Received the Sony reader - about noon today - The parcel was evidently
dropped into my post office early this morning and my postman delivered
it today.

See tracking info below:

Status: Electronic Shipping Info Received
Est. in Home 10/02/2006
Date Time Description Location
September 28, 2006 12:01 PM Electronic Shipping Info Received OCEANSIDE, CA *
September 28, 2006 5:53 AM Acceptance OCEANSIDE, CA *
September 28, 2006 4:38 AM USPS Entry OCEANSIDE, CA
September 28, 2006 2:40 AM Sortation Center Departure LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 9:20 AM Sortation Center Arrival LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 12:00 AM Pickup LONG BEACH, CA

I haven't installed the connect software - the $50 credit comes I guess when
the reader is registered.

Instead I loaded a 2 Gig SD card with a mixture of things, PDF's mostly for the
Iliad, books for the Libre, text, html, and the PSR-500 Guide which I downloaded
from the internet. The books were sorted into directories on the SD card
but when I turned on the Reader they all appeared together in the
book list, except for the html which is not supported, some 133 books. Holding
the size button down shifts to landscape making pdf file for the Iliad
easily readable - The text displayed well - pictures better than expected considering that
there are only 4 levels of gray.

Congratulations :)

Did you notice any difference between different kinds of PDF (regular, iLiad, Sony Manual) in rotating and zooming?

Thanks in advance!

Nice! I wish mine had a Sortation Center Departure time... I anticipate seeing folks across the country crowing about the arrival of their readers as the day's go by and my reader makes it's way to NJ. Tell us everything about your new toy!

Received the Sony reader - about noon today - The parcel was evidently
dropped into my post office early this morning and my postman delivered
it today.
Wow Paul, that makes you a first (http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Sony_Reader_Owners)! Would you mind to attach some photos to this thread for us (package, reader, ...)?

Hi Paul, congrats on your new toy!

You got an iLiad as well, right? Excellent. Would it be possible that you made a shot of the iLiad screen next to the Sony under the same light conditions?

I think Paul just got reborn in eReader Nirvanaland and won't be back with review pics anytime soon ... :p

And who can blame him :juggle:

We can create "Paul Blame List" in the Wiki. Anyone with blame issues would be able to update it :rolleyes5

Congratulations on the first receipt of a Reader!!!! You are in just the right location, you lucky dog! Those of us in the east must be more patient.

When you try the desktop software, you should find that you can form collections. You are supposed to be able to create a collection. Then after you drag a book into the library, you can move it to a collection. One of those specifically has to be dragged in at the top level first (maybe into the library). I forget now. But once you have collections, they are much more naturally grouped, even if they don't match the directories automatically. I guess that's one more reason to use the desktop software to load a book.

Let us know how that works for you and the "tricks" as you discover them!

Congratulations! could you attach the manual of Sony eReader in here? or where can i download it ? Thank you!

rechard here u go

sony reader manual (http://esupport.sony.com/perl/model-documents.pl?mdl=PRS500)

Sorry - It's dark in California - Here's are two fuzzy pictures
taken under fluorescent lights - Both the Iliad and the Sony display
have the same gray color - almost identical . One advantage of the
Sony is the size button. It works for BBeB book files and text, probably
also for rft althought I haven't tried it yet. Small is default, medium at
one push, large at a second push, and then recycle. It does and doesn't
work for pdf files mostly doesnt but now and then a pdf file zooms both
in portrait and landscape - ??

Better pictures when the sun comes up.

I'm quite jealous.

Now that you've received yours, could you tell me if the powersupply is 240/110v or just setup for the US at 110v. It's not a huge deal since the reader can be charged via USB but it'd be nice to know.

I'm quite jealous.

Now that you've received yours, could you tell me if the powersupply is 240/110v or just setup for the US at 110v. It's not a huge deal since the reader can be charged via USB but it'd be nice to know.

Yeah, I would like to know the same! ANd I'm also jealous. :p

Now that you've received yours, could you tell me if the powersupply is 240/110v or just setup for the US at 110v. It's not a huge deal since the reader can be charged via USB but it'd be nice to know.
Some of the reviews said it's the same as the PSP adapter. I have one and it's 110-240. However, you will probably need a plug adapter, since I think US uses flat contacts instead of round.

Does the powersupply connect also to the mini USB? Because that means it would be easy to find a powersupply. You just need something with a higher capacity.

from the images in the manual it led me to believe the powersupply brick is fed from a regular figure 8 style cable, is this correct ? or is the wall ->brick hardwired. Either way it's an easy fix now that you've confirmed universal voltages.

I think it should be 110/230V because if you travel with your reader you should be able to charge it.

Paul, I've been spending a lot of time at Project Gutenberg in anticipation of my own arrival late in October. Have you tried importing a Project Gutenberg book, by any chance? How does it look? Did you have to futz with the text file (e.g., removing line breaks, etc.) to make it work okay? How does the result look next to the $2 - $4 classics being sold in the online store?

I really envy you! Thanks in advance,
-Robert

And how about books for Librie from ManyBooks? Maybe for those that are available, it's even easier than Gutenberg?

Did you have to futz with the text file (e.g., removing line breaks, etc.) to make it work okay?

You could try metapad (http://www.liquidninja.com/metapad/) for removing line breaks, it's pretty good and fast.

Hi lordvetinari2,

Thanks for the pointer. Just in case, I've already downloaded Vim (www.vim.org) which also works nicely: just use the command "gqip"

Oh dear. Now I've gone and outed myself as a Linux weenie! :-)

Regards,
-Robert

Interparse is also a good freeware tool for "fixing" text files. You can download it here: http://www.interparse.com/

... and some more info here: http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=710

Hi!

I'm new to this forum. You've collected some very interesting information here.

