Can you tell if it's topaz before you buy it?

GA Russell · 01-16-2011, 09:18 PM

I have downloaded free Amazon kindlebooks before, but I have not yet paid for one. I have been able to strip the DRM from all but two of them.

There are now two mystery books I am considering actually buying.

Is there a way I can tell before I buy them whether they are topaz, and therefore not DRM-strippable?

ATDrake · 01-16-2011, 09:41 PM

Yes. Look at the Product Details on the book page. If it's got a File Size (with optional Print Length), then it'll be Mobi. If it's only got a Print Length, that means Topaz.

Also, you can download the sample and open it up with either Kindle for PC/Mac to see if it's got the funky fonts, or with a text editor to see if it's got TPZ0 as the first four characters of the file.

Topaz are in fact strippable, but it's a hassle to convert them properly as you lose bold and italics and such and have to re-enter that sort of formatting manually.

Hope this helps.

soondai · 01-16-2011, 09:42 PM

usually Amazon just gives the print length and not file size in the description of topaz titles, but I don't think it's a guarantee. you get your money back if you are not satisfied

example of topaz:
http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Like-St...5232001&sr=1-1

GA Russell · 01-16-2011, 10:13 PM

Thanks guys!

Great news! Both books list a file size.

abookreader · 01-17-2011, 08:51 AM

You can tell if something is Topaz - as stated above.

The newest Calibre plug-in for DRM removal handles the process for you. The results aren't always pretty. Italicized words especially are prone to OCR mistranslation type errors.

mgmueller · 01-17-2011, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I have downloaded free Amazon kindlebooks before, but I have not yet paid for one. I have been able to strip the DRM from all but two of them.

There are now two mystery books I am considering actually buying.

Is there a way I can tell before I buy them whether they are topaz, and therefore not DRM-strippable?

Easiest indicator: Downloaded samples have the same file format, as the complete book.

mgmueller · 01-17-2011, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GA Russell

I have downloaded free Amazon kindlebooks before, but I have not yet paid for one. I have been able to strip the DRM from all but two of them.

There are now two mystery books I am considering actually buying.

Is there a way I can tell before I buy them whether they are topaz, and therefore not DRM-strippable?

...and you can strip TOPAZ from DRM as well.
The results aren't optimal though in my opinion. But still perfectly usable.

DixieGal · 01-17-2011, 09:43 AM

You should try to get your topaz from a Pakistani, preferably one whose family owns and works the mine, but sent the best looking son to the US to work the gem and mineral show circuit. Go into the transaction with the understanding that all blue topaz has been irradiated. Remember the batch that got out into the general public a few years ago that was still radioactive, and promise yourself again to get one of those little rad dose badges that they wear in the X-ray department. Tell Sanjiv that you want to see the Imperial, realize that you have been saving up since spring for that one perfect topaz, but that one is still going to need a boost from your Discover card. Keister the stone for safety in case of high jackers, even though you drove to the show. Get it home, wash it off, and study it. It is important with topaz to find the plane of cleavage and start to cut it very slightly off the plane, because cutting on or against the plane leaves a greasy-looking veil on the stone that can not be polished away. Spend 8 hours making preliminary cuts, then mess up and have to waste half the stone re-starting it. Weep, wail, bargain with the Lord, admit defeat, put the stone in its little plastic display cup, hope you can sell it for at least a fraction of what you paid for it, and swear that you are going to get out of the gem cutting game forever. Eat a carton of ice cream and go to bed. Get up in the morning, decide it really isn't that bad, set it in 14k gold. Decide it is too pretty to sell and put it into your personal jewelry box. Wear it to the next gem and mineral show to show it off and receive heaps of acclaim from other gem experts.

Rinse and repeat.

Oh, you were talking about topaz reading format? Duh!

FF2 · 01-17-2011, 10:46 AM

Dixiegal:

Can you expand that into a novel? And how close to accurate is the cutting info - just curious.

GeoffC · 01-17-2011, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Oh, you were talking about topaz reading format? Duh!

GeoffC · 01-17-2011, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FF2

Dixiegal:

Can you expand that into a novel? And how close to accurate is the cutting info - just curious.

The lady has a blog .. have a look here

Ken Maltby · 01-17-2011, 11:03 AM

Perhaps by being able to avoid the Topaz version, we can establish for Amazon that
offering books in that format is not going to help their sales figures.

