Quote:
Originally Posted by susan_cassidy
When Apple [sic] released the Kindle, ePub was barely on the horizon. It exploded in popularity AFTER the Kindle came out. There's still no real business reason for Amazon to switch formats. Library books don't generate revenue for them. They make their money on book sales, not so much on sales of Kindles.
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Assuming you meant "When Amazon released ...", you're quite correct.
The other big point revolves around DRM. Amazon has become the largest ebook seller and the Kindle the largest selling dedicated ebook reader for a number of reasons, not the least of which is Amazon's DRM method. None of the other readers approach the simple "Kindle experience".
Amazon's DRM does not rely on someone else's software running on the user's computer and compatible with a limited range of operating systems. Amazon's works without any connection to any computer. The primary DRM used by "the ePub crowd" is Adobe's highly proprietary system which mandates the use of personal computer based software.
Yes, ePub format is open, but the common DRM is, on balance, just as closed as Amazon's. There may be more bookstores using Adobe's DRM for ePub but you have to use Adobe's software and a computer to actually get them onto your reader.