How Do You Read Your E-Books

RWood · 09-11-2007, 02:59 PM

MobileRead has been posting free beautifully formatted ebooks for a few months now and developed a library of well over one thousand listings in Sony BBeB/LRF, MobiPocket/PRC, and a smattering of other formats.

To help me decide what formats to release books in in the future (and perhaps anyone else reading the results) how do you read your ebooks?

I've added a poll at the top of the page to capture most of the formats I know about. If I've missed your format just ask and I'll add it so we can have a set of poll results that do not depend on reading every entry to ensure that we haven't missed one. It is a multiple answer poll as many people read on several platforms and formats.

Thank you for your participation.

JSWolf · 09-11-2007, 03:12 PM

This poll just looks odd. 250%. My feeling would be to make it one vote for the primary format.

europas_ice · 09-11-2007, 03:14 PM

A poll like this you just ignore the % and look at total # voted for each.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-11-2007, 03:32 PM

This kind of info's always helpful to me: I'm about to release another book, and I want to know which formats are used, and which are not. I was actually considering yanking either the formatted or unformatted PDB format, or RTF, and replacing it with ePub.

Note: When I saw the title of the thread, I expected to be able to respond "Left to Right"...

NatCh · 09-11-2007, 03:34 PM

I think it's interesting to see the secondary (and tertiary, etc.) preferences too, myself.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-11-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

This poll just looks odd. 250%. My feeling would be to make it one vote for the primary format.

But many of us buy in many formats, depending on which one supports the books we buy. I might prefer format X, but if a book I want is in format Y, I buy that.

Turns out, I've already skewed the poll... I should have added a vote for PDF, because I have been known to read a few classics that way...

Nate the great · 09-11-2007, 03:44 PM

It will be interesting to find out how people here "reed" their books.

yvanleterrible · 09-11-2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

This kind of info's always helpful to me: I'm about to release another book, and I want to know which formats are used, and which are not. I was actually considering yanking either the formatted or unformatted PDB format, or RTF, and replacing it with ePub.

Note: When I saw the title of the thread, I expected to be able to respond "Left to Right"...

Keep us posted to that release Steve!

UncleDuke · 09-11-2007, 04:29 PM

psion? i got rid of my psion 3 years ago, it was so last century

RWood · 09-11-2007, 08:32 PM

Interesting results so far. Just keep those cards and letters coming.

Andanzas · 09-11-2007, 08:42 PM

I voted PDF, RTF, and Sony BBeB/LRF. I only read PDFs that are especilly formatted for the Reader, like those from Feedbooks. As for RTFs, I use that format mostly for poetry, as I find poetry very hard to format with Book Designer. I guess I will stop using RTFs when I learn how to use kovidgoyal's program; I've read that it's better handling poetry than Book Designer.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 09-11-2007, 11:50 PM

I note that the standardized formats of HTML, DOC, TXT, RTF and PDF are making a good showing.

Query: Since ePub is built upon HTML, should we consider the positive showing of HTML equal to a positive sign for ePub in the future?

RWood · 09-12-2007, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I note that the standardized formats of HTML, DOC, TXT, RTF and PDF are making a good showing.

Query: Since ePub is built upon HTML, should we consider the positive showing of HTML equal to a positive sign for ePub in the future?

I think that is a stretch. We could also look at PDF's poor showing as an indicator for Digital Editions.

When ePub is released for the devices such as the Sony and the iRex, and people have a chance to evaluate the performance vs the current BBeB/LRF and Mobi/PRC readers then we can start to consider them.

For me it is a matter of what tools are available. I don't need all of the features of the current InDesign suite so I will be looking for conversion tools that will take such base formats as DOC, HTML, RTF, or TXT as input. Hopefully there will be something as easy to use as the libprs500 collection or BookDesigner available. Once an easy to use tool is available I will start to convert all of the books I have posted in the download section so more will be able to read them.

One of the goals of the current poll is to discover if there is interest in the MobileRead community for any existing formats beyond the two main formats that we have sections for (BBeB/LRF and Mobi/PRC.) There have been only a few posts in the "Other" section and none of them as far as I can tell have generated that much interest in downloading.

I want to post what you might call "load-and-go" formats such as the current two formats or perhaps MS LIT. I am not looking to post files that you have to load into a converter (as opposed to a loader like Sony's Connect software) before you can load it to your reader. As a policy I won't post books in PDF or HTML. Some do, I don't.

