General Information on the Provided Electronic
Book Formats
iSilo Format -
The iSilo format is a format that was developed to be used solely on
Palm OS Handhelds. Recently, versions of iSilo have been released for
both Pocket PC and Windows 95 or later. eBooks produced in this format
can only be viewed by the reader software iSilo or iSilo Free
because they are highly compressed in a special way (which means that
the eBook files are smaller). eBooks in this format can contain links
(shortcuts to other parts of the book) and a Table of Contents for quick
reference to certain parts of the book.
MobiPocket Format - The MobiPocket format
is a format that has been developed using standards for eBooks to allow
it to be viewed on many different devices. The MobiPocket format can
be read on Palm OS Handhelds, Windows-based Handhelds, Franklin eBook
Readers, Psion Epoc32 Handhelds, and even the Nokia 9210 and 9290. eBooks
made in this format are quite a bit bigger than those in the iSilo format
because it is not compressed. The MobiPocket format also allows for
the use of links (shortcuts) and provides for a custom Table of Contents.
(Palm) Doc Format - As implied in the
name, the Doc format is designed to be used on Palm OS handhelds. It
is actually the standard text document format for Palm OS devices. There
are many Doc readers available. The main limitations to the Doc format
is that there is no native way to create links (shortcuts), a table
of contents, or format the text (bold, italics, bigger font, etc). Many
of the available Doc readers provide a customized way to create bookmarks,
but there is no standard method.
Microsoft Reader Format - Again, as the
name implies, this format is designed to be used by Microsoft-operated
devices or computers. eBooks created in this compressed format can be
read on Windows-desktop PCs and PocketPC handheld devices using Microsoft
Reader. This format is specifically designed for use with eBooks so
it provides many useful features, such as underlining, note-taking,
and bookmarks. It makes good use of links (shortcuts) and the Table
of Contents.
Franklin eBookMan Format - This format
is designed specifically for the Franklin eBook readers. It is a good
eBook format, but is only useful if you own a Franklin eBookMan Reader.