Calibre Ebook Reader - Slow in Mobi

markbond1007 · 08-06-2009, 06:52 AM

Im on the latest Calibre (0.6.5), and have found that the reader is very slow to both open and scroll/move between pages for Mobi format files. I have compared both an ePub (downloaded Harald from the Baen free library), then converted that to a Mobi using Calibre and other mobi/epub books. In just about all cases (as far as I can tell) the Mobi version is always a lot slower than the ePub. Now given up until recently I had always used Mobi ebooks, I thought it was just that the reader was quite slow, but now after trying the ePub I can see its not that. Just wondering really if it was something inherent in the MObi format or if there was something wrong with the Mobi output/conversion etc.

For info this is on Mac OSX 10.4

Regards

Mark

kovidgoyal · 08-06-2009, 11:16 AM

The viewer converts MOBI under the hood to EPUB in order to open it. Which is why opening it is slow. Once it is opened, it should be the same speed as viewing an EPUB file directly.

markbond1007 · 08-06-2009, 11:55 AM

Yes that's why I'm asking, in the mobi version its okay once its finished "loading flow" to read (i.e. clicking next page etc.), but if I resize the reader its really slow to respond, unlike in the epub version where everything is really fast...

Mark

kovidgoyal · 08-06-2009, 11:58 AM

That's just because the MOBI when converted to EPUB is just one very long HTML file, wheras EPUB files typically have their content broken into multiple smaller HTML files.

markbond1007 · 08-06-2009, 12:03 PM

Ahhh thanks, so Ideally convert all my ebooks to epub and read those on the Mac ;-)

Mark

markbond1007 · 08-06-2009, 01:39 PM

One last question

The converters all go <file>->HTML->ePub as far as I can tell and you use webkit to display the epub file (see I can read ;-) ), so why not just use webkit to display the HTML?

No criticism you understand, just curious!

Mark

kovidgoyal · 08-06-2009, 02:47 PM

That's actually what happens the converters don't actually create epub files, just convert to HTML + (OPF + NCX for the metadata).

08-06-2009, 06:52 AM	#1
markbond1007 Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 122 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: CyBook Gen3, Sony PRS-600	Calibre Ebook Reader - Slow in Mobi Im on the latest Calibre (0.6.5), and have found that the reader is very slow to both open and scroll/move between pages for Mobi format files. I have compared both an ePub (downloaded Harald from the Baen free library), then converted that to a Mobi using Calibre and other mobi/epub books. In just about all cases (as far as I can tell) the Mobi version is always a lot slower than the ePub. Now given up until recently I had always used Mobi ebooks, I thought it was just that the reader was quite slow, but now after trying the ePub I can see its not that. Just wondering really if it was something inherent in the MObi format or if there was something wrong with the Mobi output/conversion etc. For info this is on Mac OSX 10.4 Regards Mark

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08-06-2009, 11:16 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,160 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	The viewer converts MOBI under the hood to EPUB in order to open it. Which is why opening it is slow. Once it is opened, it should be the same speed as viewing an EPUB file directly.

08-06-2009, 11:55 AM	#3
markbond1007 Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 122 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: CyBook Gen3, Sony PRS-600	Yes that's why I'm asking, in the mobi version its okay once its finished "loading flow" to read (i.e. clicking next page etc.), but if I resize the reader its really slow to respond, unlike in the epub version where everything is really fast... Mark

08-06-2009, 11:58 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,160 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	That's just because the MOBI when converted to EPUB is just one very long HTML file, wheras EPUB files typically have their content broken into multiple smaller HTML files.

08-06-2009, 12:03 PM	#5
markbond1007 Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 122 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: CyBook Gen3, Sony PRS-600	Ahhh thanks, so Ideally convert all my ebooks to epub and read those on the Mac ;-) Mark

08-06-2009, 01:39 PM	#6
markbond1007 Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 122 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: CyBook Gen3, Sony PRS-600	One last question The converters all go <file>->HTML->ePub as far as I can tell and you use webkit to display the epub file (see I can read ;-) ), so why not just use webkit to display the HTML? No criticism you understand, just curious! Mark

08-06-2009, 02:47 PM	#7
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,160 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	That's actually what happens the converters don't actually create epub files, just convert to HTML + (OPF + NCX for the metadata).

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