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While this is about books, it's itself about file formats so I assume that technology is better place than book discussion.
I think that everyone has an opinion on these formats and I find that a lot of people learned to love pdf files and do not take second look on epub, nor do any kind of analysis to make little more educated decisions. So I thought that I could put here small sum up about both file formats, their pros and cons and uses.
PDF
PDF means Portable Document File, it is file kind, that was created by company Adobe in 1992, and made free by 1993. Adobe reader needed to open them was free to get and pdf documents were in few years easy to create in many programs.. Even independent programmers have no problem making their programs export pdf and these files can be open in web browsers or other applications, not only adobe reader.
When opened in any program, pdf file is list of pages, that will look the same on any device or in any program it is opened with. Can be zoomed in, but stuff will remain on it's place in the page, graphic and text alike.
It an be generated from text editors as sort of electronic publication, ready to print document, it also became favorite format for photo-scanning of books.
Programs to read pdf: (examples)
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Free)
Web Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
Many more...
Programs to make PDF: (examples)
Text editors (MS Office (paid), Libre Office (free), etc.)
PDF Creator (virtual printer, free)
Many more...
Advantages:
Well supported - can be opened in web browser, among other applications, it's unlikely that today you wouldn't have program to open and read pdf
Ready to print - pdf documents are designed to always look the same and except locked files can be easily printed
Relatively easy to make - export to pdf file is very favored through many application that work with web or text files, even with other programs. It's practically almost expected basics
Disadvantages:
Worse editability - you need special software to edit pdf and you can usually only edit entire pages, their order, adding or removing them, thankfully this issue is improving
Reading on phone - due to fixed size of the pages and A4 being most of the files pdf can be uncomfortable to read on phone. pdf is rather optimized for computer
EPUB
EPUB simply means electronic publication. This file format was developed by IDPF in 2007, and is now favored standart format for electronic publications, thanks to being free it seems to be winning over it's sibling, MOBI format. Epub is native format for books in most e-book readers and there is software for reading these files in tablets, e-readers, phones and computers.
Epub is practically a zip file containing xml files that contain text and pictures.
(literally, checked it myself on one file)
When opened in any program, It looks like opening text in text editor, but without editing tools. Can be zoomed in, which changes size of text, that again, just like in text editor adapts to the screen or the window.
It can be generated in text editors.
Programs to read EPUB: (examples)
e-book reader software (those devices are made for it)
FBReader (free, available for tablet, PC and phone)
Programs to make EPUB: (examples)
Text editors (MS Office, Libre office, )
Advantages:
Easy reading on phone - actually really useful on travel, e-pub text can be scaled on phone to be good to read, the software simply then renumber the "screens" aka pages
converting - because the text is already just like in doc file, converting to doc, or odt is piece of cake, you only loose cover page, but you can get it straight from the file, if you know how to change .epub to .zip
Disadvantages:
Support - As it is not that favored file format like pdf, it is supported by way less programs, phones and computers have no native support for opening epub files
Printing - no direct way to print from epub, you either make screenshot of part of text you wish to print and study, or you convert to doc/odt/... to get the part of text you want to study on paper
Comparing PDF and EPUB
File size
depends on pictures in epub, if only text, epub is much smaller even if pdf is mostly or only text. if pdf is picture pages, then it jumps in size a lot. Ironically, some epubs can be bigger than pdfs, if the pictures included in them are overly big, but that can be fixed by edit on the picture within EPUB file, if desired.
Size of PDF file can be altered too in few ways, Pictures definitely are big part.
Example files:
How to become Modern Magus PDF - 6,3MB EPUB - 6,9MB (5MB is one picture)
The Sorcerers Secret PDF - 1MB (very good pdf) EPUB 0,7MB
For storing electronic library EPUB works way better in matter of used space.
Use
PDF - good for documents ready to print, fine for reading on PC
EPUB - good for reading on phone on travel, or in bed (notebook is big, heavy and needs to be able to cool... and not to suck in dust or worse things that would cook it)
Both are usable for reprint of your books that happen to be destroyed (let's face it, things happen), PDF for exact reprint, EPUB for creating your own unique edition, but demands some work to do. (although epub is converted way easier to usable text than pdf)
However for study It depends on the device and software used for reading. If you are healthy and can sit by your table and PC, pdf is comfortable. Phone is way more portable and for phone epub serves better.
Conclusion - which one, then?
If possible, choose printed book. Especially after reading electronic one and finding real like, you should reward author by buying the book. The publisher gets more, but still.
What to go with printed book? If there is a danger of loosing the book, PDF for reprint is your choice. If you travel and want to study on travel, do your best to get epubs of the books if possible, also get them or make them if you tend to open and use the book a lot and would take advantage of having it with you on go. You're going to take phone with you anyway and the space saved by not taking physical books can be remarkable if you want to study more of them. Notebook is heavy and space taking thing too. Also it means far less danger for your printed books to be damaged or destroyed.
