Quote:
Originally Posted by DSpider
Yet they still display differently on every system. Why is that ? Why can't they develop ONE, GOOD, reading engine and adapt it to multiple devices ? Or even use one already developed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gecko_%28layout_engine%29
Open source, cross platform... What are they, stupid ? |
I think the main reason is commercial.
1
Adobe fears ePub will encroach its benefit from PDF.
So they want to keep ePub only in the field of e-ink devices.
2
Microsoft continues their numbness on ebook market.
MS hasn't improved their CHM format for over ten years, actually
CHM is very similar to ePub.
3
ePub committee adopts XHTML instead of HTML.
This make desktop eReaders based on webbrowser meaningless.
For these Readers will show invalid XHTML as HTML correctly,
while such invalid XHTML in ePub will not show properly on eReader
devices.
It's not easy for desktop Readers to simulate the backwardness
of those ebook devices, especially ADE system.
So users will not accept a more robust epub reader on desktop.
4 Before
Apple adopted ePub, ePub was unimpressive.
But Apple is not so influential on PC.
So ePub lacks a real leading giant till now.