11 ways in which ebook formats differ from pdf
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11 WAYS IN WHICH EBOOK FORMATS DIFFER FROM PDF
Market Analyst™www.marketanalyst.net
© 2013 Market Analyst, LLC. All rights reserved
1. REFLOWABLE TEXT
EBOOK
eBooks automatically reflow (and hyphenate words), and are suitable for mobile devices
Because they are fluid, eBooks offer a unique reading experience even on desktop PCs
PDFs do not automatically reflow, and are difficult to read on mobile devices
PDFs are not fluid since they are based on printed pages, typically 8.5 x 11 inches
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2. TEXT AND TOC DISPLAY
EBOOK
eBook formats allows the text to adapt to the size of the screen
EBook format allows automatic structuring of the table of contents
PDF gives an identical display on any screen regardless of the size of the screen
The table of contents need to be manually structured in PDF
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3. MODIFYING FONTS
EBOOK
eBooks allow users to change font, giving them ability to use the font of their choice
eBooks allow users to change font size so that they can choose one for optimum viewing
PDFs do not allow users to change font, forcing them to use in a predetermined font
PDFs do not allow change of font size, but offer (less desirable) zoom functionality
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4. READ ALOUD OPTION
EBOOK
Read aloud option is available in eBooks
eBooks allow text-to-speech read aloud with text sync properties
Read aloud option is available with PDFs
PDFs do not permit read aloud with text sync
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5. INTERACTIVITIES AND PAGE TURNING
EBOOK
Depending on the device and format, an eBook user can do several interactivities
To turn the pages of the most widely used eBook format – EPUB - users swipe horizontally.
Interactivities available with PDFs are limited
To turn the pages of a PDF, users need to scroll vertically
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6. COMPLEX TABLES
EBOOK
eBooks often require content and coding to be tweaked with complex tables
Complex tables can be easily read through zoom functionality on the device
With PDFs, complex tables may not require tweaking
Complex tables are often difficult to read on smaller devices
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7. WORKING WITH TEXT
EBOOK
It is easy to copy text with eBooks
With eBooks, text can be highlighted
Often, PDFs are locked down to prevent copy and paste
Often, PDFs are locked down to prevent text highlighting
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8. GRAPHICS AND ANNOTATION
EBOOK
Small graphics are difficult to read in eBooks
Annotation is available with eBooks
Graphics can be difficult to read in PDFs
Often, PDFs are locked down to prevent annotation
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9. MULTIMEDIA AND ANIMATION
EBOOK
Multimedia is generally available with eBooks
eBooks accept animation based on HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
Multimedia has limited availability on PDFs
PDFs accept flash-based animation
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10. UPDATING AND DEFINITIONS
EBOOK
It is economical to frequently publish updated and corrected versions with little efforts.
Built-in dictionary allows users to search and view definitions
Document updates and edits require much more time and effort to update
PDFs do not support finding word definitions
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11. HYPERLINKS AND MARKUPS
EBOOK
Simple HTML mark-up allows easy linking of internal and external content
Simple Markup with HTML, CSS and JavaScript combination is required
Possible in PDFs, but time-consuming to activate links within PDF files.
Complex coding is always generated by a tool/software.
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CONCLUSIONeBooks formats are more versatile
and offer a more compelling reading experience
© 2013 Market Analyst, LLC. All rights reserved