Quote:
Originally Posted by James_Wilde
I just can't understand Amazon's refusal to support Epub.
I suppose it's simply trying to tie their customers to buying ebooks through them.
|
You understand it perfectly then
Amazon are interested in selling eBooks, the Kindle is a means to do that. They are perfectly happy to support other ways of buying books from them, which is why you can get Kindle apps for the PC, iThing, Android and BlackBerry. Selling a Kindle is a one-off profit, locking a customer in gives long term returns.
They don't want to sell hardware that is then never used to buy books from them.
Quote:
|
It's the only genuinely open source format
|
Lets not get too dewy eyed about ePub. It is html in a zip file, with some extra files for metadata and the ability to apply DRM. There isn't anything magic about it. (It also has a horrible designed-in limitation on individual file size which means you have to break books up into chunks.)
Quote:
|
It wouldn't surprise me to see that Amazon start supporting epub in a not too distant future, and if they do, there'll be an instant demand for a firmware upgrade from all Kindle owners to be able to use epubs.
|
How is it going to be in Amazon's interest to make it easier for people to shop somewhere other than Amazon?
Quote:
|
I think the success of the Kindle is a result of a) it's relatively cheap but nonetheless good quality, b) it comes from a company with a very high profile in the book world and c) it was one of the first ebook readers from a large company. Sony may have been there earlier, I don't know, but Amazon was very early out.
|
d) It is extremely easy to use, especially when buying books. No need for a PC or extra software, just click and the book magically appears. That works because Amazon control all stages of the process.
e) It allows you to buy books from Amazon
Quote:
|
But I don't think the Kindle can maintain its lead in the long run without embracing epub.
|
Why? For countries Amazon has decided to compete in (which is currently a small number), are there a large number of books which are not available in a format the Kindle supports?