How common are Topaz ebooks? - Page 2

elpheaba · 02-15-2009, 09:24 PM

I went to purchase some YA books for my son today, and I found that if they were exclusive to Amazon, they were in the tpz format. There were several of them.

Very frustrating

Nate the great · 02-15-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chorpler

Unfortunately for me, so far about 80% of the books I want are Topaz books. And they're fiction -- Robert J. Sawyer books, Steve Alten books, Christopher Moore books ... ARGH! We really desperately need a tool to convert Topaz books!

I'm rather surprised they are in Topaz. Most of the titles are available elsewhere. All three authors can be found on Fictionwise. I only found 2 titles for Mr. Alten, though.

chorpler · 02-15-2009, 09:54 PM

Yes, it's the Amazon exclusive titles that are in Topaz -- the titles I don't already own in ebook format. There are a number of books that I desperately want that are only available in Topaz, and by golly, I want to be able to read them on my Kindle AND on my cell phone!

Nate the great · 02-15-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chorpler

Yes, it's the Amazon exclusive titles that are in Topaz -- the titles I don't already own in ebook format. There are a number of books that I desperately want that are only available in Topaz, and by golly, I want to be able to read them on my Kindle AND on my cell phone!

Well, crap. I hadn't realize Sawyer had anything exclusive for the Kindle. Thanks for pointing this out. I'll go ask him about them.

chorpler · 02-15-2009, 10:41 PM

Heh heh ... actually I was considering asking him about them on his mailing list, and also why only one book of the Quintaglio Ascension trilogy is available -- and it isn't even the first one! But I'm not at home at the moment, so I have web access but no e-mail.

Nate the great · 02-15-2009, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chorpler

Heh heh ... actually I was considering asking him about them on his mailing list, and also why only one book of the Quintaglio Ascension trilogy is available -- and it isn't even the first one! But I'm not at home at the moment, so I have web access but no e-mail.

He's also a member here. I sent him a pm. I hope he answers.

chorpler · 02-15-2009, 11:24 PM

Wow, awesome. He used to be on the MobiPocket Yahoo group, but this is undoubtedly a much better place for those of us interested in ebooks to congregate.

Nate the great · 02-16-2009, 09:46 PM

I have an answer. The answer he gave is that the ebooks are published by TOR, and that was TOR's decision.

The good news is that if TOR ever follows through with the ebookstore they've promised, the titles will be available there at a reasonable cost.

susan_cassidy · 02-18-2009, 02:46 PM

One of John Scalzi's books, Ghost Brigades, is in Topaz format. The others are normal .azw files. I hate Topaz format!

chorpler · 02-19-2009, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I have an answer. The answer he gave is that the ebooks are published by TOR, and that was TOR's decision.

The good news is that if TOR ever follows through with the ebookstore they've promised, the titles will be available there at a reasonable cost.

Oddly enough, I just purchased the new Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle collaboration, Escape from Hell, which is also a TOR book, and it's in regular Mobipocket format. What's the deal with TOR?

Down with Topaz!

Nate the great · 02-19-2009, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chorpler

Oddly enough, I just purchased the new Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle collaboration, Escape from Hell, which is also a TOR book, and it's in regular Mobipocket format. What's the deal with TOR?

Down with Topaz!

That is normal for TOR, yes.

chorpler · 02-19-2009, 09:36 AM

So, they only request certain books be in Topaz format? Any idea why? Could be for the DRM, or for the fonts, I guess...?

Nate the great · 02-19-2009, 09:48 AM

From what I can tell, TOR randomly picks the titles it will release as an ebook and then randomly picks the format that title will be released in. Topaz is just one of the options.

I like to call this "The Ouija Board Method".

chorpler · 02-19-2009, 09:54 AM

LOL. Good Lord, what a bizarre setup.

Let's just hope that Topaz will be broken soon so it won't matter anymore.

pilotbob · 02-19-2009, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I like to call this "The Ouija Board Method".

HA! I was thinking it is "The Wheel of TOR"...

BOb

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02-15-2009, 09:24 PM	#16
elpheaba Member Posts: 20 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: kindle 1, Sony Prs-700, Kindle DX	I went to purchase some YA books for my son today, and I found that if they were exclusive to Amazon, they were in the tpz format. There were several of them. Very frustrating

02-15-2009, 09:54 PM	#18
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	Yes, it's the Amazon exclusive titles that are in Topaz -- the titles I don't already own in ebook format. There are a number of books that I desperately want that are only available in Topaz, and by golly, I want to be able to read them on my Kindle AND on my cell phone!

02-15-2009, 10:41 PM	#20
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	Heh heh ... actually I was considering asking him about them on his mailing list, and also why only one book of the Quintaglio Ascension trilogy is available -- and it isn't even the first one! But I'm not at home at the moment, so I have web access but no e-mail.

02-15-2009, 11:24 PM	#22
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	Wow, awesome. He used to be on the MobiPocket Yahoo group, but this is undoubtedly a much better place for those of us interested in ebooks to congregate.

02-16-2009, 09:46 PM	#23
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I have an answer. The answer he gave is that the ebooks are published by TOR, and that was TOR's decision. The good news is that if TOR ever follows through with the ebookstore they've promised, the titles will be available there at a reasonable cost.

02-18-2009, 02:46 PM	#24
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	One of John Scalzi's books, Ghost Brigades, is in Topaz format. The others are normal .azw files. I hate Topaz format!

02-19-2009, 09:36 AM	#27
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	So, they only request certain books be in Topaz format? Any idea why? Could be for the DRM, or for the fonts, I guess...?

02-19-2009, 09:48 AM	#28
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	From what I can tell, TOR randomly picks the titles it will release as an ebook and then randomly picks the format that title will be released in. Topaz is just one of the options. I like to call this "The Ouija Board Method".

02-19-2009, 09:54 AM	#29
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	LOL. Good Lord, what a bizarre setup. Let's just hope that Topaz will be broken soon so it won't matter anymore.

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