New Ebook format AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format

[blazejos]

Hello

Just d'like to mention for author and developers that somewhere in network existing New format of Ebooks. Why was created because machines such like XT,AT,386,486 end early Pentiums are used by Retro-computer enthusiasts usually with some DOS as main OS. Now very popular is FreeDOS https://www.freedos.org/ which is an MS-DOS which many properties and commands of Linux. So for DOS not existing any epub reader only old and ancient pdf reader around v 1.0 which is working with pdf but only on the computers with VGA cards and around 486 and > UP in processor power.

That is why Mateusz created AMB with all this limitations of early PC in mind about hardware capabilities and text mode as main display.
Here about AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format official release document with specification and examples and web browser server software for opening this ebooks format in browser. BTW format isn't complicated is a series of txt files compiled together to create a hypertext that user can jump between chapters. Many limitations are imposed on text length in chapters for example based on capabilities of most ancient IBM XT computer which is a grandfather of all PC which we using today. Simple this new format can be easy and without problems used on oldest possible configuration of PC with most limited hardware possible like in famous joke from early 80's "640kb of RAM is everything what any user my need".

This format is now in use by retro computers enthusiasts to keep documentation which can easy access on your pc without use secondary modern tablet to browse manuals etc. Thera are also some examples of litrature book keep in this format like Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (Mary Shelley) http://amb.osdn.io/phpamb.php?fname=lib/franken.amb

In FreeDOS forum existing also an community around this format where others program for DOS where created which are helpful to use this on your old computer god example is amb-utils https://github.com/clasqm/amb-utilsmenu and tools to scanning your Ancient noisy HDD for existing AMB files after that you have nice txt menu where you can access collection of your books with arrows and enter button. Something like Calibre but from early 80's.

As for now AMB is working on early PC's but based on simplicity of format is possible to write readers for other ancient non PC's computer I have in mind Amiga, Atari ST and others 16bit they should handle this format without problem they have enough RAM and CPU power. Don't know how this format can be possible handled by 8bit CPU like Commodore 64 or Atari 8bit now they have new storage devices based on SD card so diskettes are not a limit probably RAM or power of CPU may impose some limitations.

So I d'like to ask Calibre community If you d'like to consider add this format to your program as a supported file. That may helps growing interest around this AMB and hopefully will your helps to establish AMB as a little brother of epub for old computers.

[kovidgoyal]

calibre's format support is based on plugins, you are welcome to create plugins for amb input/output/metadata if you wish to add support for it to calibre.

[Quoth]

In theory an epub renderer or mobi renderer will work on a 386 on DOS. If you wrote it.

Ebooks worked on Palm OS 160 x 160 screen using two different pdb formats. Calibre can convert to either pdb format. A true ebook format. Mobipocket reads either format and had one as native. It was the main ebook app on Symbian, Palm OS and Windows CE (PDAs and some phones) before 2004. I have a working Palm Z22 with Mobipocket.

There is / was also a text based web browser for DOS.

I also wrote a DOS based text editor/viewer in Modula-2 for DOS that optionally supported a Sound Blaster with its own inbuilt driver. It worked on CGA, Hercules, EGA, VGA and could edit files only limited by disk capacity, not RAM. Easily ran in < 512 K RAM. Maybe 256 K. It supported hyperlinks to same level of directory as source file.

AMB doesn't seem to offer much different to the Mobipocket pdb format on Palm OS. I forget what it was like on Symbian and Windows CE. Probably those used something closer to mobi format. Either .prc or .mobi. Amazon bought Mobipocket in 2004 and then released the Kindle in 2007. Really a mobi reader on DOS is more use, over 60,000 books on gutenberg alone.

Mobipocket supported Symbian, Windows Mobile (Windows CE), Palm OS, webOS, Java ME, BlackBerry, Psion, Kindle, iLiad and desktop windows.

I don't remember a version for actual MS-DOS.

@blazejos You'd need to write maybe two plugins.

[gbm]

Originally Posted by blazejos

Hello

Just d'like to mention for author and developers that somewhere in network existing New format of Ebooks. Why was created because machines such like XT,AT,386,486 end early Pentiums are used by Retro-computer enthusiasts usually with some DOS as main OS. Now very popular is FreeDOS https://www.freedos.org/ which is an MS-DOS which many properties and commands of Linux. So for DOS not existing any epub reader only old and ancient pdf reader around v 1.0 which is working with pdf but only on the computers with VGA cards and around 486 and > UP in processor power.

Spoiler:

That is why Mateusz created AMB with all this limitations of early PC in mind about hardware capabilities and text mode as main display.
Here about AMB: the Ancient Machine Book format official release document with specification and examples and web browser server software for opening this ebooks format in browser. BTW format isn't complicated is a series of txt files compiled together to create a hypertext that user can jump between chapters. Many limitations are imposed on text length in chapters for example based on capabilities of most ancient IBM XT computer which is a grandfather of all PC which we using today. Simple this new format can be easy and without problems used on oldest possible configuration of PC with most limited hardware possible like in famous joke from early 80's "640kb of RAM is everything what any user my need".

This format is now in use by retro computers enthusiasts to keep documentation which can easy access on your pc without use secondary modern tablet to browse manuals etc. Thera are also some examples of litrature book keep in this format like Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus (Mary Shelley) http://amb.osdn.io/phpamb.php?fname=lib/franken.amb

In FreeDOS forum existing also an community around this format where others program for DOS where created which are helpful to use this on your old computer god example is amb-utils https://github.com/clasqm/amb-utilsmenu and tools to scanning your Ancient noisy HDD for existing AMB files after that you have nice txt menu where you can access collection of your books with arrows and enter button. Something like Calibre but from early 80's.

As for now AMB is working on early PC's but based on simplicity of format is possible to write readers for other ancient non PC's computer I have in mind Amiga, Atari ST and others 16bit they should handle this format without problem they have enough RAM and CPU power. Don't know how this format can be possible handled by 8bit CPU like Commodore 64 or Atari 8bit now they have new storage devices based on SD card so diskettes are not a limit probably RAM or power of CPU may impose some limitations.

So I d'like to ask Calibre community If you d'like to consider add this format to your program as a supported file. That may helps growing interest around this AMB and hopefully will your helps to establish AMB as a little brother of epub for old computers.

Why reinvent the horse? Why not just unzip an epub file into a folder, that will give you a simple html files with an index already made. Should work on your web browser.

bernie

[Quoth]

The Lynx browser runs on DOS:
https://archive.org/details/msdos_doslynx_browser

If I'm bored I'll test it in DOSbox (runs on everything, inc ARM phones: Symbian, iOS, Win CE, Android) or any x86 native DOS.

But I'm surprised I didn't find a Mobireader for DOS as the Palm OS one is Text based and the Symbian one is simple. Likely people used Win 3.0 on very basic hardware and an ereader on that.

A DOS one likely doesn't do images.

[Quoth]

Maybe one of these
https://archive.org/search.php?query...ocket%20reader

Edit: It's maybe for Windows CE AKA Pocket PC for a while. Installer actually runs on Wine but install fails.

[blazejos]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

calibre's format support is based on plugins, you are welcome to create plugins for amb input/output/metadata if you wish to add support for it to calibre.

Thanks for fast response never written plugin for Calibre but use this software and have some familiarity with Python so I will start with manual how build plugin for Calibre.

BTW for my favorite books manager is the best on Earth