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Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

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Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#301

Post by qumpis »

teraflop wrote: post #12
longrod wrote: post #9

Finally! Amazon should have done this long ago. ePub v3 supports everything MOBI does and it has really extensive support across platforms. This is HUGE for people with a big eBook collection.

Note that the Kindle devices themselves still do not support ePub files. (EDIT: as of the last time I checked a month or two ago, but maybe this has changed?) Previously, you could send a MOBI file to your Kindle email address, and it would be delivered to your Kindle. Now, you have to send them an ePub file, and Amazon will convert it to an AZW3 file (which is structurally very similar to MOBI) and send that to your…

Does this mean that the formatting due to conversation might change? Aren't the features of azw3 lacking compared to mobi: can this also result in unwanted changes?

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#302

Post by toomuchtodo »

maratc wrote: post #132
Thorentis wrote: post #25

I very consciously did not buy a Kindle when choosing an Ereader about a year ago. The Kobo H2O is incredible and has served me very well. The format support is wonderful, and the stock OS does more than I need (though there is a whole community of custom OSes that also look cool). Combined with Calibre, I don't even see what the Kindle value prop is.

The Kindle is inexpensive, has great support, has a huge library (open to non-US people with non-US credit cards), and you could just email a MOBI to it (which is great if the Kindle owner is your parent). It's only disadvantage was that it did not support ePub and so one had to go through Calibre. Now that Kindle is supporting ePUB and no Calibre-tion is needed, I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is.

The value prop is it’s not controlled by Amazon and the whims of a tech giant. Have we learned nothing?

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#303

Post by ryantgtg »

Lio wrote: post #208
maratc wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Kindle is inexpensive, has great support, has a huge library (open to non-US people with non-US credit cards), and you could just email a MOBI to it (which is great if the Kindle owner is your parent). It's only disadvantage was that it did not support ePub and so one had to go through Calibre. Now that Kindle is supporting ePUB and no Calibre-tion is needed, I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is.

That's not Kindle's only disadvantage. Kobo had distinct features I wanted that no Kindle offered at the time I last purchased. Like a screen big enough to comfortably read PDFs. 10.3" on Kobo Elipsa vs 7" on Kindle. IMHO that makes the Kindle only really useful for fiction. There's also Pocket support for reading offline web articles. Overdrive support so I can borrow books from my local library for free. Free Dropb…

For a while Kobos had warm backlights, while Kindle still only had their harsh cold light. But I think Kindle has caught up with that feature.

That’s what lead me to switch to Kobo a few years ago, and it’s been great. Though some small press releases sometimes skip the kobo store still.

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#304

Post by criddell »

arbitrage wrote: post #263
Lio wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not Kindle's only disadvantage. Kobo had distinct features I wanted that no Kindle offered at the time I last purchased. Like a screen big enough to comfortably read PDFs. 10.3" on Kobo Elipsa vs 7" on Kindle. IMHO that makes the Kindle only really useful for fiction. There's also Pocket support for reading offline web articles. Overdrive support so I can borrow books from my local library for free. Free Dropb…

> Like a screen big enough to comfortably read PDFs. IMHO that makes the Kindle only really useful for fiction. There is plenty of non-fiction that doesn't come in PDF form. It is quite readable on a Kindle.

Bigger screens are essential for scientific papers that have lots of charts and other figures. For eink-type screens there's not a lot type choose from. Fujitsu has a couple of A4 size models that look pretty good. If you can deal with traditional screens, the biggest iPad Pro is great.

Remarkable and some other companies have A5 or 10.3" screens but these are too small IMHO. You will still end up zooming and panning.

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#305

Post by dkarl »

maratc wrote: post #132
Thorentis wrote: post #25

I very consciously did not buy a Kindle when choosing an Ereader about a year ago. The Kobo H2O is incredible and has served me very well. The format support is wonderful, and the stock OS does more than I need (though there is a whole community of custom OSes that also look cool). Combined with Calibre, I don't even see what the Kindle value prop is.