I think that everyone has an opinion on these formats and I find that a lot of people learned to love pdf files and do not take second look on epub, nor do any kind of analysis to make little more educated decisions. So I thought that I could put here small sum up about both file formats, their pros and cons and uses.
PDF means Portable Document File, it is file kind, that was created by company Adobe in 1992, and made free by 1993. Adobe reader needed to open them was free to get and pdf documents were in few years easy to create in many programs.. Even independent programmers have no problem making their programs export pdf and these files can be open in web browsers or other applications, not only adobe reader.
When opened in any program, pdf file is list of pages, that will look the same on any device or in any program it is opened with. Can be zoomed in, but stuff will remain on it's place in the page, graphic and text alike.
It an be generated from text editors as sort of electronic publication, ready to print document, it also became favorite format for photo-scanning of books.
Programs to read pdf: (examples)
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (Free)
Web Browsers (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
Many more...
Programs to make PDF: (examples)
Text editors (MS Office (paid), Libre Office (free), etc.)
PDF Creator (virtual printer, free)
Many more...
Advantages:
Well supported - can be opened in web browser, among other applications, it's unlikely that today you wouldn't have program to open and read pdf
Ready to print - pdf documents are designed to always look the same and except locked files can be easily printed
Relatively easy to make - export to pdf file is very favored through many application that work with web or text files, even with other programs. It's practically almost expected basics
Disadvantages:
Worse editability - you need special software to edit pdf and you can usually only edit entire pages, their order, adding or removing them, thankfully this issue is improving
Reading on phone - due to fixed size of the pages and A4 being most of the files pdf can be uncomfortable to read on phone. pdf is rather optimized for computer
EPUB
EPUB simply means electronic publication. This file format was developed by IDPF in 2007, and is now favored standart format for electronic publications, thanks to being free it seems to be winning over it's sibling, MOBI format. Epub is native format for books in most e-book readers and there is software for reading these files in tablets, e-readers, phones and computers.
Epub is practically a zip file containing xml files that contain text and pictures.
(literally, checked it myself on one file)
When opened in any program, It looks like opening text in text editor, but without editing tools. Can be zoomed in, which changes size of text, that again, just like in text editor adapts to the screen or the window.
It can be generated in text editors.
Programs to read EPUB: (examples)
e-book reader software (those devices are made for it)
FBReader (free, available for tablet, PC and phone)
Programs to make EPUB: (examples)
Text editors (MS Office, Libre office, )
Advantages:
Easy reading on phone - actually really useful on travel, e-pub text can be scaled on phone to be good to read, the software simply then renumber the "screens" aka pages
converting - because the text is already just like in doc file, converting to doc, or odt is piece of cake, you only loose cover page, but you can get it straight from the file, if you know how to change .epub to .zip
Disadvantages:
Support - As it is not that favored file format like pdf, it is supported by way less programs, phones and computers have no native support for opening epub files
Printing - no direct way to print from epub, you either make screenshot of part of text you wish to print and study, or you convert to doc/odt/... to get the part of text you want to study on paper
Comparing PDF and EPUB
File size
depends on pictures in epub, if only text, epub is much smaller even if pdf is mostly or only text. if pdf is picture pages, then it jumps in size a lot. Ironically, some epubs can be bigger than pdfs, if the pictures included in them are overly big, but that can be fixed by edit on the picture within EPUB file, if desired.
Size of PDF file can be altered too in few ways, Pictures definitely are big part.
Example files:
How to become Modern Magus PDF - 6,3MB EPUB - 6,9MB (5MB is one picture)
The Sorcerers Secret PDF - 1MB (very good pdf) EPUB 0,7MB
For storing electronic library EPUB works way better in matter of used space.
Use
PDF - good for documents ready to print, fine for reading on PC
EPUB - good for reading on phone on travel, or in bed (notebook is big, heavy and needs to be able to cool... and not to suck in dust or worse things that would cook it)
Both are usable for reprint of your books that happen to be destroyed (let's face it, things happen), PDF for exact reprint, EPUB for creating your own unique edition, but demands some work to do. (although epub is converted way easier to usable text than pdf)
However for study It depends on the device and software used for reading. If you are healthy and can sit by your table and PC, pdf is comfortable. Phone is way more portable and for phone epub serves better.
Conclusion - which one, then?
If possible, choose printed book. Especially after reading electronic one and finding real like, you should reward author by buying the book. The publisher gets more, but still.
What to go with printed book? If there is a danger of loosing the book, PDF for reprint is your choice. If you travel and want to study on travel, do your best to get epubs of the books if possible, also get them or make them if you tend to open and use the book a lot and would take advantage of having it with you on go. You're going to take phone with you anyway and the space saved by not taking physical books can be remarkable if you want to study more of them. Notebook is heavy and space taking thing too. Also it means far less danger for your printed books to be damaged or destroyed.
