Xara Xtreme Book

[tellurian]

What about using the free Kindle PC reader software?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.htm...cId=1000426311

Didn't know that such a thing existed, that might be the solution, thanks!

[pbready]

Didn't know that such a thing existed, that might be the solution, thanks!

Try downloading it along with a sample of Gary's book to get the flavour of it. While it seems to retain all the colour illustrations, it seems to use a default font different from the printed version. Don't know if it has the font info in the download and whether Kindle just can't display it. There are other readers I think that can read Kindle format but I haven't had time to try them out - and I couldn't find where the downloaded sample was stored on my PC!

[Gare]

There was an interview with Amazon's CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos in the NYT a day or so ago, and the unedited version of the interview had this to say:

Commercial publishers such as McGraw-Hill are approached by Amazon when a book shows sufficient interest (happily, the Xara Official Guide did) to produce a Kindle version; that is, Amazon Kindlizes it—the publisher has nothing to do with the process.

We did not provide Amazon with the InDesign files: they scanned and OCR-ed a physical copy of the book, so yes, they'd have no way of knowing the fonts used, and there might be unwanted flows and page breaks because of this. They're also using scans of the illustrations; I'd expect (not having seen the Kindle version) that the reproductions are going to be duller and perhaps even patterned a little as the book illustrations have been halftoned. I thought Kindle can only show 16 greyscale shades, and not color.

My feeling is that an all text novel and technical books with schematics and the like are going to translate more satisfactorily to a Kindle version than a full-color coffee table book.

Bezos also must have the number to back this up: out of 100 books sold, 48 copies of the Kindle version are sold. That's frightening high, isn't it? Less than a year out and almost 1:2?

Bleeding edge is becoming industry standard faster than it used to!

And there's no change of getting paper cuts when you read a Kindle version, Bezos claims



My Best,

Gare

[InfoCentral]

I thought Kindle can only show 16 greyscale shades, and not color.

The Kindle is only greyscale but perhaps the Kindle reader for the PC allows color and Kindle color files? I think that once the tablet netbooks are released all these readers will be obsolete. I thought they would be out shortly after Windows 7. I guess not...still waiting

[ss-kalm]

......they scanned and OCR-ed a physical copy of the book....

Is that legal .....?

[pbready]

The Kindle is only greyscale but perhaps the Kindle reader for the PC allows color and Kindle color files? I think that once the tablet netbooks are released all these readers will be obsolete. I thought they would be out shortly after Windows 7. I guess not...still waiting

The Kindle PC reader does display in colour (or maybe even in color in the US )as per the attached file

[Gare]

Is that legal .....?

Well, the point is moot now: Kindle for PC does indeed display in colour.

As for the legality of Amazon scanning and OCR-ing books, strictly speaking, it was originally done without the publisher's consent, knowledge, or permission.

So no, they broke a copyright law to "force a case" with publishers. The Official Guide was permitted by M-H to Kindlize, however, I'm not real keen on a large corporation breaking the law to "get their way". In other words, Amazon proved (by violating copyrights in the process) to publishers that they could make money with Kindle versions, so many publishers just agree, and tell Amazon to go their own way with the process and the scanning jazz.

So the quality of the reproduction of images necessarily cannot match those in the book, being second generation.

However, in the game of catch-up, Google scanned about the first third of the Official Guide with no one's permission and it's posted on Google books so you can browse the book, like one might do in a physical book store.

But Google isn't a physical book store, and if you tried reading half a book at a Barnes and Noble store, it's possible you'd be encouraged to stop loitering and buy something.

Google would prefer to break copyright laws and then play, "Okay, sue me", and accept the fines that are more than offset by the profits they make selling the book.

Publishers are in enough financial trouble these days with the cost of paper and the economic meltdown without this sort of nonsense to chase.

The face of publishing is changing before our very eyes; I'm not against electronic versions of the books I write...anything to get published, I say.

But Google doesn't have to be so sleazy about it.

-g-

[InfoCentral]

Was it Google or Amazon or both?

[Gare]

Sleazy or performing something illegal?

No, after the fact, Amazon was granted permission to reproduce the book in Kindle format. They offer the "Look Inside" online with McGraw-Hill's consent.

Google books have no right whatsoever to scan and offer a good third of the book to browse online.

</irritation>

It's too close to Christmas to get upset over something authors have almost no control over, other than putting a Holiday Feast on a contract lawyer's table.

-g-

[InfoCentral]

What did the publisher say about Google doing it?