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By David Rothman

Adobe“For long-form content to really take off in the digital world we definitely need standardized hardware, software, and formats. But we need to ensure that these technologies also deliver compelling user experiences for consuming that content.” – Adobe’s Bill McCoy, commenting on Tim O’Reilly‘s Standardized Hardware for eBook Readers.

The TeleRead take: As usual, I agree in general with Bill about goals. The issue is how to reach them for e-books without the interests of Adobe and other major vendors prevailing over those of publishers and consumers—whether in DRM matters or others.

I still have yet to be able to read Wowio‘s PDFed books reliably on my Palm TX, via the Documents to Go program. And so far, clashing technologies seem the most likely cause. Wowio’s files aren’t password-protected, but for some reason DTG is treating them as if they are.

Just one example? Yes. But it helps shows the need for publishers to prevail and tell tech companies, “Get serious about standards, or we’ll downplay your format.”

Meanwhile Bill has been correctly critical of Amazon’s obnoxious pressure on publishers to use its Mobipocket format—presumably to be abetted by the e-book hardware for which the giant retailer has filed an FCC application. Like Adobe, Amazon will want standards on its terms.

In the other direction, some have speculated that Adobe itself might enter the hardware business. Could Bill’s column be another hint of this? If Adobe gets into hardware, will its devices treat Mobipocket as well as they would PDF? Does giving users a better experience mean that it will have to happen the Adobe way?

Related: New Hampshire newspaper article mentioning, among other topics, clashing standards in audio books.

 
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