and sometimes without DRM. The DRM is unique to the Amazon Kindle.
AZW1 - An Amazon proprietary format. It is the TPZ format always with a custom DRM.
AZW4 - An Amazon proprietary format. It is the PDF format in a PDB wrapper, and usually with
EPUB standard. An open format defined by the Open eBook Forum of the International Digital
Publishing Forum. It is based on XHTML and XML. It is an evolving standard. Adobe, Barnes &
Noble and Apple all have their own individual DRM systems for this format.
MOBI - MobiPocket format, usable with MobiPocket's own reading software on almost any PDA
and Smartphones. Mobipocket's Windows PC software can convert .chm, .doc, .html, .ocf, .pdf,
.rtf, and .txt files to this format
PDB - Palm Database File. Can hold several different e-book formats targeting Palm-enabled
devices, commonly used for PalmDOC (AportisDoc) e-books and eReader formats as well and
many others.
PDF - Portable Document Format created by Adobe for their Acrobat products. It is the defacto
standard for document interchange. Software support exists for almost every computer platform
and handheld device. Some devices have problems with PDF since most content available is
scaled for either A4 or letter format, both of which are not easily readable when reduced to fit on
small screens. Some Readers can reflow some PDF documents, including the Sony PRS505, to
accommodate the small screen.
PRC - Palm Resource File. Often holds a Mobipocket eBook but occasionally holds an eReader or
AportisDoc eBook.
TPZ - Topaz file extension used on Amazon Kindle. Topaz is a collection of glyphs arranged on
pages, along with an unproofed OCR text version. An Amazon proprietary format, used to make
older books available quickly, since conversion is essentially automatic from scans of the pages of
a book, but it reflows very well.
Some of the formats in the list below are only available for a few or even one type of device. Some
are more standardized. Be sure your device will read the format you choose.
ABW - File format used by AbiWord. If compressed it is ZABW.
ACSM - File format used to provide DRM on Adobe eBooks PDF and ePUB.
AEH - File format used by eBooksWriter.
