What's Better? AZW3 or KFX

[theducks]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

So there’s a way to fix the problem I already mentioned? And how so?

Fix the code. It ain't rocket science.
There is no One Code to rule them all. You need to trace the code affecting the bad item.
Both Calibre and Sigil are EPUB editors.
They have a Jump to link or style functionality, that usually takes you right to the piece of CSS that is being used.

CSS typically sets Margins, font face and size, indent
The average novel is pretty basic HTML /CSS

It is the fixed layout books that get trickier, because you now control everything.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

So there’s a way to fix the problem I already mentioned? And how so?

To be honest, I don't know if it's something in the book code causing your problem, or something is wrong with your Kindle. If the problem happens with many books, then it's probably the Kindle.

Even if it's a specific book, without looking at the code it's impossible to know what causes this behavior. Often converting to mobi and then converting the mobi to epub/azw3 will get rid of excess bloat; it can also mess up the formatting, which is why I don't use this method myself, but in your case it probably wouldn't hurt to try.

Only be sure that if you convert the mobi the second time, it's actually the mobi being converted and not the original format, else it's pointless.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

Still it confuses me about whether it’s worth keeping AZW3. Are there any bugs KFX avoids/fixes that the other struggles with?

KFX isn't a standard format. It isn't documented. It's still changing and being updated by Amazon.

It's perfectly sensible to have books transferred to your Kindle in KFX format. Calibre can do this automatically. You don't need to store the books in your calibre library in KFX format. It's better better not to, as then as KFX changes and improves, you'll always get the newest version delivered to your kindle.

[DNSB]

For myself, I keep all my reflowable ebooks in my calibre library in ePub format. For those friends of mine who have Kindle or Fire devices, they also keep their libraries in ePub format and convert on the fly when sending to the devices either over USB letting calibre do the conversion or using any of the Send to Kindle services.

Most of them are using either Sigil (ePub editor) or calibre's ebook-editor (ePub or KF8/azw3 editor) though the preference is for ePub in either case which allows using the epubcheck plugin to locate errors—most publishers use epubcheck to locate errors in files sent to them and passing epubcheck is very likely going to make your ePubs acceptable to Send to Kindle.

[MrSlow&Steady]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

KFX isn't a standard format. It isn't documented. It's still changing and being updated by Amazon.

It's perfectly sensible to have books transferred to your Kindle in KFX format. Calibre can do this automatically. You don't need to store the books in your calibre library in KFX format. It's better better not to, as then as KFX changes and improves, you'll always get the newest version delivered to your kindle.

So if I use Calibre to convert to KFX and I put it in my kindle, will it get updated if it’s in my kindle?

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

So if I use Calibre to convert to KFX and I put it in my kindle, will it get updated if it’s in my kindle?

No, it'll get updated the next time you send it to your Kindle after the application that converts to KFX has been updated.


IMO, one should think of copies on your Kindle as temporary reading copies. The master copy is kept in calibre, and again IMO, should be either the original format, or some well defined easily converted format. ePub is good, but AZW3 is almost as good.

[MrSlow&Steady]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

No, it'll get updated the next time you send it to your Kindle after the application that converts to KFX has been updated.


IMO, one should think of copies on your Kindle as temporary reading copies. The master copy is kept in calibre, and again IMO, should be either the original format, or some well defined easily converted format. ePub is good, but AZW3 is almost as good.

AZW3 is definitely not bad though I’m still struggling to see if KFX is worth switching too. The latter is more recent but if it keeps updating itself then maybe it’s better to switch to AZW3 since it stays consistent. I don’t know if the constant updates to KFX are really worth keeping up with honestly. What’s the whole point of that format anyways?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

What’s the whole point of that format anyways?

DRM, including hardened DRM that cannot be removed.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

AZW3 is definitely not bad though I’m still struggling to see if KFX is worth switching too. The latter is more recent but if it keeps updating itself then maybe it’s better to switch to AZW3 since it stays consistent. I don’t know if the constant updates to KFX are really worth keeping up with honestly. What’s the whole point of that format anyways?

Amazon's reasons for KFX rather than azw3/KF8

• DRM even if Author / Publisher asked for DRM free (in that case any authorised Kindle that supports KFX works)
  
• Ability to start reading the ebook while downloading via whispernet.
  
• More kinds of DRM
  
• More kinds of print replica / PDF like content. Proper AZW3/KF8 is basically similar to epub2.
  
• Needed for markup / Sticky notes on Scribe.

The visual advantages seem marginal. So unless you are using a Scribe converting to AZW3/KF8 is best as it's also difficult to create KFX without Amazon tools and thus very awkward on Linux. Only 4 old Kindles don't support AZW3. More don't support KFX.

