PDB to XBM Converter

Transform PDB to XBM — quick online conversion tool

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Any Device, Any OS

Desktop, laptop, tablet, phone — the converter handles PDB to XBM equally well on every device and operating system.

Quality Preserved

Your original PDB content is preserved in the XBM result. The conversion process does not introduce unwanted artifacts.

Easy to Use

No expertise needed — the PDB to XBM converter walks you through upload, format selection, and download step by step.

How to convert PDB to XBM

Select files from Computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, URL or by dragging it on the page.

Choose xbm or any other format you need as a result (more than 200 formats supported)

Let the file convert and you can download your xbm file right afterwards

About formats

PDB (Palm Database) is a generic database container format created by Palm, Inc. for the Palm OS platform, first appearing with the original PalmPilot in March 1996. In the ebook context, PDB files most commonly use the PalmDOC or Plucker encoding to store readable text with basic formatting. The format consists of a 78-byte header identifying the database name, creation date, and record count, followed by a record index table and the data records themselves. PalmDOC-encoded PDB files use a simple LZ77-based compression scheme to pack plain text efficiently, while Plucker extends this with HTML rendering, image support, and hyperlink navigation. PDB ebooks powered a thriving mobile reading ecosystem years before dedicated e-readers existed — millions of Palm OS users carried entire libraries on devices like the Palm V, Tungsten, and Treo handhelds. A primary advantage is extreme simplicity: the flat record structure and minimal overhead mean PDB files parse instantly even on severely constrained hardware with limited memory and processing power. The open, well-documented structure is another strength, having spawned numerous reader applications across Palm OS, Windows, and later mobile platforms. Though the Palm platform is long discontinued, PDB ebooks remain accessible through conversion tools and readers like Calibre, and the format holds historical significance as one of the earliest practical mobile ebook solutions.

Developer: Palm, Inc.

Initial release: March 1996

XBM (X BitMap) is a monochrome (1-bit) image format defined as part of the X Window System, originating at MIT around 1987. XBM files are unique among image formats in being valid C source code: each file defines the image as a static array of unsigned char values containing the packed pixel data, preceded by #define statements specifying the image width, height, and optional hot-spot coordinates (for cursor images). The pixel data is stored in hexadecimal byte values within curly braces, with each bit representing one pixel (1 = foreground, 0 = background) and bits ordered LSB-first within each byte. This design was intentional — XBM images could be #included directly into X Window application source code and compiled into the binary, eliminating the need for external file loading and runtime format parsing. The format was used throughout the X11 ecosystem for cursor shapes, window icons, toolbar buttons, and other small UI elements. One advantage is the source-code nature of the format: XBM files can be edited with a text editor, diff'd and merged in version control, generated by shell scripts, and compiled directly into C programs without any image loading library — a level of toolchain integration that no binary image format can match. The format's role as part of the X Window standard ensures it is understood by every X11-aware toolkit and application. While limited to monochrome and no compression, XBM's simplicity makes it an excellent teaching format for understanding bitmap representations. XBM files are supported by all X11 applications, ImageMagick, GIMP, web browsers (as a legacy web format), and programming environments.

Developer: MIT X Consortium

Initial release: 1987

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert PDB to XBM?

XBM offers X Window monochrome bitmap — converting from the legacy PDB format gives your content modern compatibility.

What programs open XBM files?

You can open XBM files with GIMP, ImageMagick, X Window applications. Most platforms have at least one built-in or free option available.

Will image dimensions change during conversion?

The original resolution is preserved. Your XBM output has the same width and height as the source PDB file.

Is the conversion process secure?

Yes — uploaded PDB files are deleted right after conversion, and XBM results are removed within 24 hours from our servers.

What if my PDB file is corrupted?

Our system checks file integrity before converting. If the PDB file is damaged, an error message explains the problem.

Will I lose image quality converting PDB to XBM?

Your image retains its current quality level. Converting from PDB to XBM does not introduce additional degradation to the visual data.

Related Conversions

PDB to PDF

PDB to EPUB

PDB to MOBI

PDB to DOC

PDB to JPG

PDB to SVG

PDB to DOCX

PDB to TXT

PDB to FB2

PDB to GIF

PDB to XLS

PDB to PNG

PDB to RTF

PDB to CSV

PDB to XLSX

PDB to JPEG

PDB to DXF

PDB to PPT

PDB to PPTX

PDB to ODT

PDB to HTML

PDB to AI

PDB to PS

PDB to TIFF

PDB to PLT

PDB to AZW3

PDB to WBMP

PDB to BMP

PDB to WEBP

PDB to DDS

PDB to SNB

PDB to DOCM

PDB to PSD

PDB to JP2

PDB to LRF

PDB to PBM

PDB to RB

PDB to TCR

PDB to TGA

PDB to PCX

PDB to ICO

PDB to CUR

PDB to PGM

PDB to PPM

PDB to EXR

PDB to FAX

PDB to FTS

PDB to G3

PDB to HDR

PDB to HRZ

PDB to IPL

PDB to MAP

PDB to MNG

PDB to MTV

PDB to OTB

PDB to PAL

PDB to PALM

PDB to PAM

PDB to PCD

PDB to PCT

Specific converters

PNG to XBM

BMP to XBM

JPG to XBM

ICO to XBM

PDF to XBM

GIF to XBM

SVG to XBM

JPEG to XBM

CUR to XBM

PSD to XBM

TGA to XBM

TTF to XBM

TXT to XBM

WEBP to XBM

XCF to XBM

XPM to XBM

HTML to XBM

JFIF to XBM

DDS to XBM

DOCX to XBM

EPS to XBM

HEIC to XBM

DXF to XBM

AI to XBM

XLSX to XBM

CDR to XBM

CSV to XBM

OTF to XBM

TIFF to XBM

PBM to XBM