MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why Adobe may be good for the new ePub standard e-book format

Bob Russell · 09-13-2007, 08:49 AM

As recently announced, ePub is the newly approved IDPF e-book standard for publishers and consumers. It includes a zip-based container format for all the relevant files (probably most important for publishers), and it includes a reflowable XHTML format for the actual book contents.

One of the questions that needs to be asked is what the presence of Adobe and Digital Editions will mean to the standard. Is Adobe likely to support it in a manner that adds value, or will we see it consistently subvert the standard? Fortunately, all signs seem to point to Adobe being a solid supporter. They have been a team member with the IDPF, and comments on Bill McCoy's blog have generally given the impression that Bill is not only an advocate of a common reflowable standard, but that he wants this one to succeed. (By the way, Bill McCoy is General Manager, ePublishing Business, Adobe Systems Incorporated, so his opinions do matter.)

But we have seen a lot of rhetoric from companies about how they support open standards who don't really end up helping the standard at all. There are other companies, content related companies especially, who even shun standards. Remember the way digital Sony music players wouldn't even support MP3 until recently? They pushed the more expensive Memory Stick on us, when everyone else was using SD or CF. But it's hard to completely shun standards and win customers at the same time. Recently, we see them becoming much more of a good community member with support for things like MP3 and SD cards in the Sony Reader, for example.

Apple may be going the opposite direction. We hear constantly about anti-competitive moves and moves against interoperability, yet they seem to get a free pass. Microsoft has a reputation for adopting and then extending/distorting and then destroying standards.

But if you think about it, Adobe is one of the few significant players in the content game that has actually "walked the walk". Look how widespread and the PDF format is, and how Adobe seems to not sabotage others who want to use it or create tools for it without an Adobe partnership. And look at what a huge benefit it has been for non-reflowable page layout type content. They manage to make money with it, but everyone wins and you see all kinds of PDF tools and content everywhere.

I don't want to minimize the contribution of other players in the potential success of the ePub standard, but one cannot help but focus on Adobe right now early in the game. EPub is aiming to be a popular standard on both the e-book publishing and consuming sides, and with Adobe's Digital Edition and other support, ePub might just have a real shot. Adobe appears to be willing to support the standard without trying to kill it, and so while everyone else is talking about being good for standards and the general community, we have seen Adobe actually live it.

Let us know what you think. Is this a naive look at Adobe and ePub, or is ePub a big step forward for reflowable content with a true Adobe supporter?

09-13-2007, 08:49 AM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Why Adobe may be good for the new ePub standard e-book format As recently announced, ePub is the newly approved IDPF e-book standard for publishers and consumers. It includes a zip-based container format for all the relevant files (probably most important for publishers), and it includes a reflowable XHTML format for the actual book contents. One of the questions that needs to be asked is what the presence of Adobe and Digital Editions will mean to the standard. Is Adobe likely to support it in a manner that adds value, or will we see it consistently subvert the standard? Fortunately, all signs seem to point to Adobe being a solid supporter. They have been a team member with the IDPF, and comments on Bill McCoy's blog have generally given the impression that Bill is not only an advocate of a common reflowable standard, but that he wants this one to succeed. (By the way, Bill McCoy is General Manager, ePublishing Business, Adobe Systems Incorporated, so his opinions do matter.) But we have seen a lot of rhetoric from companies about how they support open standards who don't really end up helping the standard at all. There are other companies, content related companies especially, who even shun standards. Remember the way digital Sony music players wouldn't even support MP3 until recently? They pushed the more expensive Memory Stick on us, when everyone else was using SD or CF. But it's hard to completely shun standards and win customers at the same time. Recently, we see them becoming much more of a good community member with support for things like MP3 and SD cards in the Sony Reader, for example. Apple may be going the opposite direction. We hear constantly about anti-competitive moves and moves against interoperability, yet they seem to get a free pass. Microsoft has a reputation for adopting and then extending/distorting and then destroying standards. But if you think about it, Adobe is one of the few significant players in the content game that has actually "walked the walk". Look how widespread and the PDF format is, and how Adobe seems to not sabotage others who want to use it or create tools for it without an Adobe partnership. And look at what a huge benefit it has been for non-reflowable page layout type content. They manage to make money with it, but everyone wins and you see all kinds of PDF tools and content everywhere. I don't want to minimize the contribution of other players in the potential success of the ePub standard, but one cannot help but focus on Adobe right now early in the game. EPub is aiming to be a popular standard on both the e-book publishing and consuming sides, and with Adobe's Digital Edition and other support, ePub might just have a real shot. Adobe appears to be willing to support the standard without trying to kill it, and so while everyone else is talking about being good for standards and the general community, we have seen Adobe actually live it. Let us know what you think. Is this a naive look at Adobe and ePub, or is ePub a big step forward for reflowable content with a true Adobe supporter?