook would take 600 page turns to get from "cover to cover" but that same ebook in the epub format might be listed as a 340 page book...which ACTUALLY takes 600 page turns to complete. It may seem like a minor complaint, but it is enough of an annoyance for me to completely avoid epub whenever possible.

06-26-2011, 04:47 PM	#25
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,248 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	Epub. Easier to bit twiddle - I use as hex editor (HexEdit 3.0 - recommended) to do global repair edits for the exploded epub files. But most important, better compression! I am one of those who keeps a library in his reader. A typical epub is half the size of the same mobi title.

06-26-2011, 09:12 PM	#27
Namekuseijin affordable chipmunk Posts: 1,290 Karma: 9863855 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brazil Device: Sony XPeria ZL, Kindle Paperwhite	I prefer ePub because it's what everyone but Amazon uses. Also because it's an open format based on xhtml.

06-26-2011, 10:14 PM	#28
montsnmags Grand Sorcerer Posts: 10,155 Karma: 4632658 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: none	I prefer mobi for the one feature that is a priority for me (and I recognise the notorious subjectivity of this priority): user-selectable, purchasable dictionaries for dictionary-lookup (I know this is not any meaningful priority for some, if not many, but the poll is about personal preference, and it's a priority for me). Of course, if epub have brought this into their standard now, my preference will be made moot (I'm often inattentive to technical developments when the technology I have is satisfying my needs). Aside from that dictionary feature, my preference would me mild-to-non-existent, likely tending toward's epub's capabilities and future development of the standard but pared down by Calibre's easy "swiss-army-knife" conversions. Cheers, Marc

Advert

Advert

06-26-2011, 10:41 PM	#29
bhartman36 Wizard Posts: 1,316 Karma: 1515835 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 3 Wi-Fi, Craig CMP738a Android Tablet	I prefer MOBI.

06-26-2011, 10:52 PM	#30
Namekuseijin affordable chipmunk Posts: 1,290 Karma: 9863855 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Brazil Device: Sony XPeria ZL, Kindle Paperwhite	I can use user-selected dictionaries with ePub, at least with my reader software (FBReader).