[GregS]

Whoops I misread .pl as .py, sorry for the confusion (ps. if I find Python horrible, you can imagine how I feel about Pearl).

I very much see epub as a handy standard for eink displays etc.,. much better than the pig's breakfast of different formats, and at least predictable enough for translation to other things.

Ebub can't possibly do what TEI can, but it also does not have the overheads, everything is a trade-off.

We do need a standard, it does not have to be incredibly good, but it will do for ebook reading - epub fits the bill, it is more important at this time to get the HW vendors all on the same track in order to pull publishers and public together.

Anyhow, it leaves plenty of room for other solutions. At the moment I see epub as an easy root for traditional publishers to move into the digital market, without s steep learning curve and able to consolidate sales in a single format. I see TEI as having a key role in text repositories of all kinds (text in the sense of literature), however this does not stop other forms being adapted there are things badly displayed by HTML, that may well benefit from Z.M.L. if it is easy to code in, compact and efficient that could really be a killer in many areas being badly served by HTML. Just a suggestion.