I use AZW3 to test before uploading epub2 to Amazon to publish. Most fiction is now uploaded as epub2, though docx and doc are accepted (but not as good).

I also only buy Amazon ebooks that will download without KFX or fixed layout mobi/azw, most are AZW3/KF8, but some very old titles (very few) download to PC as mobi/KF7.

My "master" format in Calibre is epub. Master source is odt, with an extra temp docx for calibre import.

PDF only for upload to POD, or if the document arrived as PDF. Only paper or clay tablets are worse to convert.a

[MrSlow&Steady]

Originally Posted by theducks

Fix the code. It ain't rocket science.
There is no One Code to rule them all. You need to trace the code affecting the bad item.
Both Calibre and Sigil are EPUB editors.
They have a Jump to link or style functionality, that usually takes you right to the piece of CSS that is being used.

CSS typically sets Margins, font face and size, indent
The average novel is pretty basic HTML /CSS

It is the fixed layout books that get trickier, because you now control everything.

Originally Posted by Sirtel

To be honest, I don't know if it's something in the book code causing your problem, or something is wrong with your Kindle. If the problem happens with many books, then it's probably the Kindle.

Even if it's a specific book, without looking at the code it's impossible to know what causes this behavior. Often converting to mobi and then converting the mobi to epub/azw3 will get rid of excess bloat; it can also mess up the formatting, which is why I don't use this method myself, but in your case it probably wouldn't hurt to try.

Only be sure that if you convert the mobi the second time, it's actually the mobi being converted and not the original format, else it's pointless.

So I tested several AZW3 files, and apparently I think the problem was that I downloaded AZW3 first from library genesis which has the bugs. The AZW3 files that didn’t have the bugs were those I converted to from MOBI first, those may be the cause of why the few ebooks in AZW3 I had didn’t work properly for a bit. Can anyone else confirm this?

Originally Posted by Sirtel

DRM, including hardened DRM that cannot be removed.

Originally Posted by Quoth

Amazon's reasons for KFX rather than azw3/KF8

• DRM even if Author / Publisher asked for DRM free (in that case any authorised Kindle that supports KFX works)
  
• Ability to start reading the ebook while downloading via whispernet.
  
• More kinds of DRM
  
• More kinds of print replica / PDF like content. Proper AZW3/KF8 is basically similar to epub2.
  
• Needed for markup / Sticky notes on Scribe.

The visual advantages seem marginal. So unless you are using a Scribe converting to AZW3/KF8 is best as it's also difficult to create KFX without Amazon tools and thus very awkward on Linux. Only 4 old Kindles don't support AZW3. More don't support KFX.

I use AZW3 to test before uploading epub2 to Amazon to publish. Most fiction is now uploaded as epub2, though docx and doc are accepted (but not as good).

I also only buy Amazon ebooks that will download without KFX or fixed layout mobi/azw, most are AZW3/KF8, but some very old titles (very few) download to PC as mobi/KF7.

My "master" format in Calibre is epub. Master source is odt, with an extra temp docx for calibre import.

PDF only for upload to POD, or if the document arrived as PDF. Only paper or clay tablets are worse to convert.a

Based on what you guys said KFX sounds like a scam then, right?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

So I tested several AZW3 files, and apparently I think the problem was that I downloaded AZW3 first from library genesis which has the bugs. The AZW3 files that didn’t have the bugs were those I converted to from MOBI first, those may be the cause of why the few ebooks in AZW3 I had didn’t work properly for a bit. Can anyone else confirm this?

I haven't had a Kindle for 3 years, but when I still had one, I never converted my AZW3 files from MOBI - usually I converted them from EPUB or they were AZW3 to begin with (Amazon purchases). I had no such issue as you describe - maybe it's just a more recent bug, or the pirated books from Library Genesis are poor quality.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by MrSlow&Steady

So if I use Calibre to convert to KFX and I put it in my kindle, will it get updated if it’s in my kindle?

If you convert to KFX and it's already in your Kindle, it will not get updated. You will have two copies of the same eBook as they will be different formats. So you'd have to delete the non-KFX from your Kindle using calibre before you unplug your Kindle.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

DRM, including hardened DRM that cannot be removed.

The "enhanced" typesetting could have been done with KF8. But Amazon did it with KFX so they could have full control over your eBooks.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Needed for markup / Sticky notes on Scribe.

KFX is not needed for the Scribe. It could have been done with KF8.

[MrSlow&Steady]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you convert to KFX and it's already in your Kindle, it will not get updated. You will have two copies of the same eBook as they will be different formats. So you'd have to delete the non-KFX from your Kindle using calibre before you unplug your Kindle.

Yeah that’s why I’m kind of skeptical about KFX files. AZW3 looks like my best bet for now.