Unified e-book standard coming soon?

E-books, i.e. electronic books, cannot be considered very successful. One of the main reasons for this is that there are relatively few who have a tool to read an e-book.

If we look at the current possibilities, the result is quite depressing: Microsoft Reader is dying on its own on both mobile devices and desktops, and this fact is not particularly worth tearing up due to the completely disappointing DRM (digital rights management) integration. Similarly, hardware solutions are dying fast, no matter what big company behind their introduction. The biggest problem, however, is different: e-books exist in many formats, but many books can only be accessed in a particular format.

This unfortunate state seems to be slowly coming to an end as the e-book industry has agreed on e-book standards. Although the agreement has not yet been finalized, steps towards standardization will no longer force publishers to develop customized solutions, which could already be a major step forward for the industry. If hopes come true, a similar process could take place here as with the MP3 format, which has become the standard in music, making the distribution and use of e-books significantly simpler.