Congratulations to Paul! I'm thinking about getting one of these nice Sony Readers, too (well, at least when Sony can deliver them again ;) ). Reading your description, it seems that you can simply save PDFs to a SD-card and read those without using the Sony Connect software. Can you confirm this? That would be really great as there probably won't be a Linux release of Sony's software, I suppose.

Does reading A4 formatted papers work? (E.g. switching between two A5 halves, without manually converting them first.)

Thanks in advance!
calamari

Hey, calamari, welcome to MobileRead!

Yes, you can just load files via SD/MMC/MemoryStick and read them w/o the Connect software. The down side is that there is overhead while the relatively slow processer in the Reader formats the files for you, and it may not hold your place(s)/bookmarks when you pull the card and reinsert it (not sure about that). :sad:

I didn't try any Gutenberg texts while we were out there, but the Librie' formatted Manybooks texts I had with me worked beautifully. :smile:

The Brick is not hard-wired, as I recall, but I didn't notice the shape of the actual connection.

The power connection on the Reader side is not the m-USB, it has its own, separate ring & post connector.

grats Paul, what I really would like to see is some compared review of the Sony eReader vs the iRex iLiad.

What I also wonder is if the sony is finished ? meaning will they update the firmware and add feature or is this it.

With the iLiad we know that we can expected alot more features to come and also the iDS seems to have some neat things for us in the future (like uploading and sending files http://forum.irexnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=465). Add to that the SDK and iDS protocol that will be released.

Lets hope the new kid on the block gets iRex out of their chair and start pumping some features into the iLiad :whip:

What I also wonder is if the sony is finished ? meaning will they update the firmware and add feature or is this it.

With the iLiad we know that we can expected alot more features to come and also the iDS seems to have some neat things for us in the future (like uploading and sending files http://forum.irexnet.com/viewtopic.php?t=465). Add to that the SDK and iDS protocol that will be released.They said they can do firmware updates, but the units ship with all the functionality they claim to have.

I don't think we'll see frequent updates to the Reader, like we do with the iLiad, but then iRex is still trying to meet their advertised specs, so they need them. :)

To answer some questions most of which have already been
answered better than I can:

The power brick is hard wired only at the reader end. The cord
connecting to power has two plugs - one for the power supply and
one for the brick. Mine came with a two prong plug at the power
supply end for 110 volts outlets. There is no connection between
the power supply brick and the USB cable. The brick is labeled:

Sony AC power adapter AC-S5220E
5.2V
Input 100-240V ~ 50/60Hz 0.26A
Output 5.2V = 2000mA

(Interior Connector is Positive)



I've loaded rtf, BBeB (books from Manybooks.net for the Libre), and text to the
reader. All worked well, the size button switches them through
the 3 available sizes, S, M, L and from landscape to portrait when
held. The three sizes are available in either landscape or portrait.
A portion of the display is used to show - S,M, or L, battery information
and page numbers.

As to PDF - The three sizes are not available for PDF's. Instead
a push of the size button swithes between fit visible, and fit width.
I believe fit visible is the same as fit display and shows an S while
fit width shows an M at the bottom of the display. Again holding the
size button switches from landscape to portrait and fit visible and fit
width are available

I have one problem with the size button. Scanned pdf's, ver 1.4 with no fonts
do not seem to switch betwen fit visible and fit width. A scanned
pdf with pages 1.5 inches by 4 inches always shows fit visible. When
the size button is pushed it jumps to the first page instead of
switching between views. My other problem with the size button,
unpredictable results, was due to the inclusion of a pdf version 1.6 file
made with adobe acrobat 7. It seems to work OK but if the size button
is used to switch between views odd things happen. Not a problem
here as there was no promise of version 1.6 support.


The manual is a good example of a PDF file - It's nominal size is
5.24 x 6.69 inches; uses several fonts and displays well both on the
reader and on a PC. Links are implemented. Firmware updates are
mentioned on page 65.

More....pictures. :) :)

Thanks for the impression!

any chance of some unboxing (www.unboxing.com) gadget porn series of photos. I'd be most interested in seeing them lieu of actually having one myself.

Here is a higher resolution comparison picture of the Iliad and the
PRS-500 - It was taken in bright sunlight outdoors - The page is
one scanned from an old book - 300 bpi - similar if not the same
on both machines - about half a meg.

Thanks a lot for your answers, NatCh and Paul!
Sounds really great to me! Can't wait to get one :).

Just received mine - delivered to the front desk, and I swallowed my tongue when I saw the crushed box with the packing peanuts spilling out of a gaping hole in the carton!

I photographically documented the damage, then proceeded to extract the Reader box out of the shipping carton. It, too, had a crushed corner...but the Reader itself is undamaged! Whew!

Haven't loaded anything yet - here's what's preloaded:
1984 - George Orwell
Blue Dahlia (excerpt) - Nora Roberts
Cell (excerpt) - Stephen King
The Da Vinci Code (excerpt) - Dan Brown
Eldest (excerpt) - Christopher Paolini
Excavation - James Rollins
Freakanomics (excerpt) - Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
The Innocent (Excerpt) - Harlan Coben
The Italian's Stolen Bride - Emma Darcy
John James Audubon (excerpt) - Richard Rhodes
Operation Guide - Sony Corp.
Peach Fuzz (excerpt) - Lindsay Cibos & Jared Hodges
Pride And Prejudice (excerpt) - Jane Austen
Unleash The Night (excerpt) - Sherilyn Kenyon
Vanguard, Book One - David Mack
Winning (excerpt) - Jack Welch & Suzy Welch

What part of the country do you live in Randy, just want to get a sense of delivery time... And what was the estimate you had on the FedEx SmartPost site?

From the picture in sunlight, why is the Sony Reader's page/text looking so gritty? Is that the zoom function maybe? Or from loading a too-large page into it?

