Quote:
Originally Posted by Toxaris
Due to the spread of e-books, backwards compatibility will be a problem/issue. You don't want to buy a new version if you change your reader. The publishers and retailers would love it of course. Older devices are not getting updates with newer versions of reading software. In my opinion that will also be a risk with ePUB3 or ePUB in general.
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Sony hardware-updated the PRS-500 to support ePUB. This is the exception rather than the rule, but even the oldest of Sony's Readers can read every ePUB thrown at it. Newer models support more ePUB features certainly, but older models can still read the books.
And, yes, the industry wants everyone to re-purchase as much as possible, so they have little motivation to pursue a standard. It would take something monumental, like Apple having the world's largest music store and deciding to sell non-DRM music across the board.
Is
Harry Potter that monumental? If anything is, it's Harry! If Rowling says no mobi format, Amazon will cave for sure and support ePUB (I am not speculating as to
if she will, as that boat has sailed 2 pages ago
).
Oh, and the Futuresource article cited in support of 80% US sales in 2010 predicts that Google Books will cause 50% of eBooks to be sold outside the US by 2014. That's a definitive win for ePUB if it comes to pass.
-Pie