I know SteveJordanBooks supports multiple formats and and many of our members have older dedicated readers that may not be able to read what we have posted.

I thank everyone that has already voted and if you have yet to vote, please vote now.

nekokami · 09-12-2007, 09:03 AM

I'm happy with HTML, especially if it comes with the .opf file that FBReader can use to set the author, title, etc. But I'll take almost any file, because I have conversion tools to get to the format I want.

JSWolf · 09-12-2007, 09:06 AM

To answer the topic of how do I read my ebooks, the answer is with my eyes.

View Poll Results: What format or formats do you read ebooks in?
Sony BBeB/LRF	44	49.44%
MobiPocket/PRC	39	43.82%
Microsoft LIT	16	17.98%
Plucker	4	4.49%
eReader (Palm Reader)	11	12.36%
IMP (GEB, REB, EB1150)	7	7.87%
Hiebook	0	0%
RocketBook2	2	2.25%
HTML	26	29.21%
DOC	14	15.73%
Text	22	24.72%
RTF	32	35.96%
PDF	26	29.21%
Psion	0	0%
CHM	5	5.62%
iSilo	4	4.49%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll

09-11-2007, 02:59 PM	#1
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	How Do You Read Your E-Books MobileRead has been posting free beautifully formatted ebooks for a few months now and developed a library of well over one thousand listings in Sony BBeB/LRF, MobiPocket/PRC, and a smattering of other formats. To help me decide what formats to release books in in the future (and perhaps anyone else reading the results) how do you read your ebooks? I've added a poll at the top of the page to capture most of the formats I know about. If I've missed your format just ask and I'll add it so we can have a set of poll results that do not depend on reading every entry to ensure that we haven't missed one. It is a multiple answer poll as many people read on several platforms and formats. Thank you for your participation.

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09-11-2007, 03:12 PM	#2
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,976 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This poll just looks odd. 250%. My feeling would be to make it one vote for the primary format.

09-11-2007, 03:14 PM	#3
europas_ice Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 220 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, ID Device: iPhone 11 (Kindle app & iBooks)	A poll like this you just ignore the % and look at total # voted for each.

09-11-2007, 03:32 PM	#4
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	This kind of info's always helpful to me: I'm about to release another book, and I want to know which formats are used, and which are not. I was actually considering yanking either the formatted or unformatted PDB format, or RTF, and replacing it with ePub. Note: When I saw the title of the thread, I expected to be able to respond "Left to Right"...

09-11-2007, 03:34 PM	#5
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I think it's interesting to see the secondary (and tertiary, etc.) preferences too, myself.

09-11-2007, 03:44 PM	#7
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	It will be interesting to find out how people here "reed" their books.

09-11-2007, 04:29 PM	#9
UncleDuke books & doughnuts Posts: 882 Karma: 37857 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: usa Device: sony reader, kindle2	psion? i got rid of my psion 3 years ago, it was so last century

09-11-2007, 08:32 PM	#10
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Interesting results so far. Just keep those cards and letters coming.

09-11-2007, 08:42 PM	#11
Andanzas Out of print Posts: 484 Karma: 1549538 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Madrid, Spain Device: Sony PRS-500 (recycled), Pocketbook Inkpad X Pro	I voted PDF, RTF, and Sony BBeB/LRF. I only read PDFs that are especilly formatted for the Reader, like those from Feedbooks. As for RTFs, I use that format mostly for poetry, as I find poetry very hard to format with Book Designer. I guess I will stop using RTFs when I learn how to use kovidgoyal's program; I've read that it's better handling poetry than Book Designer.

09-11-2007, 11:50 PM	#12
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I note that the standardized formats of HTML, DOC, TXT, RTF and PDF are making a good showing. Query: Since ePub is built upon HTML, should we consider the positive showing of HTML equal to a positive sign for ePub in the future?

09-12-2007, 09:03 AM	#14
nekokami fruminous edugeek Posts: 6,745 Karma: 551260 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northeast US Device: iPad, eBw 1150	I'm happy with HTML, especially if it comes with the .opf file that FBReader can use to set the author, title, etc. But I'll take almost any file, because I have conversion tools to get to the format I want.

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09-12-2007, 09:06 AM	#15
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,976 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	To answer the topic of how do I read my ebooks, the answer is with my eyes.