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New EpubTest Website Tracks Epub3 Support

Ever 120B42C8d01_pic0007[1]wonder just how many Epub3 features are supported by your favorite ebook platform? Thanks to a new website, you can now find out.

EpubTest.org is a joint project of the IDPF, the BISG, and the DAISY Consortium, and it was developed to enable readers and developers to collaborate and share information on which Epub 3 features are supported by which popular ebook platform.

It includes a suite of Epub3 ebooks which you can download and use to test your preferred reading app. That test suite has been under development since October 2012, and it’s grown to include a collection of 20 Epub3 files, each designed to test a different part of the Epub3 spec. They’re available for download for free (no registration required).

In addition to the test suite, the site also has a page full of detailed descriptions listing Epub3 support for iBooks, Kobo, Google, Kindle, and other ebook platforms. According to that page Google Play Books supports just under half of the Epub3 spec. Kobo scored about 60% on their iOS app, but their tablets and ereaders only scored about 45%.

I don’t see any test results for iBooks, but there are a number of other major and indie ebook platforms listed. Of the major platforms, the Nook comes in a distinct last place, with the Nook Android app earning a score of only 16%.  A number of indie platforms, including Readmill, Helicon books, and Bluefire, scored significantly higher than the Nook Android app. And so did the Kindle app on the Kindle Fire HDX, in fact.

The Epub3 ebook standard was finalized by the IDPF in October 2011, but as you can see from the test results support is still more symbolic than actual.

Actualitte

 

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Comments


Anne-Marie Concepcion February 27, 2014 um 7:53 pm

This is a fantastic start! Great work.

I hope they’re able to soon fill in the large gaps in reading systems. No Nook devices at all? No iBooks? Gah. But the Kindle HD and Playbooks info is really useful to me.


Ori Idan February 28, 2014 um 2:35 pm

The epubtest.org lets people test by them self the eBook readers they want so it is strange that no one yet added the iBooks.
I am part of the group who developed the epub testsuite.
I am also the founder of Helicon Books, however it is not me who tested our own reader (Helicon Books reader) to the list and I am happy to see that our reader scored higher then the nook reader.
Helicon Books reader excels in reflowable books of all languages.

Nate Hoffelder February 28, 2014 um 2:42 pm

When i first heard about the site a few weeks ago I though that iBooks was listed. Those results may have been taken down.


Ori Idan February 28, 2014 um 2:46 pm

This is strange.
I don’t follow the results on constant basis so I don’t know if it was listed and taken down.
Why would it be taken down?
After all I think iBooks does a great job in EPUB3.


Juliana Cassaro October 17, 2019 um 9:22 am

Hello!
Epubtest currently conducts the epub accessibility test on digital book readers. Can you tell me if you have the epub3 version test on digital book readers?


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