The truth is I can't stand reading stuff off of a computer screen, in spite of my avid BBS activity. I prefer mutilated and compressed trees with ink to electrons bombarding my retinas.
eBooks, What Format Do You Use?
- Thread starter dmccoy1693
- Start date
BG, if you get a chance, swing by Target, B&N, or Borders and take a look at the ebook readers by Sony or B&N... it's like reading off a glossy recycled newsprint. It's very different from reading on an LCD or CRT, since it's purely surface reflective, like a book, but under a sheet or two of thin plastic.
Thunderbolt
SOC-12
I selected ePub as I have the Sony Touch.
In truth, I probably read more PDF, but didn't select PDF because none of them are optimised for eBook reading.
I think the eBook thing still needs some more time, perhaps the iPad and its imitators will shake things up a bit more.
In truth, I probably read more PDF, but didn't select PDF because none of them are optimised for eBook reading.
I think the eBook thing still needs some more time, perhaps the iPad and its imitators will shake things up a bit more.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
I really like my Kindle - as Aramis says, it's much nicer than reading off an LCD/CRT.
ShapeShifter
SOC-13
saundby
SOC-14 1K
Just picked up a Sony Daily Reader PRS-950
I finally picked up an eReader when I got a chance to lay hands on a working PRS-950 the other day. This thing is great. The size of the display is what I was looking for--small enough for easy portability, large enough for my aging eyes to read comfortably.
It does a great job displaying PDFs, which is what I've got most of my ebooks in. Though I'm now using calibre to convert a lot of my older ebooks in other formats, like .lit, into .epub, which the device handles really well.
I have to be patient when I load up a whole bunch of new books. I've had a couple of instances where it hung on me when I was reading at the same time it was updating its database (reading while pushing files onto the memory card at the same time. Don't do that.)
Also, the browser doesn't format web pages properly for the width of the screen. They get formatted for a wider screen unless the page's CSS happens by chance to format at a readable width. So there's a lot of moving sliders while reading web pages. It also can't read .html files directly off the device, which is disappointing.
Out of the box it's a bit crippled. The browser doesn't download, so you can't pull books from places like Gutenberg directly. It also doesn't recognise any organization in the file system.
However, I loaded the add-on PRS+ and practically all my original complaints at the devices shortcomings have been taken care of. It can now download from regular websites, browse the directory tree, and act as a calculator (but not RPN, unfortunately.) It still formats web pages poorly and doesn't have a full file manager that can, say, move files between device memory and its plug-in memory. And it still can't read internal HTML files, which would be nice for things like keeping a handy copy of the Java API Specification and other JavaDoc files on it.
I've got an 8GB micro-SD card in it now (nearly full as of last night--I loaded up my Java programming books), and I'm planning on picking up one of the Memory Stick Pro Duo adapters that accepts two micro-SD cards to expand it even more. It handles all the books well if you give it plenty of time after loading new book files to update its internal database of the media that's on it. If you rush it, expect crashes. I had several, and thought I had a corrupt book file.
Now I keep an actual paper book on hand when I go to do file transfers. I transfer files directly, I don't use the Sony Reader application or calibre for managing the files on it. I have three different systems I move it between, each running a different OS, so just moving files by hand works best for me.
I finally picked up an eReader when I got a chance to lay hands on a working PRS-950 the other day. This thing is great. The size of the display is what I was looking for--small enough for easy portability, large enough for my aging eyes to read comfortably.
It does a great job displaying PDFs, which is what I've got most of my ebooks in. Though I'm now using calibre to convert a lot of my older ebooks in other formats, like .lit, into .epub, which the device handles really well.
I have to be patient when I load up a whole bunch of new books. I've had a couple of instances where it hung on me when I was reading at the same time it was updating its database (reading while pushing files onto the memory card at the same time. Don't do that.)
Also, the browser doesn't format web pages properly for the width of the screen. They get formatted for a wider screen unless the page's CSS happens by chance to format at a readable width. So there's a lot of moving sliders while reading web pages. It also can't read .html files directly off the device, which is disappointing.
Out of the box it's a bit crippled. The browser doesn't download, so you can't pull books from places like Gutenberg directly. It also doesn't recognise any organization in the file system.
However, I loaded the add-on PRS+ and practically all my original complaints at the devices shortcomings have been taken care of. It can now download from regular websites, browse the directory tree, and act as a calculator (but not RPN, unfortunately.) It still formats web pages poorly and doesn't have a full file manager that can, say, move files between device memory and its plug-in memory. And it still can't read internal HTML files, which would be nice for things like keeping a handy copy of the Java API Specification and other JavaDoc files on it.
I've got an 8GB micro-SD card in it now (nearly full as of last night--I loaded up my Java programming books), and I'm planning on picking up one of the Memory Stick Pro Duo adapters that accepts two micro-SD cards to expand it even more. It handles all the books well if you give it plenty of time after loading new book files to update its internal database of the media that's on it. If you rush it, expect crashes. I had several, and thought I had a corrupt book file.
Now I keep an actual paper book on hand when I go to do file transfers. I transfer files directly, I don't use the Sony Reader application or calibre for managing the files on it. I have three different systems I move it between, each running a different OS, so just moving files by hand works best for me.
That's not a shortcoming of PDF exactly, that's down to whoever made a specific PDF. I'm writing a Traveller fanfic which I'm releasing chapter by chapter (6 so far) as a PDF optimised for the Sony PRS-505.
CosmicGamer
SOC-14 1K
All my Traveller stuff is pdf and I'd prefer it that way for compatibility between systems but I have a tablet and it does EPUB and MOBI, probably just about anything with the right app.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Right now, the material that I am getting off of Project Gutenberg is all html code, while most of the other downloads are in pdf.
I have 3 ereaders... unfortunately 2 are no longer being made. So that leaves me with a color Nook. I also have an ASUS TF300T, 32 giger. Doesn't handle text or pdf over 1 megabyte for some reason.
My little, no longer made, 5" Astak EZPro handles larger files, and supports 20 formats. But the company doesn't exist anymore, sigh. So if it fails, ah well.
My little, no longer made, 5" Astak EZPro handles larger files, and supports 20 formats. But the company doesn't exist anymore, sigh. So if it fails, ah well.
Proneutron
SOC-13
"What Mobile eBook Format Do You Use or Plan to Use in the Near Future?".
Are there any that aren't mobile? I've never seen one that is tied to use only on a main frame or the like.
Are there any that aren't mobile? I've never seen one that is tied to use only on a main frame or the like.
I've seen a few (college textbooks) that were desktop-OS only, but that was a few years ago. Pretty crappy implementations, too.
Mid 00's, most of my textbooks required a log-in to the school before it would unlock the e-text at open; once open, as long as Acrobat Reader and the book weren't closed, it would stay readable offline... but close either, and click. Also, was locked to "no printing."
I expect some flavor of a markup language, with a series of files, inside a compressed archive... which, BTW, also describes nicely Sony LRF/LRM, EPub, Amazon AZW, and both Pages and iBooks...
But note that AZW, Pages, and iBooks usually have most of the content encrypted inside the zipfile... and ePub can, but usually doesn't.
Note that all of them allow image file inclusions, including a vector format or two...
Heck, PDF is also a container format... post script and jpg. And eventually added, aiff, and several other audio formats, a dozen more image formats....
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Well actually.... the font of all markup languages COME from mainframes.
The lineage is
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Generalized_Markup_Language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Generalized_Markup_Language
from which XML and HTML descend.
Proneutron
SOC-13
That's not a format limitation or requirement.
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