Here is an example of the fit visible - fit width behavior by the
PSR-500 that I mentioned before. I made two trial PDF's both
the same page size 1.5 x 4 inches. One was scanned in and therefore
had no fonts. The size button had no useful effect - instead when
pushed the first page of the file was displayed.

The second contained a font - It was prepared from a word for windows
doc file - the page size was set in word to 1.5 x 4 inches with top
and bottom margins of 0.2 inch and left and right margins of 0.1 inch.
As instructed by Adobe see :

www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/330729.html

The same margins were set in adobe acrobat and a pdf created. When the
size button was pushed the display changed but all the print showed in
both views - doesn't really fit width unless you're referring in some
way to the fonts. See comparison picture.


Note in the illiad reader comparison picture - a bit of dust blew onto the displays.

I'm sorry, I used "gritty" for lack of a better word, I mean the actual text, the letters, aren't looking as sharp and clear as the iLiad's; I expected them to be smaller, but I don't understand why they lost sharpness. Using Firefox, before I zoom into the original size of your photo, the page on Sony seems to be "half there", so to speak; when I do zoom in, you can tell quite clearly that it's not being rendered as well. So why not, I wonder? The zoom function on the Firefox, for example, does that to pictures when it reduces them to fit the screen, I wonder if that's what the Sony is doing, and therefore one would need to make sure you were sizing the pdf's well before loading???

(btw, have fun with your toys, lucky you!) :)

The text does seem fuzzy and unclear...is that the actually rendering on the Reader or something going wonky from taking a picture of it?

The scanned pictures of type are not as clear as they might be.
They were done at 300 bpi and don't come out as well as I would
like on either the Iliad or the Sony reader. Interpolation has to
be done to get the files on the display - they look quite
sharp on a PC. Maybe more could be done to improve the display
of bitmaps of text either in the display program for the Iliad or
maybe in more attention to the file that is presented to the
devices. A little disapointing.


A "Sony Reader" folder is created on the SD card when the reader is
booted with an SD card in place. Inside is a "database" folder and
inside the data base folder is a file called "cache.xml", an extensible
markup language document - layouts, bookmarks, etc.

Oh dear. Now I've gone and outed myself as a Linux weenie! :-)


In fact, I am now writing from Xubuntu, as I run both systems. Oh dear, now I have outed myself as a Linux newbie! :-)

PS: I have just ordered O'Reilly's Linux Pocket Guide (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596006284/), I want to learn.

Ex-Linux user here - currently a Mac addict. All the commands and tools I got used to in linux but with a better looking UI.

Good luck with your linux journey lordvetinari2. The learning curve is steep but well worth it.

Maybe you could take a picture of a paper book page next to the Sony Reader so we could get an idea of resolution.

A "Sony Reader" folder is created on the SD card when the reader is booted with an SD card in place. Inside is a "database" folder and
inside the data base folder is a file called "cache.xml", an extensible
markup language document - layouts, bookmarks, etc. Say, Paul, when you pull the SD card out and put it back in, does the Reader reload your previous bookmarks/page where you were? I know it's supposed to, but I didn't get to test it while I was out in SD....

... I made two trial PDF's ...

How do they compair when looking at a text file? So far I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the image on the Sony Reader. I don't expect to view pdfs very often though so if it is just a pdf thing I don't care so much. I care about text and the connect store format.

The PDF's I tried worked just fine. The display was as crisp for them as for anything else I threw at it. :)

I've been switching between two SD cards - old information is maintained -
however when I erase I erase everything - that is I haven't erased just a few files on the
card so don't know if that would mess things up or not. When several new files
are added the reader shows a circular busy symbol on booting - maybe adding
information about the new files to the cache.xml -?

I've been switching between two SD cards - old information is maintainedExcellent news, Paul, I was hoping that would prove out. :)When several new files
are added the reader shows a circular busy symbol on booting - maybe adding
information about the new files to the cache.xml -?Yah, that one I knew about, you've got it exactly right as to what it's doing -- indexing stuff to the cache.xml file.

Thanks for the info!

What part of the country do you live in Randy, just want to get a sense of delivery time... And what was the estimate you had on the FedEx SmartPost site?

I'm in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles - the FedEx SmartPost indicated that the package was picked up in Long Beach (about 30 miles away), then transferred to the Post Office in Sylmar, the city where I had it delivered. The label on the package indicated that the shipper address was in Carson, which I assume is near Long Beach.

The estimated arrival date was Sept 30, a Saturday, which really meant Monday, as the business is closed on Saturday. So I was understandably rooting for the Post Office to get it to me today - and they did!

I have a question for those who already have their Readers. When you're using the Reader with the cover attached, it seems that the cover must be folded back. Does the cover stay in place that way (magnetically, or ?), or is it necessary to hold it back there with your hand?

The reason I ask is that I get lots of hand/wrist strain from holding paper books one-handed, and it seems that trying to keep that cover back while holding the Reader with one hand would cause the same kind of strain.

I would rather not be taking the cover off and on all the time, and like the protection it seems to offer.

You do have to hold it, but it's quite flexible, as I recall, no strain.

And the cover snaps into place. There are some curved slots on the back that make a circle a little bigger than a quarter. You pop similar protrusions in the cover into the slots. (Highly recommended that you lay the Reader face down on a flat surface and then push the cover into place, so there is minimal pressure exerted on the screen itself, which is relatively fragile. In other words, you don't want to be applying the stress to the screen.)

Snaps into the folded back position? Or snaps to attach to the reader?

Ah, sorry... I mean it snaps to attach to the reader. But if you fold back the cover (it easily folds back) you really don't notice any extra bulk and it doesn't keep pushing on you like it wants to return to a closed position again.

The advantage of that flexibility is that the cover doesn't get in the way. The disadvantage is that the cover is not a strong protector of the display screen.

