[mwvickers]

I saw an article on Amazon's Kindle boards, and I am a little confused.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.amazon.com/offering-e-books-Microsoft-Reader-format/forum/FxBVKST06PWP9B/TxXLDM3O5PPQSC/1/ref=cm_cd_ef_tft_tp?%5Fencoding=UTF8&asin=B000FI73MA

Now, I'm not tech savvy, so I need some help. It is saying that Amazon is going to stop selling books in Microsoft Reader and Adobe format. How is that affecting Kindle books? What format are Kindle books normally in? If Kindle format is different, what, then are the other formats?

Thanks for any input.

 

[Leslie]

From Publisher's Weekly:

Amazon To Drop Microsoft, Adobe e-Book Formats

By Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 1/26/2009 7:08:00 AM
Amazon.com has notified its publisher and author clients that it plans to cease offering e-books in the Microsoft Reader and Adobe e-book formats. In the future, the online retailer says it plans to offer only e-books in the Kindle format (for wireless download to its Kindle reading device) and the Mobipocket format, both of which are owned by Amazon. The online retailer's note asks publishers and authors to make sure that Amazon has written permission to offer their books for sale in the Mobipocket format.

Amazon did not specify how long the Adobe PDF and Microsoft formats will continue to be available. A search of the site turns up mostly technical works and e-docs in PDF form and very little in the Microsoft format. Amazon offers tens of thousands of titles in the Mobipocket e-book reader software, which allows e-books to be read on a wide variety of handheld mobile devices. The company said it will now be urging customers to buy e-books through Mobipocket. Amazon also sells more than 200,000 titles for use on the Kindle.

I think for you and me, average consumer, Kindle owner, this change is going to make very little difference.

L

 

[geko29]

Kindle is its own format, nearly identical to mobipocket (which Amazon also owns).  I wouldn't be surprised if they also announced a computer-based reader for .AZW at their press conference in two weeks, since that capability is one of the primary draws of the DRM'd PDF format.

 

[mwvickers]

Thanks.

That helps clarify it.

 

[MamaProfCrash]

Heck, maybe dropping those formats will cause publishers to put more books, technical and all others, into .amz format. That would be good for us.

 

[TM]

Now if only they would drop the dreaded topaz format...