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Comment by Timshel | Hacker News Reader

Never had an issue with a EPUB on a kobo or a Nook reader, I clearly never tried any edge case.

Not saying there might not be any issues with EPUB but the fact that in 10 years they can't be bothered to add at least a basic reader for me just mean they want to keep this incompatibility and keep people in this separated ecosystem with amazon/Kindle. I believe this choice is anything but a technical one.

Since I never had much trouble using Calibre it means I'll probably never buy a Kindle just because of it but many people can't be hassled to do that.

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EPUB is like PDF.

If you're going with just the very basic stuff: text, maybe a few images - it really doesn't matter what kind of bare-bones reader you use.

BUT when you're opening a PDF that actually uses the features it's a different story. You've got a file with umpteen layers of information that needs to be displayed in a very specific way (I've seen blueprints do this for example). Most bare-bones PDF viewers either choke completely or display everything wrong.

Not sure where you are going with this :), it seems you imply that a bare bone EPUB reader is way more useful than a PDF one.

Which I completely believe, PDF support on readers is always an issue (there is even a discussion on it in this thread).

Then it support the position that if they added support for PDF but not a basic EPUB then this choice was not made for technical reason.

There's two different question here.

1) Why Amazon keep re-inventing the wheel?

As I explained in my original comment, KFX does have technical advantages over EPUB.

2) Why doesn't Kindle support EPUB natively?

Probably because there isn't a need for one, as they are using KFX anyway. Why invest time in something that is only for people who aren't using your platform?

I was reacting to (should have added a citation) : > I think there is actual technical reason why Amazon don't adapt EPUB natively

Kindle is out since 2007, KFX was released in 2015, hopefully when you create your own format there is some advantages.

In the end it appears we agree that the position of Amazon is : "Why invest time in something that is only for people who aren't using your platform?" But we probably disagree on the answer to it :D.

I was saying it's a technical reason that Amazon didn't adapt EPUB, not a technical reason why they don't implement EPUB support.

Then surely, Amazon will show good faith and open source their superior, albeit, proprietary format and back it with a standards body that makes it less monopolistic, no?

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