Hi all,

After noticing the the wierd order status on my online order, I decided to call the Sony Store in Boston and they had a few in stock. The guy there put one on hold for me to pick up. I took a few pics while opening it:


Outside box:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1645&stc=1

Opening the box we have the reader in its case:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1646&stc=1


The Reader flipped open:

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1647&stc=1


The contents laid out. Above the Reader we have the charger. To the right is the USB cable. And underneath we have the Connect software and other documentation.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1648&stc=1


To give everyone an idea of how big the device is with its included case, I grabbed one of my favorite books and placed it next to the Reader. As you can see the Reader is about the size of an average paperback which for me is perfect.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1649&stc=1


I'm charging it up now but if anyone wants me to take pictures of anything else please let me know. I'm more than happy to help out.

-C

Hey! Thanks Crono! Nice Pics, now I know what to expect on Thursday when mine is due...

Thanks Crono, that's what I wanted to see (unwrapping pictures, always so much fun!).
Btw, I suggest you use the post attach feature here - this way the photos will remain available even if they are removed from your remote location.

Oh, and please, more photos !!! :drummer:

Thanks guys,

I was looking for a photo attach feature at first but I neglected to scroll all the way down to see it. Thanks for pointing it out! I made the change.

I'll post some pics of the device on in a bit.

-C

A few more pics:

A thickness comparison. I did a side by side with a 400 page paperback. See how much space you save? :)

The screen that greets you after the boot up. Pretty basic.

A scan of one of my Star Wars novels. This is in rtf format which the Reader seems to really love (as well as txt). I tried a pdf but the text came out tiny. :( I'll play around with that.

One more comparison shot. This time with a hardcover novel. I'm so glad I don't have to carry those around anymore. :)

The last pic is a snapshot of the Connect software. I was browsing the eStore at the time. I would buy a book and document how that went but there was nothing that interested me that I did not already own. My apologies.


One thing I cannot figure out is how to go back to the main menu after I load up a book. I tried every button. Very odd. I hope Natch or Bob knows what I mean.

Anyway that's all I got for now!

-C

Thanks for the great pics!

If I understand you, try holding down the outer menu ring towards the bottom right side. The std 5 secs and it will take you to the top menu. Less than that should take you the the next higher up menu.

Hope that helps. :)

Pushing on that ring did the trick. Thank you!

Very odd design choice. It's not something that just glares at the user.

-C

I'm new to ebooks, so I'm wondering which websites offer formats that could be used with the Sony Reader. Can the Microsoft Reader format be used? It's supposed to be readable on a PC, so does that mean it's in rtf, or is it a proprietary format?

edit: Never mind, I guess it's proprietary. And I'm guessing Adobe ebook Reader isn't the same as PDF.

There are converters from LIT to HTML. Elcomsoft used to make a program which could decrypt PDF eBooks but it seems they discontinued it after the infamous Dmitry Sklyarov trial.

Yippiee!

I picked mine up at the Sony store by the Pentagon (told me I was the second person to get it). With the exception of that back clip I love it so far. I'm on the metro for half an hour every morning so we'll see how that works out tomorrow.

Yippiee!

I picked mine up at the Sony store by the Pentagon (told me I was the second person to get it). With the exception of that back clip I love it so far. I'm on the metro for half an hour every morning so we'll see how that works out tomorrow.


Did they mention how many they initially received? The Tyson's corner store mentioned that they got an initial shipment of 12. I was the 6th person to buy one.

It's also interesting that I plugged it in to charge and the charge light went out in less that 20 to 30 minutes. It must not have had much time to lose it's initial charge.

Just picked up my Sony reader at Sony Style, New York and cancelled my Web Order. It looks fantastic though I must confess, Sony could have splurged on a leather case for this - the current one looks tacky. Unfortunately, the accessories are yet to arrive in the retail stores.

Did they mention how many they initially received? The Tyson's corner store mentioned that they got an initial shipment of 12. I was the 6th person to buy one.

It's also interesting that I plugged it in to charge and the charge light went out in less that 20 to 30 minutes. It must not have had much time to lose it's initial charge.

Sorry I didn't ask but it couldn't have been more then a dozen. Mine was missing on one bar on the change and by the time I transfered all my files it was fully charged.

Is there a lookup for SonyStyle stores in the US? I googled around with not much luck, kept getting references to the web store. I'd love to know if there's one in Phoenix, AZ.

Is there a lookup for SonyStyle stores in the US? I googled around with not much luck, kept getting references to the web store. I'd love to know if there's one in Phoenix, AZ.Talk about timing! I had just posted a link to that in the Brick-and-Mortar Store (http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=39925#post39925) thread. :smile:

Just got mine from Sony Copley Place :guitarist:

Copley Place
100 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
617-859-1407

They still have 8 in stock and, as I understand, can ship them for non-local buyers.

I just got mine from Sony Retail Store in Millenia Mall of Orlando, I think they got many stock there. It is much better to go to the store than order online. Save money (shipping) and time (waiting)

Just got mine from Sony Copley Place :guitarist:

Copley Place
100 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
617-859-1407

They still have 8 in stock and, as I understand, can ship them for non-local buyers.

Called them. They won't ship to the U.S. at all, according to the guy I spoke to.

Thanks NatCh! I'll head over there!

WilliamG: Called them. They won't ship to the U.S. at all, according to the guy I spoke to.

:blink:
I specificaly asked salesperson if they can ship, and the answer was - "yes". I guess he didn't know himself. I updated my previous post.

I just bought one from a Sony Style store in a different state than the one I live in. The salesperson initially said he could not sell it to me, but after I told him the online store was backordered, he asked the manager about it, and the manager approved it. The fact that I could not get it in a reasonable amount of time from the online store was the deciding factor for him.

As someone else posted earlier, I had to fax my payment information, then receive, sign, and fax back to him the credit card authorization form. They are shipping it to me FedEx Ground at no charge!

Can't wait for it to arrive!!

Just received my FedEx tracking #. Very exciting!

