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Ebook readers
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Sniffle774
11-06-2010
Originally Posted by Graathus:
“I have a Sony PR505, a little out of date now.

But it's a wonderful bit of kit, well worth the money and I'd buy another Sony.”

I have the same reader. Is very good and a nice size as well.


Originally Posted by Alcdrew:
“Have a look for the Calibre software to use with it though the person above that says the Sony software is bad isn't the first time I have heard that, but lots of people rate Calibre.”

Agreed. Calibre is excellent software, its free and imo better than the Sony provided Software.
quincemeister
12-06-2010
I think I know what I did wrong - when I downloaded the Adobe stuff I only did it for one device and not multiple devices, so it will only 'see' my computer and not the Sony.

So I have now done what I should have done in the first place i.e. listen to you chaps!! Have downloaded Calibre and successfully got my first book onto the reader in about 5 seconds.

Once again you have come to my rescue and once again, THANK YOU all very, very much. Guess what I'm doing today...!!!!
purpleplum
12-06-2010
Originally Posted by quincemeister:
“I think I know what I did wrong - when I downloaded the Adobe stuff I only did it for one device and not multiple devices, so it will only 'see' my computer and not the Sony.

So I have now done what I should have done in the first place i.e. listen to you chaps!! Have downloaded Calibre and successfully got my first book onto the reader in about 5 seconds.

Once again you have come to my rescue and once again, THANK YOU all very, very much. Guess what I'm doing today...!!!!”

Yaay! Are you using it vertically or horizontally ? Have fun reading today Quincemeister!
quincemeister
12-06-2010
I spoke too soon...

The book is on the Reader but when I try to open it I can't, it says it is a Protected Page and won't open it.

I have sworn a lot (which didn't help but I did feel better) and looked and as far as I can see I can open a BBeB book but not an EPub book, which I don't understand as the Sony does say it supports EPub books.

I followed the instructions as per the link to the user guide above and according to the Reader it is authorised for Adobe stuff. So I am even more confused than before! Sorry chaps, I'm begging for more help again please!!
IvanIV
12-06-2010
Did you install that Adobe Editions thing? Try to load the book with it. The book has DRM protection and it's not enough just to copy it on the reader. If you connect the device, it will appear in that adobe programme and you can drag&drop it there. Hopefully it will report any problems and fix them. When I started it it asked me to enter my adobe id and password, then it said that the pc is authorised and went on to authorise the reader it saw connected. I did not actually try to copy a DRM protected book yet. But that should be it. You have to enter the same adobe id when you buy the book so it can link it all together, the book, the pc, the reader.
Gormond
12-06-2010
Originally Posted by quincemeister:
“I spoke too soon...

The book is on the Reader but when I try to open it I can't, it says it is a Protected Page and won't open it.

I have sworn a lot (which didn't help but I did feel better) and looked and as far as I can see I can open a BBeB book but not an EPub book, which I don't understand as the Sony does say it supports EPub books.

I followed the instructions as per the link to the user guide above and according to the Reader it is authorised for Adobe stuff. So I am even more confused than before! Sorry chaps, I'm begging for more help again please!!”

This is why I hate DRM, it ends up being a headache for paying customers. Hackers just strip the DRM anyway so it doesn't stop them.
IvanIV
12-06-2010
Maybe you need to re-download the book. I bought some cheap book too to play with. They gave me a link to a file to download, when I chose open, it started the Sony software and downloaded and saved it in the Purchased folder. Then I could sync it to the reader and I can read it too. This is my first DRM book and I don't know if there will be any more soon, but at least I know how and if it works
weateallthepies
12-06-2010
Originally Posted by Gormond:
“This is why I hate DRM, it ends up being a headache for paying customers. Hackers just strip the DRM anyway so it doesn't stop them.”

Indeed. I strip the DRM on all my ebook purchases since I like to read my purchases on whatever devices I choose to.

Adobe DRM is easy. You just need a little python script.
Gooby
14-06-2010
I'm a bit late on this now but I can't help but go on about the Amazon Kindle.
I got mine at the beginning of January and the honeymoon period has still not worn off.
True - technically you are restricted on formats but with Calibre this does not have to be an issue. I store all my books on my PC in my Calibre library, convert them as necessary and transfer around 50 at a time to my Kindle so it runs nice and quickly.

I can't compare my Kindle to another ebook reader as I've never used any other but this is what I love

1) eInk screen - uses very little battery and as no back light it causes no eyeball problems. Battery life with wireless turned off is about 3 weeks!
2) bookmarking/notes - means you can read multiple books - whatever you are in the mood for
3) Lightweight - it is smaller and lighter than a paperback - you can take it wherever you want to very easily
4) Travelling - no more carrying 8 books on the plane to New Zealand - just one little Kindle
5) Free books - there are loads of them around - Amazon always have free books, all the classics are free and authors offer free books to get you hooked on them. I have spent less on books since getting the Kindle
6) Audio-books. A real bonus with the Kindle is the quality of the speakers. Listening to Harry Potter by Stephen Fry is a real pleasure

The only downside to ebooks I have seen so far is the VAT issue. There is no VAT on normal books but full VAT is due on ebooks - this needs to be changed!
PrinceGaz
15-06-2010
Originally Posted by Gooby:
“...
1) eInk screen - uses very little battery and as no back light it causes no eyeball problems. Battery life with wireless turned off is about 3 weeks!”

Whilst I cannot argur with the much longer battery life of eInk, the almost universal belief that backlit screens automatically cause eyestrain is totally false.

