[fjtorres]

In the Kindle world ebooks are Kindle books and PDFs, .docs, etc are personal "Documents".
Nice and simple.
No need to worry about file formats or DRM or techno-jargon.
It works for them; it works for their customers.

Now...
If they wanted to support library books they could provide each device with a separate PID that Overdrive could use with their Mobi-format library books.
If they wanted to they could simply pass out the word they would allow the porting of FBReader180 to the Kindle platform.
If they wanted they could sell a version of ADE for Kindle, as suggested above.
If they wanted, they could cut a deal with B&N (or even *buy* B&N outright) for eReader DRM'ed ePubs.
If they wanted, they could cut a deal with Apple for iBook-compatible ePubs.
If they wanted, they could add *their* DRM to ePub and create a fifth-flavor of ePub.
If they wanted.
But all of those things would simply muddy the waters for their mainstream customers and help the bottom-line minimally. (Some of them would draw unwanted government attention, too.)

Simply put, ePub support brings little of value to the Kindle platform that *Amazon* needs. The Kindle platform was defined and launched before ePub was even a paper spec and they're doing fine without it. They are happy to live and let live and we should be happy they do. At least this way there is room for competition between the two camps. And ePub is fragmented and messy enough on its own without Amazon getting involved.

Kindle has enough competitive advantages over their competition it can afford to be *perceived* as "lacking" in this one area.

Let's leave well-enough alone, for now, shall we?