Quote:
Originally Posted by yvanleterrible
Even if there was a standard format, there is nothing stopping manufacturers to impose one of their own.
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Except that very few folks would buy such a device.
Your point about HTML is well taken (I'm not interested in even commenting on its suitability for e-books, it'd be just fine from my perspective, thanks, but at the same time, I'm not a passionate proponent), the problem with it is that a
lot of the pubs won't jump without some sort of DRM (I'm not interested in commenting on DRM itself, either -- I'd rather not have it, but I know they're afraid of piracy, and I've reached the conclusion that they won't move until those fears are addressed), and I don't think HTML will support DRM. XML apparently can, in some fashion or other, but that's not something I know a great deal about.
Frankly, if they can come up with a DRM approach that lets me read where I want, when I want, on whatever device I want, lend it, sell it, give it away, burn it if that floats my boat (some books just
deserve to be burned, not because of what they
say, just because they're that
bad 
) -- everything I can do with a paper one, basically -- then I wouldn't have a problem with that kind of DRM.
And I agree that they're each after a captured market, but markets just don't
stay captured, darn them -- just ask the folks who 'captured' the video tape market with
VHS .