14 DAY TRIAL // Even though there were only three e-readers on sale until late last year, these products have increased in number, to the point where they actually managed to create their own niche market and have drawn the attention of practically every supplier of PCs or consumer electronics. More recently, even Sharp decided to have a go at this segment, only its methods are somewhat different from what other companies have done so far. Instead of showing off some upcoming e-reader or another, the outfit came forth and unveiled a new document format known as XMDF.
XMDF is the shortened version of ever-eXtending Mobile Document Format and is a next-generation e-book format that, in addition to the basic functionality of displaying text and still images, will include advanced features that will enable consumers to take advantage of video and audio content. This XMDF platform will become the core technology of Sharp's e-book efforts and will be intimately related to the e-book distribution service and compatible reader devices that will follow.
It should probably be noted that Sharp's XMDF is, in fact, a refined version of a currently existing XMDF format. Said format was launched in 2001 and is already used by certain Japanese novels and manga comics. The new version will bring the aforementioned multimedia benefits, as well as an automatic adjustment of the layout, so as to match publishers' needs. All in all, Sharp aims to deliver a more sophisticated user interface and even enable browsing the same content on multiple terminals, such as smartphones.
According to the company, multiple Japanese printing and agent companies, as well as publishing houses, have signed up to support the format. Unfortunately, Sharp did not give any names, nor did it say exactly how long it will take for its plans to come to fruition. Nevertheless, once they do, they should lead to the growth of the e-book market as a whole.