Epub coming to Amazon and the Kindle!!!

[carld]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

What I'm saying is that it is highly likely that a beta version of the Kindle software did support reading epubs, and then Amazon simply turned off support for them.

Maybe we should turn the thread into a discussion about whether or not it was right of Amazon to not support epubs from day one? I would say that no, it wasn't.

No, we shouldn't. If you want to discuss that start a new thread. And there's absolutely zero evidence for your statement about beta software.

[JSWolf]

The Kindle hardware is fully capably of handling ePub. It's just a matter of the software also doing so.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The Kindle hardware is fully capably of handling ePub. It's just a matter of the software also doing so.

Indeed, there is an alternate Kindle firmware available called "Duokan" which reads ePubs just fine.

However, we have no evidence WHATSOEVER that Amazon are planning to start selling or supporting ePub books. All that's happened is that Amazon are permitting publishers to submit books in ePub format; they may well be intending to simply convert them to the usual Mobi format for sale.

[cfrizz]

It would be great if Amazon started selling epub books, I would have a one stop shop for my reading material. But I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Instead of constantly arguing with giggles, why doesn't everyone just put him on ignore. All I had to do was read a couple of his posts to realize he is a crackpot. The ignore feature is a wonderful thing.

Oh and if you can't bear to ignore him, please at least don't quote any of his posts so that the rest of us who do have him on ignore don't get blindsided by his dribble from a quoted post.

Thank you.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Indeed, there is an alternate Kindle firmware available called "Duokan" which reads ePubs just fine.

However, we have no evidence WHATSOEVER that Amazon are planning to start selling or supporting ePub books. All that's happened is that Amazon are permitting publishers to submit books in ePub format; they may well be intending to simply convert them to the usual Mobi format for sale.

Given how well a lot of ePub converts to Mobipocket, it makes sense to allow publishers to only have to make one format and for Amazon to do the converting.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Given how well a lot of ePub converts to Mobipocket, it makes sense to allow publishers to only have to make one format and for Amazon to do the converting.

Yes, that's exactly what I think is going to happen. I'd be amazed to see Amazon start selling ePub books.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by cfrizz

It would be great if Amazon started selling epub books, I would have a one stop shop for my reading material. But I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Instead of constantly arguing with giggles, why doesn't everyone just put him on ignore. All I had to do was read a couple of his posts to realize he is a crackpot. The ignore feature is a wonderful thing.

Oh and if you can't bear to ignore him, please at least don't quote any of his posts so that the rest of us who do have him on ignore don't get blindsided by his dribble from a quoted post.

Thank you.

If Amazon started supporting Epub in a way that allowed non-Kindle users to buy through Amazon's store (supporting Adobe drm or what not), wouldn't they be harming ebook sales of other retailers? Seems like people would not like that.

Giggles is rather nutty, but civil and often amusing. In fact given his extreme views, he's quite friendly and polite from what I've seen, almost weirdly so. People will totally roast him and he remains civil. I can't imagine ever using the ignore feature unless someone was so vile (extreme aggression, racism etc) that they would be banned anyhow. Posts are easy to scroll past.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

What I'm saying is that it is highly likely that a beta version of the Kindle software did support reading epubs, and then Amazon simply turned off support for them.

Nonsense. The ePub standard was released in October 2007. The Kindle was launched in November 2007. At that time eReader, Microsoft .LIT and Mobipocket were the dominant reflowable ebook formats, and Amazon owned Mobipocket.

Publishers would not have been able to supply ePubs. The tools were not available. You really don't know what you're talking about.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

E.g. how about : Kindle+ format. On the new Kindle 4, Kindle+ format ebooks will look much better, but can still be read on all previous Kindles. (Kindle 4 also reads DRM-free ePubs.)

The more I've thought about it, the more this makes sense. Storage is cheap and plentiful. Even the original Kindle had 256MB, and that's expandable. The Kindle 2 has 2GB.

Amazon don't want to have to support two ebook formats, one for old Kindles (Mobipocket) and one for new Kindles (ePub). They also don't want to lose the competitive advantage that their Topaz format gives them.

