How common are Topaz ebooks?

mbp · 02-11-2009, 03:28 AM

I'm seriously considering getting the new kindle as my first ebook reader. The decision basically can be boiled down to the fact that there isn't much difference between the various e-ink offerings (as they all use basically the same screen) and amazon is the content king and the only way to get their content is to buy a kindle first.

One thing one thing that's putting me off though is DRM. If I buy a book from Amazon I want to be able to use it they way I want. I know that the AZW files can be de-DRMed but that the Topaz ones (currently) can't be.
How common is the Topaz format on average from Amazon? 1 in 2 books, 1 in 10?

HarryT · 02-11-2009, 03:37 AM

You'll rarely, if ever, find it in fiction books. It tends to be things like textbooks which need complex layouts, embedded fonts, etc.

wallcraft · 02-11-2009, 10:45 AM

There are a few fiction TOPAZ ebooks, but they are very rare. Even without the DRM issue, they are generally very hard to read because the fonts are not anti-aliased and the font is often not a good one for viewing on a screen.

mbp · 02-11-2009, 12:03 PM

Glad to hear that. Hopefully they won't become more prevalent. Well looks like I'll be going with the kindle then. Thanks.

deety · 02-13-2009, 02:51 AM

I'm hoping to get a Kindle too, and I was wondering if you can tell if a book is AZN or Topaz before you purchase it. I looked around in the Kindle store a bit, but the format for each book I checked just says Kindle edition. Does anyone know how to check that?

Donnageddon · 02-13-2009, 03:00 AM

I think PilotBob said that if you download the free excerpt, you can see what the format is.

I haven't researched it much because, I just have had no luck with the MobiDeDrm program.

And this shames me no end.

deety · 02-13-2009, 03:07 AM

Ah, that makes sense. I'm definitely a "read the first few pages in the store" kind of person, so I'd pretty much always be interested in reading the excerpt before buying.

Thanks!

wallcraft · 02-13-2009, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deety

I'm hoping to get a Kindle too, and I was wondering if you can tell if a book is AZN or Topaz before you purchase it.

The free sample will be .azw1 or .tpz, but you will have to view them via USB from a PC to tell this. It is also usually obvious from the page layout that it isn't AZW (which always uses the same font).

On Amazon's web page, AZW ebooks list File Size and Print Length but TOPAZ ebooks only list Print Length.

Here are a few TOPAZ ebook titles:

Basic Relativity by Richard A. Mould
Gateways by F. Paul Wilson
Nobody Runs Forever by Richard Stark

Not all Stark novels are TOPAZ, this one is AZW:

Dirty Money by Richard Stark

Nate the great · 02-13-2009, 06:56 AM

I bet Kindle exclusive books are always in Topaz.

tlrowley · 02-13-2009, 09:27 AM

No, the new Stephen Kind exclusive, "UR", is in AZW (mobi) format.

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to Topaz - some series started AZW, changed to Topaz for the middle books and back to mobi for the latest. I only have 3 or 4 Topaz books, bought before I learned to be careful.

I'm hoping the speed of the new Kindle will help one aspect of Topaz problems - the page rendering tends to be slower so a new processor should help.

bwaldron · 02-13-2009, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deety

I'm hoping to get a Kindle too, and I was wondering if you can tell if a book is AZN or Topaz before you purchase it. I looked around in the Kindle store a bit, but the format for each book I checked just says Kindle edition. Does anyone know how to check that?

If, in the "Product Details," you see both "File Size" and "Print Length" it is likely not a Topaz book (which will show only the former in my experience).

(Also, as Nate notes above, a book that is available for the Kindle but not at any other Mobipocket stores is more likely than not to be a Topaz book, in my experience.)

Alisa · 02-14-2009, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I bet Kindle exclusive books are always in Topaz.

As tlrowley says, that's not always the case but it seems that .tpz books are often exclusive to the Kindle. It seems to be a format barely above OCR so that makes sense. They didn't want to do the work to get it in a flexible format so they went with .tpz and nothing else. At least, that's my suspicion. I've only had three .tpz books and I don't see any of them elsewhere. My last one was egregious but I tolerated it because I really wanted to read it and it was 950 pages in print.

tlrowley · 02-14-2009, 09:37 AM

Alisa, I totally agree. it seems to be - Kindle exclusives are not topaz, but topaz are Kindle exclusive.

