Those who frequently use the LitRes website may have noticed that sometimes eBooks are offered in two ePub formats: standard ePub and iOS.ePub. Many have probably wondered, what’s the difference? I was curious too, so, as a well-known nerd… researcher, I decided to conduct my own investigation.
In addition to offering two formats, LitRes sometimes sells books in the iOS.ePub format separately from the regular eBook edition, and often at a significantly higher price. They used to do this quite often with Boris Akunin’s books.
Since deep down I’m still a bit of a programmer, I have a general idea of what the ePub format is (without getting into the weeds, it’s essentially hypertext). That’s why I was very curious about this sub-format LitRes invented, one they’re charging extra for.
When you try searching online, the results are pretty sparse. They mostly mirror the standard response you’d get from LitRes tech support when asking this question: “iOS.ePub is adapted for viewing on iOS devices.” Not exactly the most helpful answer. Thanks, Captain Obvious, so to speak. And even when you follow up with another question, Captain Obvious doesn’t falter:
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