Thanks go all who posted about the Reader. The material at Mobile Read helped me make the decision between the Reader and the ILiad.

For those of you who are reading in rtf format, are you converting the rtf via the Connect software, or is the Reader displaying unconverted rtf? I think it'll do either, but I'm wondering which is giving the good results reported.

More pictures, though with a cell phone camera. :\

Comparing some devices since Crono already got the book-size angle. I only have textbooks lying around anyways, which are huge compared to the Reader. :rolleyes:

First image:
From left to right (Nokia 3155i cell phone, Dell Axim x30 PPC, Sony Reader)

Second image:
From left to right (reverse of the above order)

Some unpacking/booting/book and reader side by side/pdf zooming and orientation pr0n shots :)

Fantastic set of photos Slava. Thanks.

awesome photos m8..
lol now i can't wait to get my hands on this :D

Absolutely gorgeous photos, thanks! :D

You're all very welcome and thank you :)

Nice Pics! Mine says "acceptance" at the local P.O. late yesterday so I should see it today. Plus the dock is also at the P.O. I will post pics of the dock when it comes.

I just received my Reader, having ordered it from the Beverly Hills Sony Style store only Sunday. I feel like it almost came too soon, heh. Anyway, it's charging now.

The pics are great, Slava. You're all a bunch of pervs, though.
Bow chicka-bow-bow.

My first impression is that the cover is nicer-looking than I expected, but the magnetic closure isn't very strong. The Reader is heavier than I expected too. I still can't tell if it's black or midnight blue. When viewed from one direction it's definitely black, but tipped a bit, it's blue.

I had read that the background display was grayish, that it looked like newsprint ~ so I was very pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous, crisp, bright display I saw when I turned it on. It came with 3/4 bars of charge, too. I fumbled with the menus awhile, not liking that I couldn't intuitively find a way to move the cursor down the menu options with the circular control.

Negatives: Using my left hand to press either of the page controls uses the very same tendons in my inner forearm that are already achy from holding books one-handed. When one hand gets tired, it's not possible to page with the other hand. There was a bit more reflection on the screen than I would like too, and I'll have to try adjusting my lighting somehow.

I'm off to install the software now, but I had to stop in and try to return the favor that you others have done for us.

... I couldn't intuitively find a way to move the cursor down the menu options with the circular control.Try the jogstick (the bit that sticks up in the center of the lower-left round thingy), it should let you move up & down in the menus. There is a slight e-ink based lag on that.

Pushing the jogstick down like a button selects the highlighted choice.

Negatives: Using my left hand to press either of the page controls uses the very same tendons in my inner forearm that are already achy from holding books one-handed. When one hand gets tired, it's not possible to page with the other hand.Try holding the unit resting in your right palm, with your thumb on the large, silver page turner control, and supporting the back of the unit with your fingers. It's hard to explain, but it let me turn the pages right handed reasonably comfortably. :shrug:

Negatives: Using my left hand to press either of the page controls uses the very same tendons in my inner forearm that are already achy from holding books one-handed. When one hand gets tired, it's not possible to page with the other hand.As Nathan noted, you can hold it in your right hand and still have your thumb on the page button. But I found in general that I like putting the Reader on my lap or desk or whatever and just turn the pages instead of holding it also. You can't do that with a paperback book -- it will close up every time on it's own.

It's just :sniff: so beautiful !

It's just :sniff: so beautiful !

I agree :thumbsup:

I'm just a couple of days away from getting mine. It left San Francisco at 09:28 PST which should put it about halfway over the Atlantic by now. What's worse is because I'm at work I'll be able to watch the plane fly over on the Radar. and still I won't be any nearer to it.

GRRRR

Hi, gang - it's great to see all these arrival stories. I stopped by the Sony Store in the Providence Place Mall this afternoon and got hands-on for the first time - what a great unit; I'm really excited.

Tomorrow's payday, and they're holding one for me until then - I've been coming in and bugging them about it for months, so they didn't need any convincing. I'm not sure how many they have, but there are four out in the open, tethered and on display.

Since I'm a Mac hound, I'll make a point of sharing my experiences formatting and transferring files without the Connect software. (At least at first - I'll eventually borrow access to a Windows machine, if only to redeem that $50 at the Connect store.)

My only regret is that I *must* put it down for an hour tomorrow to whet my "Lost" addiction. Moderation in all things, I guess... :)

Checked my shipping status today. It's finally in Dallas, TX, three hours away from me. So maybe tomorrow or by Thurs. I am really getting impatient. The nearest Borders is about 64 miles from me, so that really wasn't an option since I rarely drive that far. Good news is that my area will have one (Borders) in 2008.

Ellen

More impressions:
I'm going to cancel the order for a leather cover. I like the silk texture of the included one, and I think it looks classy - like a Moleskin Notebook. I think the leather cover would add too much weight and bulk.

I like to read lying down on my side, and the Reader is more convenient than a book in this regard. It's easily propped on its side or on one corner, moreso than a softcover book.

When reading it's easy to forget that I'm using a device. By that, I mean its physicality doesn't intrude upon the reading experience, and the text is beautifully clear. Right now I'm reading .txt format with no trouble at all.

My only complaint is that the accumulation of ebooks is not satisfying in the way that opening the daily delivery from Amazon is, nor is there a tall pile to fondle and shelve.

More impressions:
I'm going to cancel the order for a leather cover. I like the silk texture of the included one, and I think it looks classy - like a Moleskin Notebook. I think the leather cover would add too much weight and bulk.

I like to read lying down on my side, and the Reader is more convenient than a book in this regard. It's easily propped on its side or on one corner, moreso than a softcover book.

When reading it's easy to forget that I'm using a device. By that, I mean its physicality doesn't intrude upon the reading experience, and the text is beautifully clear. Right now I'm reading .txt format with no trouble at all.

