PDF vs EXE - An eBook War

Everyone creating an eBook would stumble upon the choice on whether to publish your eBook as a PDF or EXE. The differences between the two can be more than just the file extensions. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. So when should you select a specific format?

When you make a search for eBook creation software, you would generally find EXE eBook creation software on the top. Why is this so? Why not PDF? PDF has been on the market for a long time. But eBook creation was not just one thing it is used for. PDF is used by the Goverment and for many important document and manuscripts. PDF's features made many writers publish in that format.

EXE eBooks can be created using many eBook Creation software. These are available in various ranges, from $19 to $200. Many of them come with a brander, which enables your readers to brand your ebook to their name. The interface provided by the EXE eBooks look sleek. People find it easier to design web-page like eBook design and interactivity in HTML rather than a Word Processor.

There is a great misconception in the market that PDFs are very costly to create. We hear of the fact that Adobe's PDF creation tools are very costly, and hence is PDF creation. But we shouldn't ignore all the other alternatives available. Today, PDF creation products which provide similar features, are available for free. Most of the Word Processors have PDF exporting features incorporated in them.

Another misconception is that eBooks published in EXE format look more professional than PDF eBooks. This is certainly wrong. Nowadays, its the content that matters the most. PDFs looks and feels like real paper. A document can be made a lot more professional in a Word Processor using the various formatting tools available.

There was one problem with PDF though. It could not be as easily branded as EXE eBooks, which already came with a brander. But many solutions for rebranding PDFs have emerged in the market.

EXE eBooks can look difference in different computers, especially if people use various resolutions. This can be evident by seeing many Websites that look difference when seen in difference resolutions. PDFs look the same in all the computers, and one can easily print them.

My personal suggestion would be to go with PDF eBooks. They too have various security options. A quick Google search can lead you to many free PDF creation tools. PDFs can be read in Mac or in any Operating System where Adobe Reader or equivalent is installed. This also includes Operating Systems like Linux.

There is a possibility of EXE files getting corrupted or infected with virus. If a person having his PC infected by a virus downloads your eBook and passes it to his friends, there is a great chance that he is passing away an infected eBook. EXE eBooks carry an overhead. The "reader" part of an EXE eBook is around 200 to 300 Kb. Your content is compressed and added to it, which results in eBooks more than 300kb.

But if you don't want to speed huge amount of money on PDF branders and want to start a Viral Marketing campaign, i would certainly go with an EXE eBook compiler. The choice is yours.