Global Reader Going ePub

[rhadin]

According to Publishers Weekly (June 9, 2008, p. 20):

"In mobile-Web news, MPS Mobile, a subsidiary of Macmillan Publishing Solutions, which is also owned by Holtzbrinck, made two announcements about its Global Reader platform, which gives access to digital book content via mobile phones and other Internet-enabled mobile devices in over 160 countries. The first was that MPS Mobile will adopt the IDPF ePub standard for use on the Global Reader. (...)"

The second had to do with the design of the Global Reader.

ePub expands

You can read the full article online here. --Alex

[zelda_pinwheel]

hey good news !! i can almost feel the tower of e-babel quivering a little on its foundation. it seems to be leaning a bit, doesn't it ?

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

hey good news !! i can almost feel the tower of e-babel quivering a little on its foundation. it seems to be leaning a bit, doesn't it ?

Are you sure you're not in Pisa?

BTW: ePub doesn't mean no DRM. DRM can be wrapped around pretty much any format.

BOb

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Are you sure you're not in Pisa?

BTW: ePub doesn't mean no DRM. DRM can be wrapped around pretty much any format.

BOb

i'm not sure where it's located, in fact ; i rather thought that if any tower could be considered virtual (and therefore every/nowhere) it would be this tower.

i know it doesn't mean no DRM. one battle at a time, though.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i know it doesn't mean no DRM. one battle at a time, though.

True, but I would rather fight the DRM battle than the format battle. Converting formats is pretty easy if there is no DRM to contend with.

BOb

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

True, but I would rather fight the DRM battle than the format battle. Converting formats is pretty easy if there is no DRM to contend with.

BOb

i would agree with you that overall DRM is a more important battle. but i think that just as the w3c webstandards project is important (and that is why i make an effort to always write valid code), a universal ebook format is important. and while format shifting may be trivial for you and me, i'm sure a lot of people less at ease with technology are intimidted by it, and that is a problem for the advancement of ebooks in general. i for one really hope that we can resolve the format chaos sooner rather than later.

i hope we can get rid of DRM sooner rather than later, as well, of course. i do think it's inevitable (look at the music industry ; it took them 10 years but they're finally getting there. i think publishing will eventually come to the same conclusions, i just hope they're a bit speedier about the process) ; not a question of "if" but of "when".

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i would agree with you that overall DRM is a more important battle. but i think that just as the w3c webstandards project is important

I agree with everything you said.

Both a single content/layout format and a single, non-restrictive DRM format (or better none) are both important.

You told me to pick one! So, I pick DRM!!!

BOb

(I gotta learn to stop pressing the Mac end button. It doesn't do what the PC end button does.)

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by rhadin

ePub expands

You can read the full article online here. --Alex

Might want to fix the link -- it doesn't resolve as posted.

This does work: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6568138.html
______
Dennis

[lee1234]

This is great! More companies are supporting epub format, but which companies' DRM will they be using? Adobe's DRM?

Or they are planning to release ebooks without DRM?

[AnemicOak]

While it's great that Macmillan (Holtzbrinck), which includes Tor & St. Martin's/Minotaur, is supporting ePub (& will hopefully start releasing more titles) it won't mean much if they keep their pricing the way it is. Many titles from them are $14 list when the paperback version is $7 or $8, not to mention some titles released years ago still have hardcover pricing for the ebook version.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

While it's great that Macmillan (Holtzbrinck), which includes Tor & St. Martin's/Minotaur, is supporting ePub (& will hopefully start releasing more titles) it won't mean much if they keep their pricing the way it is. Many titles from them are $14 list when the paperback version is $7 or $8, not to mention some titles released years ago still have hardcover pricing for the ebook version.

Releasing a new format is always a good time to review and revise the pricing. I would expect that to happen as they revisit the eBooks for ePub.

Dale