RB to XWD Converter

Free online RB to XWD conversion — quick and easy

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Ebook to Window Dump

Convert obsolete RB ebook pages into XWD format — the native screen capture image format of X Window System environments.

Cloud-Based Conversion

Processing runs entirely on Convertio servers, keeping your local machine free from resource-heavy tasks.

No Setup Required

Skip software downloads entirely. Open your browser, upload the RB file, pick XWD, and get your result instantly.

How to convert RB to XWD

1

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

2

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

3

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

About formats

RB is the native ebook format of the Rocket eBook, one of the first commercially available dedicated e-reading devices, developed by NuvoMedia and released in October 1998. Founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning — who later co-founded Tesla Motors — NuvoMedia designed the Rocket eBook as a handheld device with a reflective LCD screen, capable of storing approximately ten books in its internal memory. The RB format packages HTML-based content along with embedded images, metadata, and a table of contents into a single binary container optimized for the device's limited hardware. Content was purchased and downloaded through NuvoMedia's RocketLibrarian desktop software. A notable advantage of the format was its early support for bookmarking, annotation, dictionary lookups, and adjustable font sizing — features now standard on modern e-readers but revolutionary in the late 1990s. The Rocket eBook demonstrated viable commercial demand for dedicated reading devices, paving the way for subsequent platforms from Sony, Amazon, and others. NuvoMedia was acquired by Gemstar-TV Guide International in 2000, which discontinued the device line in 2003. While RB files are largely a historical curiosity today, they can be converted to modern formats using ebook management tools, and the format remains significant as a pioneering chapter in the evolution of digital reading.
Developer: NuvoMedia
Initial release: 1998
XWD (X Window Dump) is a screen capture image format defined as part of the X Window System by the MIT X Consortium, dating to approximately 1987. The xwd command-line utility captures the contents of an X window or the entire screen and saves it as an XWD file — functionally equivalent to a screenshot utility but predating the concept by years. XWD files contain a detailed header specifying the X server's visual type, bit depth, byte order, bitmap unit and padding, the window's dimensions, border width, and color map information, followed by the raw pixel data exactly as represented in the X server's framebuffer. This means XWD files faithfully capture the exact pixel representation used by the display hardware — including server-specific byte ordering, padding, and color organization — making them primarily useful on the system where they were captured or on systems with compatible display configurations. The header also stores the window name string and the full color map entries for indexed-color visuals. XWD supports all X11 visual types: StaticGray, GrayScale, StaticColor, PseudoColor, TrueColor, and DirectColor, at any bit depth supported by the X server. One advantage is exact framebuffer fidelity: XWD captures the window's pixel data in its native format without any color space conversion or compression, making it the definitive record of what the X server was actually displaying. The format's integration with the X11 command-line toolkit provides another practical benefit — xwd can capture specific windows by ID or name, be triggered remotely via SSH, and piped directly to format converters. XWD files are handled by ImageMagick, GIMP, xwud (the viewer companion to xwd), and xv.
Developer: MIT X Consortium
Initial release: 1987

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert RB to XWD?

RB is a dead format from 1998's Rocket eBook. XWD captures page imagery as X Window dumps compatible with Unix display tools.

What opens XWD files?

The xwud utility on Unix/Linux, GIMP, ImageMagick, and IrfanView (Windows) can all display XWD window dump images.

Is XWD a modern format?

XWD dates back to the X Window System era. It remains supported on Linux desktops but is rarely used for general image exchange.

Can I batch convert RB files?

Yes — upload multiple RB files and convert them all to XWD at once. Batch features expand further with a premium Convertio plan.

Is the conversion free?

RB to XWD conversion is completely free on Convertio. Premium plans offer additional capacity for larger or bulk conversions.