This page title is, ..

[ Current eBook File Formats ]

This article mainly looks at the eBook file formats that are used on my own website, but then goes off on a tangent discussing other obnoxious reading standards.

Original source:- [ Read more ]

ZIP – Compressed computer files.

** Not an eBook format as such, but my preferred download medium for the code tutorials supplied, the free programme to open them is included here for reference, but keep in mind that Windows(tm) now includes a zip file extractor, that’s actually built right into the basic file explorer itself.

My preferred eBook download formats are as follows.

EPUB – Most eBook readers.MOBI – Kindle specific eBook format.HTML – Browser mark-up format.

EPUB is the most widely adopted electronic book file format in use today, and it is used by almost every eBook retailer in the world, ..
Including iBooks – Kobo – Nook – Google.

The reason(s), are because EPUB is a free, open source, and an open standard system, So, being independent of any vendors constraints, the open standard has grown up to become the most common eBook reading format used anywhere.

EPUB itself is largely based on HTML and CSS layout presentation, (the standards as used for making web pages), and as such: it outputs color images, SVG graphics, plus interactive elements with full videos, but this aspect of it in eBooks is hardly ever used.

** The Owl version of the 5 knots EBUB delivery system, could have been the modern day standard for the Daily Prophet format, a circulation aimed squarely at the muggled masses, but it was knot to be: as no one at the Prophet saw it coming.

** Notation of Worth: Publishing Houses can wrap EPUB in (any) DRM system of their choosing.

Hurrah’ for the closeted greed machines, coyly protecting their own assets, whilst also including the authors own lifetime efforts on the way.

But cheer a little less at the back you flaming oiks.

Because the wrapped DRM, can be effectively removed on any uncouth reader that you might own, thusly allowing the inconsiderate obnoxious person, the unparalleled ability to copy the free raw eBook ever onwards. It’s free (!!!) funk it!

History.
The EPUB structure was originally developed by the (International Digital Publishing Forum.) That eventually became part of the (World Wide Web Consortium.) EPUB was favoured over the old Open eBook format (OEB) in 2007.

Pros.
Almost all mainstream (e)-readers and computer operating systems support it. The format could even be thought of as the trusty old MP3 standard, it plays on anything.

Cons.
Amazon Kindle devices cannot read raw EPUB files, with the exception of the Kindle Fire tablet.

EPUB Epilogue.
This Amazon issue is classed as a con, because the world and his kid sister now revolves around the Kindle book store: with getting an eBook, plus audio, requiring just two simple clicks, one to buy it, and one to instruct the store what other registered devices that you wanted your purchase downloaded to.

Side-shift-Imperative.
It’s this perceived simplicity that we have to break, (because you’re being conned), as Amazon itself slowly strangles the market-place with its dominance: thusly closing down the original Indie-Writers’ – who it must be said: have a snowballs chance in hell of breaking through, the simple front end clicks simply aren’t repeated where the aspiring backend authors are concerned.

** This simplified article goes part way in showing you the nitty-gritty of what’s going on under the bonnet: with installing-eBooks on other devices being shown in the sister tutorial.

The (e)-book readers that I’m focusing on are the mobile platforms of iOS and Android: you don’t need nuthin else guvnor.

The Amazon effect.
MOBI is a propitiatory eBook file format, now wholly owned by Amazon, and is largely debunked as a result.

History.
MOBI grew out of the old OEB code, that uses the PRC extension: the PRC file format is an eBook standard that was forked by Mobipocket in 2000.

PRC [ Read more ]

Pros.
MOBI is supported by all the major (e)-readers, with one exception being the Barnes and Noble Nook device.

Cons.
There aren’t many differences between EPUB and MOBI, but where MOBI is concerned: it’s not open standard, and the proprietary system doesn’t support sound or video.

MOBI Epilogue.
Amazon bought Mobipocket in 2005 and according to the insider chat, the standard was actually allowed to run basically unhindered for 11 years. In October 2016, Amazon shut down Mobipocket’s website and servers, but the MOBI format continues to live on.

An interesting article on MOBI verses EPUB.

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Mid Range Index.
Other eBook formats are discussed below, ..

AZW and AZW3.
IBA.
PDF.
HTML.
FB2 (aka as XML.)
DJVU.
LIT.

The Bottom Line.

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AZW and AZW3.
Are extensions used by Amazon’s two proprietary eBook formats. AZW is the older format of the two, and was included with the first Kindle back in 2007. AZW3 arrived in 2011, and was bolted onto and into the Kindle Fire reader.

Whenever you get an eBook from the Amazon book store, it will arrive on your device (running the Kindle software), in one of these two formats.
AZW3 is more advanced than AZW, and, (yawn), supports more styles fonts and layouts, but whisper-sync is also tied in there somewhere as well.

Pros.
Both Android and iOS can read AWZ: it’s also malleable on popular eBook management apps like Calibre and Alfa. Unlike raw MOBI, the Amazon formats both support video and sound.

Cons.
Behind the scenes, both Amazon formats are extremely similar to the MOBI file structure: this is an industrial consideration that’s never actually been publicly confirmed.

In that same said market place consideration, it’s also widely assumed that the reason Amazon even bought Mobipocket in the first place, was so it could simply use the underlying technology as the basis for its AZW format.

Because AZW is a proprietary format, it’s not supported on the basic (e)-readers that support EPUB and MOBI, which also includes other readers like the Nook and Kobo machines.