Luck;
Ken

DixieGal · 01-17-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FF2

Dixiegal:

Can you expand that into a novel? And how close to accurate is the cutting info - just curious.

It is very accurate, especially the part about the weeping and wailing.

Actually, I love it and it makes me very happy to take a beautiful gift from nature and turn it into a work of art.

The nature part is fun, because I like to go out and dig in muddy mines or creek beds to find my own stones. Those are stones that I guarantee to be untreated. Hence the pics of "pale blue topaz" which is natural. Nature doesn't make London Blues.

Wow, please forgive me for completely highjacking a thread that was not Llounge.

01-16-2011, 09:18 PM	#1
GA Russell Als, Lions host Semis Posts: 7,716 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Can you tell if it's topaz before you buy it? I have downloaded free Amazon kindlebooks before, but I have not yet paid for one. I have been able to strip the DRM from all but two of them. There are now two mystery books I am considering actually buying. Is there a way I can tell before I buy them whether they are topaz, and therefore not DRM-strippable?

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01-16-2011, 09:41 PM	#2
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	Yes. Look at the Product Details on the book page. If it's got a File Size (with optional Print Length), then it'll be Mobi. If it's only got a Print Length, that means Topaz. Also, you can download the sample and open it up with either Kindle for PC/Mac to see if it's got the funky fonts, or with a text editor to see if it's got TPZ0 as the first four characters of the file. Topaz are in fact strippable, but it's a hassle to convert them properly as you lose bold and italics and such and have to re-enter that sort of formatting manually. Hope this helps.

01-16-2011, 09:42 PM	#3
soondai Guru Posts: 672 Karma: 1109784 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: Paperwhite	usually Amazon just gives the print length and not file size in the description of topaz titles, but I don't think it's a guarantee. you get your money back if you are not satisfied example of topaz: http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Like-St...5232001&sr=1-1

01-16-2011, 10:13 PM	#4
GA Russell Als, Lions host Semis Posts: 7,716 Karma: 31487351 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	Thanks guys! Great news! Both books list a file size.

01-17-2011, 08:51 AM	#5
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	You can tell if something is Topaz - as stated above. The newest Calibre plug-in for DRM removal handles the process for you. The results aren't always pretty. Italicized words especially are prone to OCR mistranslation type errors.

01-17-2011, 09:43 AM	#8
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	You should try to get your topaz from a Pakistani, preferably one whose family owns and works the mine, but sent the best looking son to the US to work the gem and mineral show circuit. Go into the transaction with the understanding that all blue topaz has been irradiated. Remember the batch that got out into the general public a few years ago that was still radioactive, and promise yourself again to get one of those little rad dose badges that they wear in the X-ray department. Tell Sanjiv that you want to see the Imperial, realize that you have been saving up since spring for that one perfect topaz, but that one is still going to need a boost from your Discover card. Keister the stone for safety in case of high jackers, even though you drove to the show. Get it home, wash it off, and study it. It is important with topaz to find the plane of cleavage and start to cut it very slightly off the plane, because cutting on or against the plane leaves a greasy-looking veil on the stone that can not be polished away. Spend 8 hours making preliminary cuts, then mess up and have to waste half the stone re-starting it. Weep, wail, bargain with the Lord, admit defeat, put the stone in its little plastic display cup, hope you can sell it for at least a fraction of what you paid for it, and swear that you are going to get out of the gem cutting game forever. Eat a carton of ice cream and go to bed. Get up in the morning, decide it really isn't that bad, set it in 14k gold. Decide it is too pretty to sell and put it into your personal jewelry box. Wear it to the next gem and mineral show to show it off and receive heaps of acclaim from other gem experts. Rinse and repeat. Oh, you were talking about topaz reading format? Duh!

01-17-2011, 10:46 AM	#9
FF2 Wizard Posts: 1,105 Karma: 1025784 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: WiFi Kindle3	Dixiegal: Can you expand that into a novel? And how close to accurate is the cutting info - just curious.

01-17-2011, 11:03 AM	#12
Ken Maltby Wizard Posts: 4,466 Karma: 6900052 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Heart of Texas Device: Boox Note2, AuraHD, PDA,	Perhaps by being able to avoid the Topaz version, we can establish for Amazon that offering books in that format is not going to help their sales figures. Luck; Ken