Convert E book available for Kindle only (not avalailable for Kindle for PC)

testarossa · 01-12-2014, 05:25 PM

All,

I am looking into a subscription for a hobby magazine that is available for Kindle, but not Kindle for PC. I really want to access with the PC for use as reference, and provide options to reproduce certain pages for assisting in my scale model hobby. Is there a way to access the files directly off my Kindle to convert to Kindle for PC, PDF or some other format for the PC?
Thanks in advance.

susan_cassidy · 01-12-2014, 06:51 PM

Not without stripping the DRM, there isn't. If you strip the DRM, you can use Calibre or other software to convert formats. You might have to change the clipping limit for the book, though, if you are going to copy a lot in Kindle for PC. Of course, you can highlight on the Kindle, and use the "My Clippings.txt" file to copy the data to whereever you want. Although no graphics will be copied. To copy graphics, you will have to do screen grabs.

testarossa · 01-12-2014, 07:09 PM

I've read about Calibre and removing DRM's. I'm not against that as an option. Can I access the Kindle-only files from the Kindle on my PC to accomplish this?

eschwartz · 01-12-2014, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by testarossa

I've read about Calibre and removing DRM's. I'm not against that as an option. Can I access the Kindle-only files from the Kindle on my PC to accomplish this?

No, if the file is marked as not available for the Kindle4PC, then it can't download it, period. Only with a compatible reader can you download it -- once you have it, you strip the DRM (for help, google apprentice alf) and you can now do whatever you want with it. Including just opening the file directly in Kindle4PC, as the Kindle4PC is capable of reading your personal documents in azw3/mobi format.

testarossa · 01-12-2014, 08:51 PM

Right, download on the kindle, strip the drm, then open with K4PC

AnemicOak · 01-12-2014, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by testarossa

Right, download on the kindle, strip the drm, then open with K4PC

If they don't allow it on K4PC it might not be compatible with it, one would have to know which format the magazine is provided in (AZW, AZW3, AZW4, TPZ, something else...) to know if it could be viewed or converted.

susan_cassidy · 01-12-2014, 10:11 PM

If the book is available for your Kindle, you should be able to download via USB, and work on the copy on your PC that way.

You would have to tell the Apprentice Alf stuff that it is for your e-ink Kindle, and not for Kindle for PC.

eschwartz · 01-12-2014, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

If they don't allow it on K4PC it might not be compatible with it, one would have to know which format the magazine is provided in (AZW, AZW3, AZW4, TPZ, something else...) to know if it could be viewed or converted.

Right. That only works IF the file is in a K4PC-supported format, and is just being restricted for weird reasons. Which is definitely possible.

(TPZ? I thought they got rid of that a while ago.)

AnemicOak · 01-12-2014, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

(TPZ? I thought they got rid of that a while ago.)

Nope, they're still selling books in Topaz format.

eschwartz · 01-12-2014, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Nope, they're still selling books in Topaz format.

How horrible. And there's no way of telling what they might be, is there.

I do know I checked out The Princess Bride from OverDrive -- their Amazon redemption page is for a no-longer listed Kindle Edition which downloads as a TPZ. Never seen one otherwise.

HarryT · 01-13-2014, 01:30 AM

There's nothing inherently "horrible" about Topaz format; like any other format, it can be well- or badly-done. I have a couple of Topaz books which are very nicely formatted.

eschwartz · 01-13-2014, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There's nothing inherently "horrible" about Topaz format; like any other format, it can be well- or badly-done. I have a couple of Topaz books which are very nicely formatted.

I suppose my opinion of them has been colored by the only one I've ever seen... I thought it was supposed to be OCR with a text overlay, though? Sounds less than wonderful to me.

HarryT · 01-13-2014, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I suppose my opinion of them has been colored by the only one I've ever seen... I thought it was supposed to be OCR with a text overlay, though? Sounds less than wonderful to me.

Not really OCR. There's an explanation of it in the Wiki here. It's used in cases where there is no digital version of the text, or the formatting is so complex that there's no easy way to create one (the books I have are mathematics books, full of equations).

eschwartz · 01-13-2014, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not really OCR. There's an explanation of it in the Wiki here. It's used in cases where there is no digital version of the text, or the formatting is so complex that there's no easy way to create one (the books I have are mathematics books, full of equations).

That's where I was basing my understanding off of:

Quote:

Most agree that Topaz is a collection of glyphs arranged on pages, along with an unproofed OCR text version. It is used to make older books and foreign language available quickly, since conversion is essentially automatic from scans of the pages of a book, but it reflows very well.

HarryT · 01-13-2014, 03:15 AM

The user doesn't see the text overlay - that's there simply to provide a search capability. What the user sees looks like the page of the original book. It's essentially a digitized page scan which has the benefit of excellent reflow capabilities. As such, it's much better than non-reflowable formats like PDF.

01-12-2014, 05:25 PM	#1
testarossa Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: Kindle	Convert E book available for Kindle only (not avalailable for Kindle for PC) All, I am looking into a subscription for a hobby magazine that is available for Kindle, but not Kindle for PC. I really want to access with the PC for use as reference, and provide options to reproduce certain pages for assisting in my scale model hobby. Is there a way to access the files directly off my Kindle to convert to Kindle for PC, PDF or some other format for the PC? Thanks in advance.

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01-12-2014, 06:51 PM	#2
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	Not without stripping the DRM, there isn't. If you strip the DRM, you can use Calibre or other software to convert formats. You might have to change the clipping limit for the book, though, if you are going to copy a lot in Kindle for PC. Of course, you can highlight on the Kindle, and use the "My Clippings.txt" file to copy the data to whereever you want. Although no graphics will be copied. To copy graphics, you will have to do screen grabs.

01-12-2014, 07:09 PM	#3
testarossa Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: Kindle	I've read about Calibre and removing DRM's. I'm not against that as an option. Can I access the Kindle-only files from the Kindle on my PC to accomplish this?

01-12-2014, 08:51 PM	#5
testarossa Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2014 Device: Kindle	Right, download on the kindle, strip the drm, then open with K4PC

01-12-2014, 10:11 PM	#7
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	If the book is available for your Kindle, you should be able to download via USB, and work on the copy on your PC that way. You would have to tell the Apprentice Alf stuff that it is for your e-ink Kindle, and not for Kindle for PC.

01-13-2014, 01:30 AM	#11
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	There's nothing inherently "horrible" about Topaz format; like any other format, it can be well- or badly-done. I have a couple of Topaz books which are very nicely formatted.

01-13-2014, 03:15 AM	#15
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The user doesn't see the text overlay - that's there simply to provide a search capability. What the user sees looks like the page of the original book. It's essentially a digitized page scan which has the benefit of excellent reflow capabilities. As such, it's much better than non-reflowable formats like PDF.

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