PDB file format
| Extension | .pdb |
| Category | documents |
| Programs | Palm Reader Microsoft Visual Studio Pegasus Quicken |
| Main program | ICE Book Reader |
| Description | PDB files got their .sfw extension from the company that developed the proprietary file format – Seattle FilmWorks. The PDB file format was prolific in the early 1990s with mobile devices like Nokia Navigator that fell under the Palmtop category. It supported a wide variety of documents like eBook, Word documents, images, maps, and spreadsheets. A drawback of the PDB format is its inability to work across multiple platforms; a similar type of program that creates a PDB file is required on a device before the content can be accessed. |
| Technical details | PDB files can adjust the dimensions of the document’s content to fit the size of the device output. However, several features sported by new eBook formats are lacking in PDB format files. PDB files also support a peculiar data encryption system that helps reduce the file size relative to other formats. The compressible file size remains the essential factor that favoured the PDB format as the default format used with Palmtop devices of the 1990s – which mostly had low storage capacity. |
| MIME type | application/vnd.palm |