The reason eInk and similar passive screens are perceived as being easier on the eye is because they have no backlight, and therefore are not putting some additional strain on the eye.

The fact is that any backlit LCD is just as comfortable if you turn the brightness down to an equivalent level as the ambient light you are reading in. Tweaking the background colour to something slightly yellow/light brown'ish further helps make it look exactly like reading a paper book. The iPhone Stanza app is superb for this as it allows the brightness to be adjusted by swiping up and down the centre of the screen at any time so you can always quickly make it "look like a book" rather than a back-lit display. Yes, you'll be turning the brightness down much lower than normal, but once you've done so it will look as good as any eInk display, and whilst the battery won't last as long as eInk, it will last somewhat longer at this much lower display brightness than it would at what the display is normally set at.
IvanIV
15-06-2010
But brighter = prettier And if what you want is a book reader and not a lot of distractions that make you do everything else but read books, then there's a lot of eInk book readers where you do not need any adjustments, cheaper than ipad and better suited for the task.
quincemeister
15-06-2010
Hi all, sorry for not coming back sooner.

the good news is that I finally worked out what I was doing wrong in that I thought I had downloaded the correct stuff but had actually failed to click one little thing which would kickstart it all. So I am delighted to say that I now have seven ebooks on my Reader, will most likely download some more during the rest of this week and will really enjoy taking it on holiday shortly. My other half is delighted too, as I have pointed out to him the additional room we will have in our holiday luggage now that I won't be carting 8+ books away with us...!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - genuine thanks to all of you who have offered opinions, advice and help. There's something really good about getting good, impartial, genuine advice from people who aren't there to solely sell you something which just can't be beaten. Cheers all x
John_Elway
17-06-2010
Originally Posted by PrinceGaz:
“Whilst I cannot argur with the much longer battery life of eInk, the almost universal belief that backlit screens automatically cause eyestrain is totally false.

The reason eInk and similar passive screens are perceived as being easier on the eye is because they have no backlight, and therefore are not putting some additional strain on the eye.

The fact is that any backlit LCD is just as comfortable if you turn the brightness down to an equivalent level as the ambient light you are reading in. Tweaking the background colour to something slightly yellow/light brown'ish further helps make it look exactly like reading a paper book. The iPhone Stanza app is superb for this as it allows the brightness to be adjusted by swiping up and down the centre of the screen at any time so you can always quickly make it "look like a book" rather than a back-lit display. Yes, you'll be turning the brightness down much lower than normal, but once you've done so it will look as good as any eInk display, and whilst the battery won't last as long as eInk, it will last somewhat longer at this much lower display brightness than it would at what the display is normally set at.”

It causes me eye-strain no matter what I do. And my own experience is all the proof I need thank you.

I don't accept that you can make it look like e-ink. Sitting outside is a non-starter especially in the sun and no matter how much longer the battery is, it cannot be compared to an e-reader. I charge mine once a month and that is with daily usage.

My e-reader replaces a book(s) and that is its sole purpose. A paper book cannot check email or bleep, nor does it play my favourite music, because it's a book.
IvanIV
17-06-2010
Really, why would a book have to have a lot of other totally unrelated features, I prefer it to be best at that one thing I want it for. If it can do more, fine. If you read a lot then eInk reader is money well spent, IMO. Unless it's the Sony touchscreen PRS-600. I had a chance to compare it with a PRS-300 and it's really quite a difference. I think I am going to get rid and get PRS-300 instead. 600 has a vocabulary built in, extendable memory, touchscreen with a stylus isn't bad, but I really have to work on getting the same quality as with the 300. And as I said that's what matters most for me.
nikproffitt
21-06-2010
I have a Sony 300, which I bought off ebay boxed for £120. Couple of tips.

Go on ebay and buy a cheap CD full of ebooks. you can get about 5000 for about £5. Not just clasics either, the one I bought had everything by Stephen King and lots of other decent stuff. Obviously it's not official though so don't epect perfection.

Secondly make sure you download the free books from the Sony Website.

Thirdly try www.thebookdepository.co.uk. Decent website for e-books.

A couple of things annoy me though, firstly that e-books are usually more expensive than physical books!, and secondly that the search facility on alot of websites isn't that great
Anika Hanson
01-07-2010
I've just bought the Sony PRS-300 and i'm very impressed with it already. It was very easy to set up and transfer books to. After reading this thread I decided to download calibre and use that instead of the Sony software and so far I've transfered 60 books onto the device with no problems. Haven't actually bought any ebooks from an online store yet so haven't encountered any issues with DRM but i've downloaded adobe digital eddtions and and authorised my PC and the e-reader so when I get round to it hopefully I won't have any problems getting DRM books onto my e-reader.

I have been reading e-books on my iphone for a year so it wasn't the first time I was reading ebooks, but the expreience with the PRS-300 is much more comfortable than reading on the iphone. The screen is jsut about the right size and the text is good aswell. I also prefer the e-ink display to the backligt display on the iphone. I'm also glad I didnt go for a touch screen device, as I think the buttons on the PRS-300 are more than adequate.

I bought a few CD's on ebay with ebooks on them so I have plenty of books to be getting on with. They are really good, I would recommend buying one or two, they have thousands of books on them and they are quite modern as well. I've now got lots of books by author's like Stephen King, Martina Cole, Dan Brown, James Herbert, Anne Rice, Tom Clancy, Steg Larsson etc. and the CD's are really cheap.

I can't believe I waited this long to buy one. Should have bought it ages ago.
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