AZW Epilogue.
Obviously, all of the Amazon’s Kindle products can read AZW.
Pro or Con? – Really not sure!
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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The Apple harvest.
IBA
Another common proprietary eBook format, is the one used for books created in Apple’s iBooks Author App, the iBook format also supports video, sound, images.

**As well as interactive elements? No idea what that even means! And it seems, nor does anyone else!

Pros.
On a technically level, the format is very similar to EPUB, but it relies on custom code widgets in the Apple Books app to function, and thusly; cannot be universally read on all (e)-readers.

Cons.
This format is only used for books written in the iBooks Author. If you buy regular best-selling eBooks from the iTunes store; they will be delivered in the EPUB format, but with the DRM-restriction built in.

IBA Epilogue.
This is Apple taking a measured bit out of the very lucrative eBook market: much like Sony Microsoft and Palm have tried to do previously, and it must be said: these monoliths did it with varying degrees of success, then they all fractured the fragile market when withdrawing, leaving desperate disparate fan-boys in their wake, but this is the roller-coaster Steve Jobs’ machine that we’re talking about here, and not a fan-boy in sight.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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PDF
Is a major print and document presentation format that’s in common circulation, this particular format is also an open standard, becoming ISO 32000 in 2008.

Pros.
Because of its widespread adoption around the world-wide-wobbly-web, PDFs have become a very popular way of delivering eBooks, and every operating system can read them.

Cons.
Its lack of native re-flowing is a major drawback, but PDFs can get round it by using tags to define the underlying structure of the document. Unfortunately, these tags are not supported by the majority of eBook readers: so it’s gonna’ look a flowing mess.

Re-flow me:-[ Read more ]

PDF Epilogue.
This highly restrictive format might well be well established, but its also a right royal pain to work with. It can be also be blooming expensive as well, especially if you have to buy an editor to re-edit or work on the finished files.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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RTF
Commonly called the (Rich Text Format), named mainly because of the formats ability to retain special characters, text formatting, and of course re-flowing.

Pros.
This file format is compatible with every single word-processor and (e)-reader on the market.

Cons.
Apart from not being able to include the latest and greatest (propriety) fonts, then none.

RTF Epilogue.
Rich Text Format has a major advantage over the plain TXT spec, in that you can instruct your text to use individual fonts and styles, it also allows you to include images in the document as well, try and do that with Notepad.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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HTML
The actual mark-up language, as used on the world-wide-wibbly-websites. This isn’t an eBook reader format as such, but it can be used as a generic format to read html mark-up books on any sized screen, which is all due to its dynamic re-flowing abilities.

Pros.
No special programmes are required to make an HTML document, (just a Notepad lookalike). Also, the output can be dramatically increased when combined with some very simple CSS styles.

Cons.
You do need a grounding in text print mark-up.

HTML Epilogue.
This mark-up language is at the very heart of the EPUB and MOBI formats, it’s sits at the core of the www. Every Browser in the world understand it, and it’s not going away very soon.
This standard is now set in stone.

Bonus feature: if you have a decent voice installed on your computer, (or mobile), then you can also have the books read out-loud to you in a Browser: especially in Chrome, or one of its many look-a-likes, Slimjet springs to mind, but that list now includes Edge would you believe.

** This free reading feature, is actually why I also offer my books in HTML format as a download option.

Go back to the Midrange Index.

Other, even weirder eBook formats that you may also come across from time-to-time.

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LRS, LRF, and LRX.
These are the file extensions used for the Broad Band eBook format, or the BBeB Sony e-book readers. All of them are (were), proprietary formats that Sony created for use on its own range of now largely defunct pieces of expensive electronic bricks.

Pros.
None, its just an obnoxiously expensive business model, offering the consumer nothing tangible in exchange, for what its worth, LRS has been upgraded as an open standard.

Cons.
The LRF and LRX remain closed, with Sony abandoning all three formats in favour of EPUB.

Go back to the Midrange Index.

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FB2 (aka as XML.)
(Star-wig) be a standard that started life in Russia. The format itself is favoured among eBook collectors: due mainly to its ability to store the metadata, but within the file format itself.

On-line-storage companies employ it as well, and that’s all due to the ease of converting, what is basically an XML file into other (e)-reader formats.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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DJVU.
Apparently, very popular in the scientific community: because it (apparently), boasts a compression ratio that’s approximately ten times better than what the ISO PDF can offer.

From reading upon the subject, it appears that the file format can store more than one hundred black and white scans in less than a megabyte of file space. Apparently, you can also reduce the size of a PDFs with a some common compression hacks. Gotta be honest here, by declaring that most of that was lost on me.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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LIT.
Here comes creepy Microsoft with it’s own proprietary money making eBook format, that of course employs DRM, but once locked in (and off), then the (e)-books in question were only readable on the Microsoft Reader app, ..
Of course they were!
By all accounts (money making: not making enough), Microsoft discontinued the LIT format in 2011, with the reader itself vanishing in 2018.
Go back to the Midrange Index.

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The Bottom Line.

The only formats anyone needs to worry about at this present time is EPUB, MOBI, and AZW.

EPUB vs. MOBI vs. AZW.

So, which one is the best?

If you plan on building a sizeable eBook library on your computer, (as perhaps a reference model), and that’s also supported on most readers, then stick with EPUB.

If you want to create a library that’s predominately Kindle-specific, choose MOBI: it doesn’t have quite as many features as AZW, but more devices can read it.

Remember – you can also convert most eBook formats into a different one by using a program called Calibre.

That’s it, hoped it helped: I had fun compiling the wee’ beasty.

Thanks for reading, Jessica: Praise be the ORI.