So Topaz books (which Amazon create from hard copy) remain Topaz books. But Mobipocket Books can now be supplied with an ePub version wrapped inside the Palm Database format of the Mobipocket book. Kindlegen generates this kind of ebook now, and has done since version 1.1.

Amazon will just supplies Kindle books. Some will be Topaz, some will be Mobipocket, and some will be Mobipocket+ePub. The average reader will be oblivious as to which they have.

Kindle ebooks can be read on any Kindle hardware and software. Topaz Kindle ebooks and Mobipocket-only Kindle ebooks both still render on all kindle devices as they do now.

The new 'Mobi+ePub' Kindle books render using the Mobipocket version on current Kindle devices, but the next Kindle hardware (& selected future kindle software) will render the ePub that they contain.

Amazon retain simplicity for their customers — any Kindle ebook can be read on any device. Publishers can just supply the ePub to every distributor/retailer.

With a bit of luck, Amazon will also allow non-DRM ePub to be rendered by new Kindles. If not, a program to wrap ePubs in a Mobipocket shell will be simple to write. Or you can just drop them on Kindlegen.


Any drawbacks? What have I overlooked?

[cfrizz]

Maybe, maybe not. No one can force anyone to use Amazon for their book purchases, just like no one can force me to buy or use any Apple product. As far as I'm concerned it would simply enlarge my choices of where to get my books.

I love Amazon, but I don't want to be locked/dependent on them for all of my books via a Kindle. I want to be able to choose any reader that is on the market & be able to load all of my previously bought books onto it.

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

If Amazon started supporting Epub in a way that allowed non-Kindle users to buy through Amazon's store (supporting Adobe drm or what not), wouldn't they be harming ebook sales of other retailers? Seems like people would not like that.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Publishers would not have been able to supply ePubs. The tools were not available. You really don't know what you're talking about.

Giggles isn't hindered by silly things like reality. He just makes his own reality and keeps on regurgitating the same old Jacques Fresco/Venus Project/Zeitgeist Movement hooey.

[KenJackson]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Amazon will just supplies Kindle books. Some will be Topaz, some will be Mobipocket, and some will be Mobipocket+ePub. The average reader will be oblivious as to which they have.

You may well be right. And many will declare this to be good. But if I were a Kindle customer, I wouldn't like it. Contained therein is a very subtle sentiment something like arrogance, seen in many other technical product venues: you don't need to know the details.

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The new 'Mobi+ePub' Kindle books render using the Mobipocket version on current Kindle devices, but the next Kindle hardware (& selected future kindle software) will render the ePub that they contain.

If so, let me make a prediction. There will be a book or a few with small differences between the two formats. For example, one will have an incorrect storyline detail that was corrected in one version but not the other. Readers in this very forum who happen to have both old and new Kindles will notice the difference and post comments here.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

You may well be right. And many will declare this to be good. But if I were a Kindle customer, I wouldn't like it. Contained therein is a very subtle sentiment something like arrogance, seen in many other technical product venues: you don't need to know the details.

I'd say it's actually the sign of a mature product. Eg, I don't really understand how a car engine works, and I have no wish to understand. I want to be able to simply buy a car and drive it, not have to learn how to be a car mechanic.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by KenJackson

If so, let me make a prediction. There will be a book or a few with small differences between the two formats. For example, one will have an incorrect storyline detail that was corrected in one version but not the other. Readers in this very forum who happen to have both old and new Kindles will notice the difference and post comments here.

Possibly. But the way Kindlegen works now, the ePub is converted to mobi... while that original source ePub is embedded in the resulting mobi. In that scenario, two different versions (strictly speaking of content, not formatting) are very unlikely to occur. Especially if Amazon get the publishers trained to submit only epubs.

[KenJackson]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'd say it's actually the sign of a mature product. Eg, I don't really understand how a car engine works, and I have no wish to understand. I want to be able to simply buy a car and drive it, not have to learn how to be a car mechanic.

You are part of the "many" that I referenced.

And if Amazon releases information about their engine and how to tinker with it as car companies do, then I will agree with you. I doubt that will happen. You don't need to know.