[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by K-Thom

There won't be "a" standard.

Several formats already co-existed for the last ten years, and this will continue. Honestly, I really don't care which format will become "the" standard, as long as it's possible to buy any eBook I'd like to read and convert it into my favorite format.

I agree. I think the key is that ereaders support a number of formats, rather than just one. Each format has its advantages and disadvantages, and not being locked into a single format is a good thing. I think the current situation with ereader, support for multiple formats, will continue.

When I'm checking out ebook readers, one of the first things I check are the formats it supports. I wouldn't purchase an ebook reader that only supported one format, and would also reject an ereader that didn't support at least one format that I couldn't make myself.

It's the same thing with digital audio players. Although MP3 is the most common format, as far as I know all currently available players support multiple formats. As an example, my own player (a Sony NWZ-A818) supports the following audio formats: MP3, WMA, AAC, and WAV. I doubt that a player that only supported one format would sell very well.