W00T! W00T, I say! I don't much care if it gets (transparently) converted on load to something else, if .epub managed to become the de facto standard for e-book
distribution, that'd effectively end e-babel too. You'd just download the .epub and save it, and let your reader process it as needed -- heck, that's effectively what 'regular' computers do with all files anyway, and it doesn't bother anything.
Thanks for the info Nick!
Regarding extra-U.S. distribution on the Kindle, I'd think it may be more likely than some might suppose. I mean, Amazon and Mobipocket already have distribution rights for books in multiple countries, so I'm guessing that the only real questions remaining would then be network compatibility with the wireless, and who gets the concession on the wireless. Surely those can't be that difficult?
