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Creating a common e-book format will clearly improve some situations, and complicate others. Personally, I see it as mostly a plus to have a common format: You'll have a choice of multiple readers, allowing you to pick the one whose features you prefer; A standardized format will help guarantee its longetivity in the market; and competition over one format will help straighten out a lot of the draconian DRM issues, sales, costs, and availability.
It may take some time to work out some of these issues (especially DRM and cost), but the intervention of just one or two inspired e-book producers could fix that faster than you'd expect.
I was sorry to NOT see Sony or Microsoft listed as supporters, but if this idea gets fully off the ground, hopefully that will change. We don't need another VHS/Betamax War.
If this does become a universal format, I know I'll be using it for my books. Why not? The worst that can happen is... just one more format...
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Steven Lyle Jordan: Original SF so good, Fox would never put in on the air. |