My only complaint is that the accumulation of ebooks is not satisfying in the way that opening the daily delivery from Amazon is, nor is there a tall pile to fondle and shelve.

Hi Michele,

I'm happy you are enjoying your Reader as well.

I honestly had no idea how nice the case that came with it was until I opened it up. For those that plan on purchasing a case with the Reader I encourage you to wait till you get the device, check the case that comes with it out, and then decide. You may find that the standard case will suit you just fine. To me, $40 is alot of money for an extra case. I'd rather put that money towards the Accidental Damage Plan.

Like you Michele, I prefer lying down on my side to read and I have to agree that reading on the Reader is much better than a paperback. I found it hard to keep the book open and see all of the text.

My only problem now is that I may not want to read in any other way now. Many books are released in paper form only. I do wish a time will come when books are distributed in paper and electronic format at the same time. It's good to give consumers a choice.

Well, it seems that I have now joined the ranks of those who have received a Sony Reader -- according to the tracking scan, mine is waiting for me securely locked up in my mailbox! So the end of the work day can't come soon enough! :)

Well, it seems that I have now joined the ranks of those who have received a Sony Reader -- according to the tracking scan, mine is waiting for me securely locked up in my mailbox! So the end of the work day can't come soon enough! :)

/me runs off into the wind with Bob's Sony Reader.
/me doesn't get caught cleaning out Bob's security box.

Congrats Bob!

Another person who can gloat at the Iliad users with their poor battery-life...:-)

Well, it seems that I have now joined the ranks of those who have received a Sony Reader -- according to the tracking scan, mine is waiting for me securely locked up in my mailbox! So the end of the work day can't come soon enough! :)

Congratulations! I'm still waiting. Sooooo close...

Date Time Description Location
October 4, 2006 12:57 PM Enroute JERSEY CITY, NJ *
October 4, 2006 6:21 AM Sortation Center Departure EDISON, NJ
October 4, 2006 6:08 AM Acceptance JERSEY CITY, NJ *
October 3, 2006 6:46 PM Electronic Shipping Info Received JERSEY CITY, NJ *
October 3, 2006 4:19 AM Sortation Center Arrival EDISON, NJ
October 2, 2006 8:50 PM Sortation Center Departure MARTINSBURG, WV
September 30, 2006 2:51 AM Sortation Center Arrival MARTINSBURG, WV
September 28, 2006 8:00 AM Sortation Center Departure LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 9:20 AM Sortation Center Arrival LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 12:00 AM Pickup LONG BEACH, CA

Finally! I received mine today in the mail. It's better than I thought. It's the perfect size. I am still reeling. So far everything is working out including the $50 coupon.

Ellen

Congrats Bob!

Another person who can gloat at the Iliad users with their poor battery-life...:-)
Now you can count me in on that too, CommanderROR! :wink:

Mine is working well after just one lockup that was prolly my fault. Very comfortable to read. At least as good as a paperback and probably better. I have 23 books on it already
and am 1/3 way thru the first one. I bought 5 books with the $50 credit and that process was painless.

I sure hope Sony improves their selection in the next few months, as well as their store. Buying and downloading were easy but the selection and browsing are FAR, FAR inferior to the major book chain sites.

whilst I was browsing the CONNECT store the other day I had similar thoughts. The range of authors includes some f my favourites. However They only stocked maybe, 1 or 2 of their titles despite these authors have 20-30 books behind them. A tragic shame. Browsing the site really needs some work as well. I've not had the opportunity to try the actual CONNECT software yet but from a browser I was disappointed that I couldn't get the books listed alphabetically by author. A Major oversight in my opinion.

All that said I don't expect to be using the connect store much until/unless they introduce a European/Brittish store where I can use my own credit card.

I noticed a few titles today that I'm pretty sure weren't there last week, so perhaps that's a hopeful sign. :smile:

Well, it seems that I have now joined the ranks of those who have received a Sony Reader -- according to the tracking scan, mine is waiting for me securely locked up in my mailbox! So the end of the work day can't come soon enough! :)

Congrats :) The first reader, that I bought online, is still on its way, I guess I'll have to either return or sell once it arrives

October 3, 2006 4:49 PM Sortation Center Arrival NORTHBOROUGH, MA
October 3, 2006 9:32 AM Sortation Center Departure MARTINSBURG, WV
September 30, 2006 2:51 AM Sortation Center Arrival MARTINSBURG, WV
September 28, 2006 8:00 AM Sortation Center Departure LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 9:20 AM Sortation Center Arrival LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 12:00 AM Pickup LONG BEACH, CA

However They only stocked maybe, 1 or 2 of their titles despite these authors have 20-30 books behind them. A tragic shame.

Indeed! There is a reason that the major bookstores list all of the books by a given author. They simply sell more!

I would hope that this is just due to the Connect store being new. I can't imagine even Sony being that stupid....

Do you have any experience with customs? Should I understand from below list that they have already let go off my beautiful Reader? If so, I should get it... tomorrow!

Arrived Abroad, October 05, 2006, 7:30 am, SPAIN
Into Foreign Customs, October 05, 2006, 7:30 am, SPAIN
Enroute, October 03, 2006, 10:53 am, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94128
International Dispatch, October 03, 2006, 10:53 am, SAN FRANCISCO AMC
Enroute, October 02, 2006, 3:28 pm, SEATTLE, WA 98158
Acceptance, October 02, 2006, 11:36 am, REDMOND, WA 98052
Enroute, October 02, 2006, 9:54 am, REDMOND, WA 98052

Recieved mine today. The estimated date actually was pushed back from 10/06 to 10/07 so I was suprised that it showed up today.

I also got my cradle today! (Anyone else receive one yet?)

