Comments on: Kindle PDF tips http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:22:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Tagbert http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-867407 Tagbert Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:15:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-867407 Jim, The problem isn't "crippleware". PDF is poorly suited to reading on anything but a full-size pc screen. The problem is that it's format is frozen. PDF was designed to mimic the appearance of the printed page. Most PDFs do not organize their internal data into intelligent structures that relate to the data. They just list the content in the order that a printer would print it. Even paragraphs and columns are tpically just a bunch of single lines. Ebooks have smaller screens and need to be able to reflow the text to fit the screen. Plain HMTL is a more appropriate format for this. Amazon and Mobipocket will both convert PDFs that consist mainly of text arranged in a single column. Graphics are maintained. If Adobe could improve PDF so that it actually maintained some of the original document's structure it might be possible to convert more complex documents. Until then, the more complex PDFs will remain frozen. Jim,

The problem isn’t “crippleware”. PDF is poorly suited to reading on anything but a full-size pc screen. The problem is that it’s format is frozen. PDF was designed to mimic the appearance of the printed page. Most PDFs do not organize their internal data into intelligent structures that relate to the data. They just list the content in the order that a printer would print it. Even paragraphs and columns are tpically just a bunch of single lines.

Ebooks have smaller screens and need to be able to reflow the text to fit the screen. Plain HMTL is a more appropriate format for this.

Amazon and Mobipocket will both convert PDFs that consist mainly of text arranged in a single column. Graphics are maintained.

If Adobe could improve PDF so that it actually maintained some of the original document’s structure it might be possible to convert more complex documents. Until then, the more complex PDFs will remain frozen.

]]> By: Jim DAvis http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-857371 Jim DAvis Wed, 23 Jul 2008 05:20:08 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-857371 How ridiculous. No sale for me until this thing has seamless, complete support for the pdf format. Crippleware don't cut it. How ridiculous.

No sale for me until this thing has seamless, complete support for the pdf format.

Crippleware don’t cut it.

]]> By: Times Emit: Apt’s links for July 19th through July 20th http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-855619 Times Emit: Apt’s links for July 19th through July 20th Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:33:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-855619 [...] Kindle PDF tips | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home - “You can?t read a PDF on the Kindle, you can?t convert a PDF for a Kindle, but Amazon tells you how to use the Kindle via a PDF file. Ironic, no?” Guest post by Joe Wikert [...] [...] Kindle PDF tips | TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home - “You can?t read a PDF on the Kindle, you can?t convert a PDF for a Kindle, but Amazon tells you how to use the Kindle via a PDF file. Ironic, no?” Guest post by Joe Wikert [...]

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-855065 Mike Cane Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:47:32 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-855065 I think Stanza might wake up one day with vistors from Apple at the doorstep. Or busting in the door. (For those who don't know, Apple didn;t create the iTunes app. They acquired it from someone else and it morphed into iTunes.) I think Stanza might wake up one day with vistors from Apple at the doorstep. Or busting in the door. (For those who don’t know, Apple didn;t create the iTunes app. They acquired it from someone else and it morphed into iTunes.)

]]> By: Blog Kindle · Sunday Night Links: 20 July 2008 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854964 Blog Kindle · Sunday Night Links: 20 July 2008 Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:24:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854964 [...] Kindle PDF tips - TeleRead [...] [...] Kindle PDF tips - TeleRead [...]

]]> By: Michael F http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854332 Michael F Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:21:48 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854332 Stanza, for the Mac will convert anything to just about anything. It is the OS X equivalent of the Rosetta Stone. Still in beta, as far as I know, but work perfectly for me. I may even have to buy it... Stanza, for the Mac will convert anything to just about anything. It is the OS X equivalent of the Rosetta Stone. Still in beta, as far as I know, but work perfectly for me. I may even have to buy it…

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854322 Paul Biba Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:07:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854322 A friend of mine has been trying this with PDF programming books. He finds the conversion too buggy to be useful - in programming, spaces and text layout can sometimes be important. Also, the inability to have a working TOC and internal links makes the texts hard to use. We tried the Mobipocket Creator route also and had the same problems. For building a library of technical publications there doesn't seem to be a good solution yet, but for general reading Amazon conversion, or Mobipocket Creator, can do an adequate job. A friend of mine has been trying this with PDF programming books. He finds the conversion too buggy to be useful - in programming, spaces and text layout can sometimes be important. Also, the inability to have a working TOC and internal links makes the texts hard to use. We tried the Mobipocket Creator route also and had the same problems.

For building a library of technical publications there doesn’t seem to be a good solution yet, but for general reading Amazon conversion, or Mobipocket Creator, can do an adequate job.

]]> By: Al http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854313 Al Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:53:45 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854313 Large PDF files apparently get rejected. Files with columns get interleaved and thus rendered unreadable. Some tables get trashed as well. However, it is worth a try, if it doesn't work, just delete the file. My experience is about 90% of my PDFs are acceptable, if not perfect. Large PDF files apparently get rejected. Files with columns get interleaved and thus rendered unreadable. Some tables get trashed as well. However, it is worth a try, if it doesn’t work, just delete the file. My experience is about 90% of my PDFs are acceptable, if not perfect.

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854253 Mike Cane Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:07:38 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/07/19/kindle-tip-pdf-and-free-conversions/#comment-854253 These PDFs are basically like text files, but with type styling? I mean, no ToC or interior links? These PDFs are basically like text files, but with type styling? I mean, no ToC or interior links?

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