Science fiction writer K.W. Jeter, who coined the term
steampunk and whom Philip K. Dick (twice Jeter's age) cited as an influence, writes a blog in which he predicts that eReaders are on the way out, and that mobi will become the dominant standard:
http://steamwords.wordpress.com/2011...-yet-but-soon/
A few quotes:
"I love my Kindle; I think it’s one of the neatest consumer electronics products ever devised. . . . And in general, I’m a fan of 'mono-devices,' i.e., devices that do one thing, and do it well, and at an attractive price point.
"That being said, . . . as the prices of tablets come down and the form-factor aspects improve, this is where the ereading market will migrate to.
"IMO, the practical takeaway from that development, for writers self-publishing ebooks, is that Amazon wins, and its ebook format (or the 2.0 version of it) becomes the standard. Amazon has the vastly larger market share for ebooks, the content, and the bankroll. Whatever promotion Barnes & Noble does to push the Nook ereader, Amazon can counter it with its own promotions. B&N doesn’t have that kind of firepower, plus it’s still saddling itself with red ink-generating bricks-&-mortar stores. Whatever promotion B&N does to supposedly lure people into the stores and download ebooks there, Amazon can match or better it on-line.
"Which means, also IMO, self-publishing writers will feel less and less compulsion to publish to formats other than Kindle (meaning the handheld Kindle and Kindle for PC, Kindle for Mac, Kindle for the iPad, and whatever other tablets are out there)."