I’m not tracking downloads of the free ebooks on Planet eBook, so probably the number one question I have for those of you who have subscribed to the blog and downloaded some eBooks is: do you prefer the ‘1-page’ version or the ‘2-page’ version?
There may well be positives and negatives to both. Or perhaps one is far superior as far as you’re all concerned. Please share your thoughts by adding a comment and help me work out the future design of the books we give away on Planet eBook.
11 Comments
I prefer the one page version. I import the PDF files into my Amazon Kindle, and one page is better for that.
Thank you for all your work on this project. It’s wonderful!
I certainly prefer the one page pdf. It is just a whole lot simpler to simply scroll down rather than move all around with the two page spread. Love the service!! Thank you!
I really enjoy the 2 page books. I read them on my computer and I like the more book like look of it. Thank you so much for putting together this service! I enjoy it very much.
I always download both.
On my laptop, I HIGHLY prefer the 2-page versions for reasons that Carol mentioned. But…I’m future-proofing myself for the Kindle or another e-book reader (which I don’t have yet) by getting the 1-page versions, for which Brent’s comment would apply.
So, I think you should keep both available…but I can understand getting rid of one will cut down some on the amount of work you’re putting in.
In that case, I’d have to say 1-page is the way to go, because everyone can use it okay.
But for some non-ebook readers like me, the 2-page version is great.
I agree with Michael. If I had to choose, I’d go with the one-page so I could be sure I’ll be able to read it on any medium, but I prefer the two-page with my current setup. Great site, thanks so much for making these available.
Thanks all for your feedback.
For those of you who like the 2-page versions. Don’t fear — they’re not going to disappear any time soon. I was interested to hear what you all prefer.
When I originally started the design of the eBooks the landscape was different and the 2-page version seemed to fit the niche of displaying pages nicely in the typical 2-page spread that print books have. To me, it now seems to becoming somewhat redundant.
For those of you who like the 2-page version because it has the closest ‘feel’ to a book, with the right viewing software you can get very close (if not the same) using the 1-page version.
If you’re reading our ebooks on your computer, then I’d recommend trying the Adobe Digital Editions software. It has a variety of display modes including one in which it turns two separate pages (like the 1-page mode) into a 2-page spread, removing the separator between them and giving you that book feel.
I will be publishing an .EPUB version of all our ebooks later in the year. Among other software and viewers, the Adobe Digital Edition is designed for EPUB files, so you’ll be able to download a version of our eBooks that will be more customizable — basically, you’ll be able to set the font size to whatever level you like without ruining the usability of the eBook.
Personally, the 1-page version is my preferred format as I read ebooks on my Nokia n800.
Publishing more formats than pdf is also a great idea.
I can’t deny that the one-page version looks very nice and fancy, but since I always print the e-book, I prefer the two page version because it won’t consume too many paper.
Great site, great work! Oh, I’d like to ask: hoe often do you usually publish new books?
Keep up the good work!
For the foreseeable future we’ll be publishing about one eBook a week.
I think the “1-page”version is easier to read but the “2-page” version looks like a real book.