01-14-2009, 10:48 PM | #31 |
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EPub is the next generation OEB. The .epub "container" is just a ZIP of all the files making up the ebook and like the original OEB it has an .opf metafile.
There were multiple goals for ePub. Publishers wanted a single master format to target (somewhat like using OEB as the master to LIT and MOBI). Readers wanted to use the format directly on their devices. One issue with "ePub direct to Reader" is that it is relatively resource heavy to render ePub to a screen. So the first crack in ePub standards are the limitations on file sizes imposed by Adobe Digital Editions for rendering on handheld devices (like the PRS 505). The alternative is to add an off-line ePub to device format step. MobiPocket appears to be following this route (which is allowed by the ePub standard). The problem that MobiPocket has is that MOBI is now seriously out of date, and isn't powerful enough to even come close to fully supporting ePub. The new oeb2mobi (really epub2mobi) capability in Calibre will be exploring how close MOBI can come to displaying ePub. A limitation that Calibre faces, though, is that the MOBI format needs to be updated to better support ePub and only MobiPocket can do this. Even MobiPocket will find this difficult, because they have to update multiple reader software packages for multiple device types. EPub includes a specification of how to apply DRM to the ebook, but it does not standardize the DRM itself. So far only Adobe is adding DRM to ePub, but there is already talk of eReader DRM on ePub. For publishers this is ok, since it is the same ePub with multiple incompatible DRM schemes (provided downstream, for a charge, by a 3rd party). It is a nightmare for consumers though. |
01-15-2009, 09:36 AM | #32 | |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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- for publishers, it means a simplified workflow as they have only to produce *one* format, which can if necessary be converted to a different end format like mobipocket (even locally by the user), or can be read natively on some devices. this means that it will become easier and cheaper to produce ebooks, which should mean more ebooks being created. - for bookstores it means simplified inventory management and file serving, since they could conceivably (one day) need to offer only one format which would be accessible to all readers. - for readers, it means a much broader selection of ebooks available to them, either by reading the file natively (currently sony, iphone, soon jetbook, soon others as well) or by easily converting it (currently all mobipocket devices, eb1150...), and the end of ebabel and incompatible formats (again, leaving aside the problem of drm, which is not specific to epub). - for readers (again) it also means a library of ebooks which is "future proof" ; if epub is a standard format, it means if today you buy a sony and build up a library of epub books you read on it, but next year you buy a different device, your library will still be accessible to you on the new device (which is not the case with closed, proprietary formats like lrf, imp, even mobipocket, etc.). in addition, epub is based on xhtml and css style rules ; this can be displayed by any web browser and a number of other applications. currently it's true that mobipocket format is very widespread however i would not be satisfied with a mobipocket device ; the mobipocket format may be common but it's also out of date and flawed. css styles used by epub allow for much more complete formatting capabilities. for example, in epub you can "float" images inline with the text, this means you can have an image to one side of the screen with the text flowing along side it. in mobipocket, this is impossible : all images must be inserted in between two blocks of text. you can see three examples of this in the photos in this post. you can also make drop caps, which is impossible in mobipocket. epub also can use vectorial images (svg) and the capability to incorporate audio or video clips (or pretty much any file you want) already exists and will make for some really interesting multi-media enriched reference texts (for example) as soon as the viewers catch up. in addition mobipocket uses outdated html code further modified with proprietary mobipocket code. this means that depending on which device / version of the viewer you use the results can be unpredictable. it also means that converting mobi format to another format will not give clean results and will need extensive further work. here is one explanation of why mobipocket format is inferior to epub. here is another. there are plenty more but i don't have time to search for them right now. |
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01-15-2009, 12:20 PM | #33 | |
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I sort of believe that this technical limitations will be overcome but the drm issue is social and economic and there is where I think epub as universal standard is just a pipe dream... I profoundly doubt that you will be able to read drm epub on any device. I just do not think that drm works that way - not technically of course, but socially and economically |
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01-15-2009, 12:38 PM | #34 | |
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01-15-2009, 04:02 PM | #35 | ||||
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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01-15-2009, 04:28 PM | #36 |
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Regarding slowness maybe it's just that the epub's I made with Calibre were not that great since Calibre is a work in progress after all - though truly wonderful
I sort of agree that *eventually* we will move beyond drm, but that *eventually* will involve hard external pressure on the publishers the way p2p forced the music labels hand, and I am not sure where it will come from. Before my 770 was Mobi capable, I avoided that format, then I was happy with it, while on the 700 I am happy with lrf for now, but as/if epub matures and tools become better, I have nothing against using it. When I had the Eb1150, I bought the librarian software and happily converted lots of books to imp so whatever works I use, no "format bias" here. My original skepticism about epub is that I've been hearing these claims of universality for a while, and in the meantime, guess what, Sony came with another proprietary format, Amazon with another pseudo-format (the renamed Mobi with its own drm servers), Ereader is still going strong with FW, Lit is also going strong, only embiid seems to have died and imp is limping unless ETI comes up with a modern Eb1150-like device |
01-15-2009, 08:57 PM | #37 | ||||
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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that's another reason i think it's important to garner support from all quarters for epub early on, so it will gain momentum quickly as a standard. the more people adopting it early, the more popular it becomes, the more seriously even the epub-refractories will be obliged to take it, and the closer we really will get to one universal format. it's off to an excellent start already, but every little bit helps. if you want a robust, future-proof, universal, standard ebook format (and really, how could you not ?), then i think the best way to show that is to start using the one we actually have already, even though it's still in development. |
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01-16-2009, 02:35 AM | #38 |
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there seems to be more info compiled in this one little thead about Epub than the entire rest of the internet.
you make alot of good points on this topic. |
01-16-2009, 09:02 AM | #39 | |
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I will try again both lrf and epub and see if the "nicer" look of epub compensates for the loss of speed compared to the lrf. |
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01-16-2009, 09:06 AM | #40 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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thanks, it's really nice to hear that.
and you've both made me think, i'm sure plenty of people don't realise why epub is important. i think i'll copy this conversation to a new sticky somewhere for reference. cheers to both of you ! |
01-16-2009, 09:22 AM | #41 |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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thanks for the really interesting discussion. i've copied this conversation into a new reference sticky. i plan to add useful info to it as i come across it. the next time someone says to you "why should i care about epub ?" please direct them over there.
go epub ! |
01-23-2009, 03:33 PM | #42 |
Publishers are evil!
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[Message Deleted]
Last edited by Daithi; 01-23-2009 at 03:44 PM. Reason: Oop, I had two windows opened and post to the wrong one. |
01-23-2009, 03:40 PM | #43 | |
zeldinha zippy zeldissima
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01-23-2009, 03:49 PM | #44 |
Publishers are evil!
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Sorry Zelda,
I need to pay more attention. |
01-23-2009, 05:47 PM | #45 |
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