There are currently many different ebook formats from which to choose. As the ebook industry develops, the amount of formats will probably decrease, as some become standard and others fall away. We've already seen this happen to some extent with older e-readers being discontinued and their ebook formats disappearing with them.
These are the most common current ebook formats:
PDF -.pdf
EPUB -.epub
Microsoft Reader -.lit
Mobipocket -.prc
eReader (Palm) -.pdb
Kindle -.azw
There are other formats that can usually be read by e-reader devices, such as.txt and.doc files, but I don't really consider those to be actual ebooks. It's nice that e-reader devices can display those types of files but they're really just general files that you use on your computer.
The best way to choose the format that's best for you is to make your decision based on what kind of computer or e-reading device you'll be using. Here is list to get you started:
PDF - Windows, Mac, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, Cool-er, Cybook, BeBook, Pandigital Novel
EPUB - Windows, Mac, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, Cool-er, Cybook, BeBook, Pandigital Novel, iOS devices (iPhone, iPad)
Microsoft Reader - Windows, Windows Mobile
Mobipocket - Windows, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Blackberry, iRex iLiad, Nokia
eReader (Palm) - Windows, Mac, Palm OS, Windows Mobile, iOS devices (when read through Stanza)
Kindle - Amazon Kindle
You should always check the tech specs for your particular device to verify the ebook formats that it can use.
I used to recommend that people consider whether they need to print the ebook when choosing a format, but so few ebooks are printable now that it's almost becoming a non-issue. Your best choice for printable ebooks is PDF, but many (if not most) book publishers disable the printing function on their PDF files because they are concerned about copyright protection. In general, if you need a book on paper, it's best to just buy the paperback.
The formats listed above are the most common that I've seen. If you have an e-reader that reads a different ebook format, please leave a comment and mention it. That might be helpful for others who are trying to figure out which ebook format they should use.
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