azw or mobi for a PW2?

[Ephemerality]

Originally Posted by phunnylinguist

Given Amazon's desire to keep users of their devices completely immersed in their (Amazon's) environment, this makes sense; why should we expect it to function on ebooks migrated from/purchased elsewhere?

Fair point, however X-Rays can currently be built (using my tool mentioned by eschwartz above) and used with side-loaded ebooks on firmware versions below 5.6. As soon as I can get additional information on what the newer version is doing to validate the X-Ray databases, we will be free from the Amazon strangle-hold again!

[sian]

Originally Posted by DSpider

Don't convert epub to mobi, then the converted mobi to azw3. That's just wrong. You may end up losing some formatting along the way. Mobi is a really ancient format (think PRC, Palm Pre days, that sort of thing, when "PDAs" were still around). Go straight from epub to azw3, without any in-between conversions.

doesnt that mean problems when using the converted file on kindle voyage

thought pw2 had same system

[JSWolf]

Going ePub > Mobi > AZW3 could make a nice mess of your eBook. Don't do it. Go ePub > AZW3.

[Waitingforatrain]

If you send books to Kindle then is it true that azw3 won't sync furthest page read to multiple devices? If using mobi because of this is it better to use the newer mobi or the older one when converting in calibre?

[eschwartz]

Very true -- only because you cannot send AZW3 to Kindles via send-to-Kindle.

You can, however, send a dual-MOBI with both mobi7 and KF8 sections, which Amazon will split into an AZW3 and MOBI. Those should sync, at least I have no reason to suspect they wouldn't.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Going ePub > Mobi > AZW3 could make a nice mess of your eBook. Don't do it. Go ePub > AZW3.

There can be a good reason to go ePub > Mobi (old only) instead. It has the added benefit of one book not looking different than another book. I actually prefer my books to be exactly the same look, other than content of course.

Your way is not always better only because it is your way. Same with my way of doing things. That is why there is options.

[Waitingforatrain]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Very true -- only because you cannot send AZW3 to Kindles via send-to-Kindle.

You can, however, send a dual-MOBI with both mobi7 and KF8 sections, which Amazon will split into an AZW3 and MOBI. Those should sync, at least I have no reason to suspect they wouldn't.

I will have to try it. Thanks.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

There can be a good reason to go ePub > Mobi (old only) instead. It has the added benefit of one book not looking different than another book. I actually prefer my books to be exactly the same look, other than content of course.

Your way is not always better only because it is your way. Same with my way of doing things. That is why there is options.

Really, what are these mysterious differences that AZW3 conversions cause that MOBI conversions don't cause?

I am with Jon on this one, do not ever use MOBI.

Or, if you really have a desperate need for MOBI, I assume because you have the Original Kindle* then you probably don't have a device that does read AZW3, so you can stay with MOBI on account of AZW3 being precisely as useful as a hex dump... in which case we can assume Jon's advice is inapplicable. He isn't advising anyone to convert to formats they can't use.


(* -- Okay, the Kindle 2 or DX/G would be equally applicable.)

[kyrilson]

Azw3 doesn't work for me. I use calibre but anytime I convert ePub to azw3 it won't render on any of my kindles properly, whereas mobi does. A little frustrating, as I've heard azw3 is far superior.

[eschwartz]

What exactly do you mean by "won't render properly"?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Really, what are these mysterious differences that AZW3 conversions cause that MOBI conversions don't cause?

I am with Jon on this one, do not ever use MOBI.

Or, if you really have a desperate need for MOBI, I assume because you have the Original Kindle* then you probably don't have a device that does read AZW3, so you can stay with MOBI on account of AZW3 being precisely as useful as a hex dump... in which case we can assume Jon's advice is inapplicable. He isn't advising anyone to convert to formats they can't use.


(* -- Okay, the Kindle 2 or DX/G would be equally applicable.)

One example where old mobi can be a neater fit than KF8: I removed the DRM from a KPW1 version of a book and transfered it directly to my Android Kindle app without any further format conversion. The margins ended up different (larger) than any of the old mobi files sideloaded to Kindle app, even different than the DRMed version directly from Amazon of the same book (which had .prc as file extension). The App can read KF8 just fine. And maybe it would have worked if I had removed the DRM from the Kindle for PC version instead of the PW version - not sure if they are identical.

Another thing can be hard coded fonts, hard coded line height and such that will be stripped automatically when going to old mobi.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

One example where old mobi can be a neater fit than KF8: I removed the DRM from a KPW1 version of a book and transfered it directly to my Android Kindle app without any further format conversion. The margins ended up different (larger) than any of the old mobi files sideloaded to Kindle app, even different than the DRMed version directly from Amazon of the same book (which had .prc as file extension). The App can read KF8 just fine. And maybe it would have worked if I had removed the DRM from the Kindle for PC version instead of the PW version - not sure if they are identical.

True, KF8 and mobi7 make use of different rendering engines with slight idiosyncrasies.

Wait -- are you saying two KF8 copies of the same book displayed differently on the Kindle app, depending on if there was DRM?

Another thing can be hard coded fonts, hard coded line height and such that will be stripped automatically when going to old mobi.

It will also be stripped automatically when setting the right options in calibre's conversion dialog. In any event, that seems to be an argument for using AZW3, which doesn't arbitrarily remove thing it, um, doesn't support. It is a purely MOBI difference.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

True, KF8 and mobi7 make use of different rendering engines with slight idiosyncrasies.

Wait -- are you saying two KF8 copies of the same book displayed differently on the Kindle app, depending on if there was DRM?

No I am saying that the KF8 version that came directly from the PW (minus DRM) displays different in the app (on my Note 4) than the DRMed version for the app that came out of the cloud. It is the very first time that I have seen ANY book show different margins in the app.

On the PW the DRM makes no difference - on that particular book. Both the DRMed and DRM free version look the same.

So why not just use KF8 on PW, and convert to old mobi for use in app? Locations don't match up 100% after a calibre conversion to old mobi - I use locations to sync when switching devices.

[phunnylinguist]

[ What exactly do you mean by "won't render properly"? ]


I was wondering the same.

There's a site I go to for DRM-free ebook titles, where Epubs, mobi and pdf's make up the majority of download format options. azw3 is a very rare occurrence. Thanks to this thread I've been enlightened *not* to go the epub-to-mobi-to-azw3 route.

Which would be your personal preference for conversion, epub to azw3 or leave it at mobi for a Kindle Paperwhite?

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

No I am saying that the KF8 version that came directly from the PW (minus DRM) displays different in the app (on my Note 4) than the DRMed version for the app that came out of the cloud. It is the very first time that I have seen ANY book show different margins in the app.

On the PW the DRM makes no difference - on that particular book. Both the DRMed and DRM free version look the same.

So why not just use KF8 on PW, and convert to old mobi for use in app? Locations don't match up 100% after a calibre conversion to old mobi - I use locations to sync when switching devices.

That sounds very odd, what can I say.

Anyway, I'd probably just email Amazon a dual-MOBI if I wanted syncing.