Quote:
Originally Posted by pidgeon92
Who decides what format is the "industry standard?"
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My understanding is that a format is considered a standard if it is ratified by a standards body. I believe ePub has been ratified by such a body, and Mobi hasn't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pidgeon92
What's wrong with having format options? It's not like .mobi files can't be converted.
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Multiple formats cause problems, especially when those formats are closed and not documented. Mobi files can be converted because people put a lot of effort into working out how to do so. If the format was open and documented, the process would have been quicker and easier. When a format is closed and undocumented, the people who write the conversion tools can't be sure that the conversion will always work. Personally, I'm more interested in "open and documented" than "industry standard". An open, documented format can be worked with, whether it's been ratified by a standards body or not.
I can't see any benefit to the consumer from multiple formats in this case. Assuming DRM is not involved, it's not particularly difficult to convert ePub to Mobi or vice-versa, but if there were only one or the other, conversion wouldn't be necessary at all. If every e-reader were able to read every ebook
without any need for conversion, that would be a good thing for consumers.