Amazon expands language support in Kindle Store

[HarryT]

I think that's what amberdel was saying.

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Why should they improve mobi, when ePub is already there ?

There are many people who dislike ePub. It may be a "standard" (whatever the hell that word means), but you can put out your standard...I can put out my standard....and (to inject some humor here) Bert the Zombie can put out HIS standard of ePub.

If the above paragraph seems nonsensical, then buy an epub from B&N and try to put it on your PocktBook, your Opus, your Astak, ad nauseum and tell me if it works. (Riiiiiiigggghttt, we're talking about the DRM scheme. Ok: Your implementation of ePub differs from Barb's implmentation of ePub. Actually, ePub is probably the best reason why ebook companies have strategically circled the wagons around themselves for a continued implementation and control of DRM in their ebook catalog.)

I call ePub (for want of a better expression), the "Cult of Personality," meaning that any narcissistic wannabe can create her own ePub - and as long as she can do it, she'll do it every single time - to the exclusion of other ePubs.

Also, some of the ePubs (see comments above - narcissism and Bad Taste) look pretty horrible - sort of like a badly constructed web page. [Cult of Personality.]

There's a full discussion thread on this somewhere with an attached poll, if someone can provide the link.

Now, back to Murder, Mayhem, Dead Cats, Microwaves, Zombies, and Happy Feet.



Don

[EowynCarter]

If the above paragraph seems nonsensical, then buy an epub from B&N and try to put it on your PocktBook, your Opus, your Astak, ad nauseum and tell me if it works.

Don't blame ePub for adobe mess with drm. Everyone would be better off without drm !

Also, some of the ePubs (see comments above) look pretty horrible.

Don't blame ePub because the publishers don't know how to format books properly...

There are many people who dislike ePub. It may be a "standard" (whatever the hell that word means), but you can put out your standard...I can put out my standard....and (to inject some humor here) Bert the Zombie can put out HIS standard of ePub.

Yeah, some work need to be done to harmonize stuff a bit.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

Don't blame ePub for adobe mess with drm.

I have to agree with Don that it is a shortcoming of the ePub standard that it permits anyone to bolt their own DRM mechanism onto an ePub file, and still call the result "ePub". You can't blame Adobe or B&N - what they are doing is perfectly in accordance with the ePub standard.

[EowynCarter]

As if drm where a part of any "standard"

You can't blame Adobe or B&N - what they are doing is perfectly in accordance with the ePub standard.

Yes I am. They know what they are doing. No one forced them to add drm.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

As if drm where a part of any "standard"

DRM is a part of many standards - it's a part of the DVD video standard, for example. Like it or loath it, it cannot be denied that it is important to many content producers.

Yes I am. They know what they are doing. No one forced them to add drm.

And the standard permitted them to do so, without specifying what that DRM system should be. That's the point, and that's a real problem with the standard.

[EowynCarter]

Originally Posted by HarryT

DRM is a part of many standards - it's a part of the DVD video standard, for example. Like it or loath it, it cannot be denied that it is important to many content producers.

And the standard permitted them to do so, without specifying what that DRM system should be. That's the point, and that's a real problem with the standard.

That's the point with "open" stuff.
But maybe the ipdf should go for a no drm allowed rule. DRM, even when they are all them like mobi, are a pain, period.

[K-Thom]

I had a quick look - you still had to give a US bank account (and tax info) it seems - or you could get a cheque. Maybe they have still to sort that out?

Nope, that won't change. Obviously they already used that method if you were a US-based author living overseas without a US bank account.

Why should they improve mobi, when ePub is already there ?

As a reading format, ePub has no advantage over prc. They both are basically html text plus cover plus ToC.
As a file format, sure, anyone capable may "mess" with his or hers ePub files, as long as they aren't bound by DRM.

And since there is that nice Python script around, it's even easier to strip azw off its DRM and convert them via calibre in whatever you want than stripping an ePub off its different versions of DRM (which I personally wouldn't want to call an "open standard" anymore, but a milking cow for Adobe ...).

[EowynCarter]

As a reading format, ePub has no advantage over prc. They both are basically html text plus cover plus ToC.

What about css ?
With mobi, all my books looked the same, how boring. ePub books just souds well, nicer.
Editing ePub is also easier, that's another plus.
Nah, i don't miss mobi at all.

And since there is that nice Python script around, it's even easier to strip azw off its DRM and convert them via calibre in whatever you want than stripping an ePub off its different versions of DRM (which I personally wouldn't want to call an "open standard" anymore, but a milking cow for Adobe ...).

ePub with DRM NEVER was open. What i'm speaking of is ePub, without the drm mess.
And inept woks fine tanks you very much.
B&N are the only one using the "new" drm, and they won't sell to me. So i don't care !

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Yes, but my question was whether HTML does support top to bottom writing. I honestly can't recall ever having seen it.

I don't think it does, but it seems CSS3 has some provisions for it.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Jellby

I don't think it does, but it seems CSS3 has some provisions for it.

So that would suggest that ePub doesn't currently support it either?

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by HarryT

So that would suggest that ePub doesn't currently support it either?

Correct. There is an issue in EPUB working group discussion, they'll probably consider it for the next version of the spec.

[HarryT]

Thanks for confirming that.

[colinsky]

Incidentally, LRF does support vertical right-to-left Japanese text -- or, at least, the version used by the Librie did. It also supports/supported Furigana or Ruby, which are interleaved small phonetic spellings of uncommon words. I've been meaning to take some of the old samples files I've got and try them out on my PRS-300.

There's also an application out there (don't have the link handy) that will simulate this by taking a text file, typeset text image files in that format, and build them into an LRF or PDF for you to load on your device.