Can the Kindle .AZW books be read on Win XP?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by kgian

I guess if you copy the azw file to the pc,rename it to prc and then using a mobi decrypting tool (in countries where it is legal) , then you could have a readable file.

The only Mobi decrypting tools that exist work using the device PID to which the book's been encoded. They are basically mods to the Mobi Reader which "read" the output to a file. The tools won't work if, as in the case of the Kindle, you don't know the PID.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The only Mobi decrypting tools that exist work using the device PID to which the book's been encoded. They are basically mods to the Mobi Reader which "read" the output to a file. The tools won't work if, as in the case of the Kindle, you don't know the PID.

So the tool to be able to use mobi files when the Mobipocket server was down that I have read about does not exist or?

I would not mind to have a program to remove DRM from Mobipocket files since I do not think it is illegal in my country to do so.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

So the tool to be able to use mobi files when the Mobipocket server was down that I have read about does not exist or?

The mobi server being down doesn't prevent you from reading the books you already have; it just stops you from buying new books.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The mobi server being down doesn't prevent you from reading the books you already have; it just stops you from buying new books.

It prevents you reading your book if you buy a new device because the old broke. So the Secure Mobipocket Decoder I can read about on the net has never existed or?

[Nate the great]

It exists.

[tompe]

I think I misread some posts in this thread. It it than true that the Secure Mobipocket Decoder could only dump content and not remove the DRM?

[wallcraft]

The Secure Mobipocket Decoder is based on MobiPocket's Java Reader. If you give it the right PID, it explodes the secure file into its constituent (plain text) HTML and images. It is not as complete as (say) ConvertLIT for MS Reader files in that there is not a non-DRM MOBI output option. It is in the wild but not widely available, see Secure Mobipocket Decoder is no more....

Since it needs the PID, it won't work on secure AZW files unless the PID is discoverable.

I think Amazon should provide the PID to allow secure MOBI files (licenced to the Kindle's PID) to be downloaded. One argument against this might be the existence of the Secure Mobipocket Decoder, although security based on hiding a 10 character PID is very weak. If this is a concern, then they could use two PIDs on the Kindle - one for AZW e-books and the other for secure MOBI e-books.

[kgian]

I guess it would be fairly easy to find your kindle's PID.
You buy a book from amazon. You read it on the kindle and the first line is for example "Atlantis by David Gibbins".

So, because the PID is a ten character string, you create a macro which runs the command line "decrypter book.azw [random 10 character string]"

In each html file created there is automatically run a search for Atlantis.

It is difficult to have this word in random. It will take like what? 1, 2, 3 days but finally you will get your device's PID. Then you can decrypt any files you BUY and have them as DRMless files for any use you want.

Also, if for example I who don't have a kindle (and cant get one in europe) want a kindle only book could ask one of you guys to buy it and pay you it's price to you using paypal adding whatever extra costs there are!

[TallMomof2]

The desktop MobiPocket Reader can decode your PID just by hooking up the Kindle to the PC via USB. Even using the PID you can't read DRMed .PRC files.

[kgian]

But, the mobipocket decoder users the PID in the following syntax:

Decrypt book.prc [PID}

and gives you back an html file with the book.

So I can buy a mobipocket book with the desktop mobipocket reader, see my PID on the about dialog box, decrypt it to html and laod it to my ebw 1150 for example.

Am I getting it wrong?

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

The desktop MobiPocket Reader can decode your PID just by hooking up the Kindle to the PC via USB. Even using the PID you can't read DRMed .PRC files.

Have you actually done this? I agree that the Desktop MobiPocket Reader can get the PID of supported devices such as the iLiad and the Cybook via USB, but I am surprised that this is also the case for the Kindle.

Once a Kindle's MobiPocket PID is known, it should be possible to read secure MOBI files on that Kindle by registering its PID for your purchased MOBI e-books, downloading them again to your PC, renaming them .azw and copying them to the Kindle. Since Amazon spies on what you have on your Kindle they may complain, but if the AZW=MOBI theory is correct the file should be readable.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

Have you actually done this? I agree that the Desktop MobiPocket Reader can get the PID of supported devices such as the iLiad and the Cybook via USB, but I am surprised that this is also the case for the Kindle.

Once a Kindle's MobiPocket PID is known, it should be possible to read secure MOBI files on that Kindle by registering its PID for your purchased MOBI e-books, downloading them again to your PC, renaming them .azw and copying them to the Kindle. Since Amazon spies on what you have on your Kindle they may complain, but if the AZW=MOBI theory is correct the file should be readable.

I guess you haven't read the thread titled "Early technical info on the Kindle". I tried this the first day. The Kindle shows up in the Mobi desktop and has a PID. I wnet through the steps to read a DRMed PRC on the Kinlde. It was able, but it refused to display the book.

The exact difference between AZW and MOBI has been identified. It's been mentioned here. Go search for posts by Aenea.

[wallcraft]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm glad I did not say just how (un)likely I thought it was that the MobiPocket Reader would capture the Kindle's PID. What an earth was Amazon thinking?

In any case, as a penance, I tracked down Aenea's posts: Early technical info on the Kindle and Amazon Kindle might be the worst thing that could happen to e-books?.

[qlfwyyd]

With the new Kindle and the whispersync syncing across iPhone app and Kindle, is there any way to sync content / bookmarks if you are using the Kindle outside the US? For example, if I own a Kindle outside the US, and load content by USB, when I reconnect to USB, does it sync my bookmarks for the books I've been reading back to Amazon (and therefore back to my iPhone, next time I use it)?

Can anyone confirm this?

[whitearrow]

Originally Posted by qlfwyyd

With the new Kindle and the whispersync syncing across iPhone app and Kindle, is there any way to sync content / bookmarks if you are using the Kindle outside the US? For example, if I own a Kindle outside the US, and load content by USB, when I reconnect to USB, does it sync my bookmarks for the books I've been reading back to Amazon (and therefore back to my iPhone, next time I use it)?

The only way the sync works is with whispernet, so you need to be in the US. It doesn't work via USB at all. Sorry.