The Kindle is inexpensive, has great support, has a huge library (open to non-US people with non-US credit cards), and you could just email a MOBI to it (which is great if the Kindle owner is your parent). It's only disadvantage was that it did not support ePub and so one had to go through Calibre. Now that Kindle is supporting ePUB and no Calibre-tion is needed, I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is.

> I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is

Not having to hack the device you supposedly own to avoid having ads as your screensaver? My Kindle is at the bottom of my closet for that reason. I haven't bought another physical e-reader, but if I do, it won't be a Kindle. I didn't want to go through the process of finding up-to-date instructions, waiting for a hack that would install on my hardware and software version, crossing my fingers to do the install, at the end of which I wouldn't even know if it was a victory for me or a victory for them that I was still using their product. So I stopped using it and won't buy another one.

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#307

Post by unethical_ban »

Thorentis wrote: post #25

I very consciously did not buy a Kindle when choosing an Ereader about a year ago. The Kobo H2O is incredible and has served me very well. The format support is wonderful, and the stock OS does more than I need (though there is a whole community of custom OSes that also look cool). Combined with Calibre, I don't even see what the Kindle value prop is.

Back in 2014, I bought a nook, returned it. I bought a kobo, returned it. I bought a Kindle voyage that I love to this day.

#1 reason: out of those three, Kindle is or was the only ebook vendor I could crack with DeDRM and actually own my books. With Kindle for PC 1.17, I can still pull down my books and import them to my Calibre library for safe keeping.

Can one DeDRM their Nook or Kobo files in 2022?

PS: Kobo typography was noticably worse than Kindle in 2014. Again, it may have changed.

PPS: I wish the symmetrical origami cover of the voyage was more used. I lay in bed and flip from side to side while reading. A book like cover or one that just is meant for vertical support is not sufficient for my use case.

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#308

Post by vageli »

dkarl wrote: post #305
maratc wrote: post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Kindle is inexpensive, has great support, has a huge library (open to non-US people with non-US credit cards), and you could just email a MOBI to it (which is great if the Kindle owner is your parent). It's only disadvantage was that it did not support ePub and so one had to go through Calibre. Now that Kindle is supporting ePUB and no Calibre-tion is needed, I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is.

> I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is Not having to hack the device you supposedly own to avoid having ads as your screensaver? My Kindle is at the bottom of my closet for that reason. I haven't bought another physical e-reader, but if I do, it won't be a Kindle. I didn't want to go through the process of finding up-to-date instructions, waiting for a hack that would install on my hardware and software versi…

The ad-supported model allows people to buy the kindle for less than the non-ad-supported model. AFAIK you can pay a one-time fee and remove them, or buy the non-ad-supported version in the first place.

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#309

Post by nixgeek »

maratc wrote: post #132
Thorentis wrote: post #25

I very consciously did not buy a Kindle when choosing an Ereader about a year ago. The Kobo H2O is incredible and has served me very well. The format support is wonderful, and the stock OS does more than I need (though there is a whole community of custom OSes that also look cool). Combined with Calibre, I don't even see what the Kindle value prop is.

The Kindle is inexpensive, has great support, has a huge library (open to non-US people with non-US credit cards), and you could just email a MOBI to it (which is great if the Kindle owner is your parent). It's only disadvantage was that it did not support ePub and so one had to go through Calibre. Now that Kindle is supporting ePUB and no Calibre-tion is needed, I don't even see what the Kobo value prop is.

I’m not incredibly comfortable with Kindle transmitting information on every page turn back to Amazon. Always felt a bit creepy to me.

https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/31/21117217/amazon-kindle-tr...

Re: Retirement of Amazon MOBI eBook file format

#310

Post by collegeburner »

Thorentis wrote: post #25

I very consciously did not buy a Kindle when choosing an Ereader about a year ago. The Kobo H2O is incredible and has served me very well. The format support is wonderful, and the stock OS does more than I need (though there is a whole community of custom OSes that also look cool). Combined with Calibre, I don't even see what the Kindle value prop is.

i got my kindle for way under half that price. jailbroke it and now i can do whatever i want. so the value prop is cheap ass hardware subsidized by daddy bezos.
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