It is just as expected... appears to be exactly the same as the prototype sneak peaks we saw. It has a plexiglass rim that you slide the Reader into (either with the cover on, or with the cover off and an included sleeve inserted to make up the difference in size). When you put it in, the plexiglass rim glows white. The light should go off when the battery is fully charged.

I'm not sure whether or not it's better to keep it in the cradle all the time, or whether after it charges I should remove it.

It really is convenient for me on my desk, and minimizes the mess and hassle of cables. It's very easy to connect the reader by plopping it down inside, cover and all. The only trick is to remember that the open end of the case goes "into" the higher plexiglass rim on the cradle. (BTW, I call it plexiglass, but it's probably some nicer material and I've probably made the entire Sony design team cringe after working really hard to find a great material for it!)

One interesting thing to keep in mind, though. Remember how we mentioned that there is a slot for a lanyard? The instruction book (yes, it comes with it's own instruction book for the cradle) says "If the hand strap is attached to Sony Reader, set it to the side of the cradle." There's an illustration also. But the warning is "Placing Sony Reader on the cradle may not be possible if the strap end is thick." They seem to write as if a strap was included, but I don't think it comes with the Reader or the cradle. At least I didn't find one.

And, of course, you aren't supposed to disconnect it if it's doing a transfer. But if you do, sounds not as bad as messing with a PalmOS or PPC sync... it says to just restart transferring. Cool!

My apologies to those who are still waiting for delivery. I don't mean to be insensitive with my excitement. Yours will hopefully arrive soon. :)

I'm not sure whether or not it's better to keep it in the cradle all the time, or whether after it charges I should remove it.

Obviously I don't know about the cradle, but I left my Reader attached to the USB port on my computer overnight recently. I noticed in the morning that the USB symbol was very dark, and when I unplugged it left noticable ghosting. After a few page refreshes the effect was entirely gone, but I resolved not to do that again!

Yay - Mine made it! That was some cross country journey:

Date Time Description Location
October 5, 2006 9:14 AM Delivered ALLENWOOD,NJ
October 4, 2006 12:57 PM Enroute JERSEY CITY,NJ
October 4, 2006 6:21 AM Sortation Center Departure EDISON, NJ
October 3, 2006 4:19 AM Sortation Center Arrival EDISON, NJ
October 2, 2006 8:50 PM Sortation Center Departure MARTINSBURG, WV
September 30, 2006 2:51 AM Sortation Center Arrival MARTINSBURG, WV
September 28, 2006 8:00 AM Sortation Center Departure LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 9:20 AM Sortation Center Arrival LOS ANGELES, CA
September 27, 2006 12:00 AM Pickup LONG BEACH, CA

Congrats, Greg!
Time to :book2:

As of this afternoon, I am a new and very happy Sony Reader owner! (with sincere thanks to geekravr for procuring one of these for me)

A word of advice: resistance is futile - you *will* be subsumed. The Borg has arrived.
Very rarely have I been so impressed with a new gadget.

You can have all the HDTV's you want but just give me this, great books and rainy Seattle afternoons at Starbucks and I am a very, very happy camper! :happy2:

As of this afternoon, I am a new and very happy Sony Reader owner! (with sincere thanks to geekravr for procuring one of these for me)

Congrats! :happy2:

How do I get one if I am *not* based in the US? European Sony sites do not seem to know this product at all.

As of this afternoon, I am a new and very happy Sony Reader owner! (with sincere thanks to geekravr for procuring one of these for me)


Cool, Mine left San Fran yesterday early morning. Hopefully it`ll show up on monday. I`m stoked. Worth paying a premium to have one when virtually no-one else in europe has one.

Steen Jurs : have a look on the flea market forum on this site, there are several people willing to sell you one, for a small fee.

I finally got my yesterday, it took 3 days to go the final about 3 miles, very painfull. Anyway, I have to agree with some of the other posters. The box was very small, and fairly nondescript. The box certainly wouldn't jump out at you if it was sitting on a shelf (like an iPod or Slingbox would).

The unit itself, is amazingly solid. It actually feels quite heavy for its size. If you closed your eyes you would almost think your holding a slab of metal in your hands.

When I first turned it on, I initially thought that the display looked somewhat similar to my old Palm Pilot Pro, except the display has absolutely no depth. It looks like the text (or graphics) are printed directly onto the screen (with a printer). I have to say that it's just uncanny, and it will take me some time to get used to the idea that text can look this good on an electronic device. After years of staring at CRT's and LCD's (or 8+ hours a day on a work day), it going to take my brain some time to get used to!

I immediately downloaded a couple of books off of Sony's site, and a bunch of books from manybooks.net. For some reason when I select the librie format off of manybooks.net I get a 0 byte file, so I ended up downloading about 6-7 books in RTF format. I opened them up (in Word) changed all of the text to size 16, imported them into the connect software, and moved them over to the reader. I have to say I'm very impressed, they look just great.

The connect software itself is generally not bad, but it is kind of stupid. For example, I made a "collection" of SciFi books. Initially I had just 2 books in it, which I copied to the reader. Later I added 3-4 more. I then copied the entire selection to the reader, but instead of overwriting the original directory (which is what I expected), it actually created a second SciFi collection on the eReader. You also can't copy collections to the memory card, which I think is a huge issue. I for one would love to walk around with hundreds of books, including all of the classics (many available for free!), but as it is now this isn't really possible.

At the moment I have about 15 books loaded up, which combined only take 10 or so megs (and you have 64 Megs available internally). So if I was going on a vacation (even for months) taking enough to read wouldn't be an issue, even if I only relied on the internal memory.

So far I've used the device for a couple of hours, I read in bed, and played around with it for a couple of hours, and overall I'm very impressed. I charged it up when I first opened the box, but haven't charged it since. So far the battery meter is sitting at 100%. I'm going to try to go a couple of days without recharging to see how long it will actually hold out. So far so good. :happy2:

I immediately downloaded a couple of books off of Sony's site, and a bunch of books from manybooks.net. For some reason when I select the librie format off of manybooks.net I get a 0 byte file, so I ended up downloading about 6-7 books in RTF format.

