4 ms·

"They only support static layouts - not fluid/dynamic layouts that change when you resize the page. Don't have support for features like video, animated images,

"They only support static layouts - not fluid/dynamic layouts that change when you resize the page. Don't have support for features like video, animated images, interactive charts." these things are features in a lot of contexts.

Sakos 3y ago
Absolutely. Most books I read would be significantly worse to read without that static layout, pretty much every paper, every programming book, every science book, etc. I want books that are explicitly designed by somebody who gives a crap for a certain page size, not some automatic algorithm that gives me something that maybe fits the screen but loses all the context around the few lines I'm reading. I can't remember a single non-fiction epub that was better than or even equal to the PDF.
- agumonkey 3y ago
  I just fetched the PDF version of a book after being annoyed by the random reflow of the epub. Even though I appreciate epub logic and size...
- helboi4 3y ago
  yep i agree. unless the book is a stream of text that doesn't require layout factors it is better with a pdf. I'd rather manually move around the page. If the book is just a stream of text type of book then epub is of course better but that's not all books.
  - pythonaut_16 3y ago
    In my experience it comes down to the type of book. Novels and narratives with just a few supporting tables, illustrations, or diagrams? EPUB is probably preferable. But anything remotely technical with code snippets, diagrams, screenshots, tables, etc, PDF is going to be infinitely better.
38 3y ago
agreed. its a shame how many websites are ruined by over use of CSS and JavaScript.
- pasc1878 3y ago
  Ah documents are HTML. CSS is what you the reader apply (OK most CSS is supplied by the publisher but you can overwrite it) Javascript is not part of any document, and PDF does not have the equivalent - Printed pages don't change.
  - pepa65 3y ago
    PDF does have js...
lxgr 3y ago
Text not reflowing according to my screen/window size is most certainly a bug. I’m trying to read documents on my screen 99% of the time, not print them, so I couldn’t care less about some hypothetical paper page size they’re tying me to. Regarding videos: PDFs support these too, and more – including scripting and 3D models!
- bruce511 3y ago
  Obviously not in all cases, but lots of times, page numbers matter. Books, user manuals, accounts, agreements, all benefit from "on page 4" type descriptions. Outside of that, PDFs are "hard" to edit (unintentionally) so for a quote or invoice I know you're seeing what I sent you. I've never had a PDF "updated" by a manager on my side, or yours. And yeah, ultimately, they're often printed if they're legal or accounting.
  - lxgr 3y ago
    Updating PDFs is very doable. I believe even Adobe Acrobat (the paid version) lets you do minor edits to text in PDFs these days: Maybe not changing entire paragraphs, but definitely changing a date or amount here and there. Relying on your business partners or colleagues not knowing how to do this seems risky: If you can’t trust them, I’d personally use PDF signatures or at least hashes of the entire file.
  - bobbylarrybobby 3y ago
    Those references should just be hyperlinks to an anchor. You could then use the browser to go backwards and forwards between the destination and the source.
    - livrem 3y ago
      Any sane document will have numbered headers and sub-headers that you can refer to in an unambiguous way no matter how the document is formatted, or if you view it on a screen or on paper.
    - bruce511 3y ago
rchaud 3y ago
It also makes it no better than what PDF has offered for 25+ years.
blooalien 3y ago
Only context I can think of such constraints being beneficial is if the document is only intended for printed (paper) output. Any other (electronic reader device / software for example) use I can think of right now, it's better to have all the bells and whistles of font, style, color, layout adaptations readily and easily available for the end user.

Sakos 3y ago

Absolutely. Most books I read would be significantly worse to read without that static layout, pretty much every paper, every programming book, every science book, etc. I want books that are explicitly designed by somebody who gives a crap for a certain page size, not some automatic algorithm that gives me something that maybe fits the screen but loses all the context around the few lines I'm reading. I can't remember a single non-fiction epub that was better than or even equal to the PDF.

agumonkey 3y ago
I just fetched the PDF version of a book after being annoyed by the random reflow of the epub. Even though I appreciate epub logic and size...
helboi4 3y ago
yep i agree. unless the book is a stream of text that doesn't require layout factors it is better with a pdf. I'd rather manually move around the page. If the book is just a stream of text type of book then epub is of course better but that's not all books.
- pythonaut_16 3y ago
  In my experience it comes down to the type of book. Novels and narratives with just a few supporting tables, illustrations, or diagrams? EPUB is probably preferable. But anything remotely technical with code snippets, diagrams, screenshots, tables, etc, PDF is going to be infinitely better.

38 3y ago

agreed. its a shame how many websites are ruined by over use of CSS and JavaScript.

pasc1878 3y ago
Ah documents are HTML. CSS is what you the reader apply (OK most CSS is supplied by the publisher but you can overwrite it) Javascript is not part of any document, and PDF does not have the equivalent - Printed pages don't change.
- pepa65 3y ago
  PDF does have js...

lxgr 3y ago

Text not reflowing according to my screen/window size is most certainly a bug. I’m trying to read documents on my screen 99% of the time, not print them, so I couldn’t care less about some hypothetical paper page size they’re tying me to. Regarding videos: PDFs support these too, and more – including scripting and 3D models!

bruce511 3y ago
Obviously not in all cases, but lots of times, page numbers matter. Books, user manuals, accounts, agreements, all benefit from "on page 4" type descriptions. Outside of that, PDFs are "hard" to edit (unintentionally) so for a quote or invoice I know you're seeing what I sent you. I've never had a PDF "updated" by a manager on my side, or yours. And yeah, ultimately, they're often printed if they're legal or accounting.
- lxgr 3y ago
  Updating PDFs is very doable. I believe even Adobe Acrobat (the paid version) lets you do minor edits to text in PDFs these days: Maybe not changing entire paragraphs, but definitely changing a date or amount here and there. Relying on your business partners or colleagues not knowing how to do this seems risky: If you can’t trust them, I’d personally use PDF signatures or at least hashes of the entire file.
- bobbylarrybobby 3y ago
  Those references should just be hyperlinks to an anchor. You could then use the browser to go backwards and forwards between the destination and the source.
  - livrem 3y ago
    Any sane document will have numbered headers and sub-headers that you can refer to in an unambiguous way no matter how the document is formatted, or if you view it on a screen or on paper.
  - bruce511 3y ago

rchaud 3y ago

It also makes it no better than what PDF has offered for 25+ years.

blooalien 3y ago

Only context I can think of such constraints being beneficial is if the document is only intended for printed (paper) output. Any other (electronic reader device / software for example) use I can think of right now, it's better to have all the bells and whistles of font, style, color, layout adaptations readily and easily available for the end user.