Is ePub usage limited to books?

[T3_reader]

In the wiki I read 'epub is the file extension of an XML format for reflowable digital books and publications'. What does 'publications' actually mean when it comes to ePub? Can ePub be used for magazines? Brochures? Graphically sophisticated flyers? Manuals?

I have the impression that the format is currently used for linear text files that may contain an illustration or two. Is it more versatile than that and if so, where can I find sample files?

[WillAdams]

It isn't suited to making really complicated page layouts (and at this point in time, all of the epub viewing devices aren't suited to displaying complex page layouts 'cause of size limitations).

There has been some discussion of sample files, but mostly people are showing how to do things like drop caps....

William

[T3_reader]

Dropcaps? I think even Pagemaker 1.0 could already handle those back in 1985

Seriously though... I understand that 5 or 6 inch ereaders aren't capable (yet?) of displaying complex layouts. Somehow I had expected that 20 years of experience with the PDF file format and HTML would have allowed the industry to come up with a standard that would be way ahead of the hardware. That doesn't really seem to be the case.

[frabjous]

Originally Posted by T3_reader

Somehow I had expected that 20 years of experience with the PDF file format and HTML would have allowed the industry to come up with a standard that would be way ahead of the hardware. That doesn't really seem to be the case.

As I think Will made clear, the problem isn't the format, but the hardware.

If you want to see a sample, just take any complexly laid out website, and zip it up into an ePub per the ePub spec. Probably the only way you'll be able to test it out legibly is through a browser-based ePub software -- in which case, it'll just look like the webpage anyway.