It looks like they don't have all the books in LIBRIe format. I would say from all the manybooks.net books I downloaded, only about 30% were also available LIBRIe format.

As far as loading up the Reader with books, I agree that the Connect software doesn't really help with large sets of books very much. I'm going to keep my Sony purchased books in one collection, and transfer them to the internal memory as desired. Other free books will be managed by me outside the software, and moved directly on the SD card so they don't end up cluttering up the software library. We'll see if that approach works.

Does anyone know what USPS message "Arrival at Unit" means? I'm hoping that means my Reader has made it to my apartment, or at least gets delivered today. *Happydance*
==========================
Arrival at Unit, October 06, 2006, 5:58 am, PHOENIX, AZ 850XX

Once it gets to your apartment building, status will be changed to "Delivered"

Thanks Slava. Now I know what I'm doing all weekend *fingers crossed* :D

06-10-2006 22:28 International Hub En route to delivery depot
06-10-2006 21:37 International Hub RELEASED WITH CHARGES
04-10-2006 21:37 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGING
04-10-2006 21:37 International Hub AWAITING CUSTOMS CHARGES
04-10-2006 21:17 International Hub Arrived in destination country
04-10-2006 21:14 International Hub Arrived at Hub
03-10-2006 09:38 Delivery Agent - SAN FRANCISCO Left origin country
02-10-2006 10:53 Delivery Agent - UNITED STATES AMERICA Collected from customer


There is a slight possibility of it being delivered tomorrow. Failing that it's on for Monday. It's gonna cost me though, stupid tax man.

There is a slight possibility of it being delivered tomorrow. Failing that it's on for Monday. It's gonna cost me though, stupid tax man.
One reason I don't want my girlfriend to ship it over to Europe is because I am worried it get stuck at customs. I have had bad experience with them before ;(

I finally got mine Friday night at the Cincinnati (Kenwood) SonyStyle store. I called that morning and they had one left and I put it on hold. It was about a 90 minute drive, but that was the closest place to me that had one, I'm in Louisville. I checked the Borders around here and mostly to my question of "do you have the new Sony eReader?" I received blank stares or a response of "what's an eReader?" or "are you looking for audiobooks?". Yeah, I wouldn't count on Borders coming through.

When I went in SonyStyle they had three on display and the clerk told me they had received the three displays plus five to sale, the last of which I was buying. He said they expected to receive five more next week, if anyone in the area is interested.

So far it is a pretty cool device, I'm just reading the included Vanguard novel. I really like I could just open the box, pull it out and start reading. Two days later I still haven't unwrapped any of the cords or even looked at the manual. It is a little heavier than I expected, it is smaller than a paperback but a little heavier. I would have appreciated the page turn buttons on both sides of the display also for left and right hand use depending on how you are holding it, I don't think the little joystick can turn pages can it? I know, I can hold it by the bottom with my right hand and use the page thing, just not as comfortable.

Also, has anyone else noticed on the Vanguard novel that they seem to leave a lot of empty space at the bottom? Are all the Sony-bought novels this way?

Also, has anyone else noticed on the Vanguard novel that they seem to leave a lot of empty space at the bottom? Are all the Sony-bought novels this way?I hadn't noticed that until you mentioned it. I am reading it in the medium size, where it doesn't show up that much. Nor does it seem apparent in the large size text. But you're right about small... it's odd that so much blank space is there.

The only thing I can figure is that it's because of some sort of expanded "widow protection", in an attempt to format the book so that paragraphs don't break up between pages too much.

As far as not having page turn buttons on the right side, I agree. It would be nice, and more comfortable. But I was told that there is electronics in the right hand side panel that prevents another page turn button. Additionally, the joystick control with the ring is not customizable for page turning. I agree that it would have been nice to do that also. But like you indicate, it's a great device even if it doesn't meet every quality we could desire in a reader yet!

There is a slight possibility of it being delivered tomorrow. Failing that it's on for Monday. It's gonna cost me though, stupid tax man.


Did you let the people who send it to you put the invoice in the box? My plan is to let my friend ship it as "gift" without an invoice inside and hope it will clear without paying.

Unfortunately marking an item as a gift will only double the tax-free zone to £36 if you want it insured and I'm sure that you do then they have to mark its value.

That said, I don't believe books are subject to import taxes so it might be worth trying to mark it as a book. I will investigate this further.

I've attached the importing/exporting start kit guide from the .gov website for information purposes. Looks to be a hefty read but could help in finding a tax-free loop hole to evade paying.


EDIT2 : after reading the attached document it appears they've segmented off all the useful information about what does and doesn't attract customs duty into a 3 volume of books they call "The Tariff" to get access to it you have to pay £245 per year.

EDIT3 : Might be worth giving these guys a ring to find out what gets through cheaply or even free. For details about the rates of duty applying to particular goods you can call the HM Revenue & Customs Tariff Classification Service Enquiry Line on Tel 01702 366077

I really like I could just open the box, pull it out and start reading. Two days later I still haven't unwrapped any of the cords or even looked at the manual.

Hey Gnome, I did the same with mine since the battery showed as fully charged. Then the reader died on me. Worked fine after I charged it. The battery indicator was still the same - showing fully charged. I did notice that the red LED was on when I first started using it before I charged it the first time. Until I read the manual & saw how it indicates full charge, I thought my reading it was just backwards but it wasn't.

Has anyone else noticed this or is my battery indicator bad?

It may take the monitoring circuit a charge or so to figure out what "charged" really looks like. :)

As of two hours ago I am the very proud owner of a Sony Reader. I live in the UK and it was dispatched on Friday evening from the US and arrived this morning!!
I'm going to play now, but wanted to say thanks to forum member geekraver.