Your comment about "barely above OCR" makes sense. I've seen comments about not being able to change the font size in topaz, which is not true, (time for the myths thread?), but increasing the font size doesn't improve the experience

I try very hard to avoid topaz, but if I really want to read the book, I will. I just have to understand that I'm locked in.

Strether · 02-14-2009, 09:55 AM

In addition to all the other hints of what to look for contained in this thread, you might also look with grave suspicion at all books published by St. Martins Press. They're one of the worst offenders, in my experience.

Jim

chorpler · 02-15-2009, 03:42 AM

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!

02-11-2009, 03:28 AM	#1
mbp Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 104 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	How common are Topaz ebooks? I'm seriously considering getting the new kindle as my first ebook reader. The decision basically can be boiled down to the fact that there isn't much difference between the various e-ink offerings (as they all use basically the same screen) and amazon is the content king and the only way to get their content is to buy a kindle first. One thing one thing that's putting me off though is DRM. If I buy a book from Amazon I want to be able to use it they way I want. I know that the AZW files can be de-DRMed but that the Topaz ones (currently) can't be. How common is the Topaz format on average from Amazon? 1 in 2 books, 1 in 10?

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02-11-2009, 03:37 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	You'll rarely, if ever, find it in fiction books. It tends to be things like textbooks which need complex layouts, embedded fonts, etc.

02-11-2009, 10:45 AM	#3
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,977 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There are a few fiction TOPAZ ebooks, but they are very rare. Even without the DRM issue, they are generally very hard to read because the fonts are not anti-aliased and the font is often not a good one for viewing on a screen.

02-11-2009, 12:03 PM	#4
mbp Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 104 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: none	Glad to hear that. Hopefully they won't become more prevalent. Well looks like I'll be going with the kindle then. Thanks.

02-13-2009, 02:51 AM	#5
deety book geek Posts: 51 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Kindle 2	I'm hoping to get a Kindle too, and I was wondering if you can tell if a book is AZN or Topaz before you purchase it. I looked around in the Kindle store a bit, but the format for each book I checked just says Kindle edition. Does anyone know how to check that?

02-13-2009, 03:00 AM	#6
Donnageddon Now you lishen here... Posts: 2,494 Karma: 479498 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Seattle-ish Device: Sony PRS-650. Kobo Touch, Kindle Fire	I think PilotBob said that if you download the free excerpt, you can see what the format is. I haven't researched it much because, I just have had no luck with the MobiDeDrm program. And this shames me no end.

02-13-2009, 03:07 AM	#7
deety book geek Posts: 51 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Kindle 2	Ah, that makes sense. I'm definitely a "read the first few pages in the store" kind of person, so I'd pretty much always be interested in reading the excerpt before buying. Thanks!

02-13-2009, 06:56 AM	#9
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 bet Kindle exclusive books are always in Topaz.

02-13-2009, 09:27 AM	#10
tlrowley Quilt Geek Posts: 472 Karma: 91775 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lancaster, PA Device: Kindle	No, the new Stephen Kind exclusive, "UR", is in AZW (mobi) format. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to Topaz - some series started AZW, changed to Topaz for the middle books and back to mobi for the latest. I only have 3 or 4 Topaz books, bought before I learned to be careful. I'm hoping the speed of the new Kindle will help one aspect of Topaz problems - the page rendering tends to be slower so a new processor should help.

02-14-2009, 09:37 AM	#13
tlrowley Quilt Geek Posts: 472 Karma: 91775 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lancaster, PA Device: Kindle	Alisa, I totally agree. it seems to be - Kindle exclusives are not topaz, but topaz are Kindle exclusive. Your comment about "barely above OCR" makes sense. I've seen comments about not being able to change the font size in topaz, which is not true, (time for the myths thread?), but increasing the font size doesn't improve the experience I try very hard to avoid topaz, but if I really want to read the book, I will. I just have to understand that I'm locked in.

02-14-2009, 09:55 AM	#14
Strether Guru Posts: 765 Karma: 2825929 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fresno Device: Kindle 1; iPad Air; iPhone 7; Kobo Libra; Kindle Oasis 3	In addition to all the other hints of what to look for contained in this thread, you might also look with grave suspicion at all books published by St. Martins Press. They're one of the worst offenders, in my experience. Jim

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02-15-2009, 03:42 AM	#15
chorpler Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 278 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: Kindle; PRS-500; MobiPocket on Windows Mobile	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!