Mobi or epub-which do you prefer?

[Billi]

Yes, howyoudoin, that's possible. But it is not a feature of the epub format but of the software of the device.

I was a little bit unclear. What I wanted to say was that I can use mobipocket dictionaries only with the Kindle and the Cybook, whose mobi reading software is based on the Mobipocket Reader. When I read a mobi book on my Pocketbook or Bebook (with FBReader for instance) then I can't use my mobipocket dictionaries, that won't work.

[jersysman]

With epub touch readers you just usually tap or double-tap on the word for the dictionary to come up.

[graycyn]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

I don't quite understand. Can you lookup a word in an ePub book on any particular reader by simply moving the cursor to it?

I just double tap the word and the dictionary and definition pop right up. That's on a Sony reader, with ePub. If I need a different dictionary, say, for French or Spanish, I select one.

I think the main difference is that with ePub you may be stuck with what dictionaries come with your reader, whereas with Mobi you can select what dictionaries you want.

I only use the dictionary feature occasionally, so it's not a big issue for me. Overall, I prefer ePub. I can edit with Sigil when I want or need to. I like that I can use ePub on many different readers, it's widely supported. So I can bounce from a Nook to a Sony with no issues. Or I could put a book on any other epub supporting device and they are many. Likewise, if I leave off reading a book on Nook and want to continue reading on my Sony, the page number I left off on on Nook will be the page I can pick up reading again on Sony.

I also have to say that I appreciate a bit of typography and style in paper books and I also enjoy that in eBooks. So that's another reason I prefer ePub, as more is possible with it.

The downside, as folks have mentioned, is that more complexity can lead to more formatting issues.

Anyway, as I scan books for my own use, I really like just going straight ePub, I can edit it with Sigil and avoid unnecessary conversion steps.

[sakura-panda]

I'm going to say epub. My mobi books are freebies that I leave with Amazon, my epub books are the ones I purchase, manage with Calibre and consider my actual "library."

I don't have a deep or well-thought out reason to prefer one over the other.