After finishing loading ebooks using the Sony Connect software to my eBook I close Connect and try to eject the eBook from the Safely Remove applet on the Windows XP taskbar and there is no entry for the eBook! The eBook's screen has the "do not unplug the USB" graphic on the screen. How dod I eject this thing?

No, the "Do not disconnect" message should only be there while "Connect" is running. As soon as you exit "Connect" the "Stop Sign" should disappear, and the Reader screen will just say "USB Connected". At that point you can safely disconnect.

Not good. It looks like I'll have to pull the cord and hope for the best. I guess reinstalling Connect is in order. I wonder if the other 4 USB devices connected to the laptop (via a hub) is causing the confusion?

Not good. It looks like I'll have to pull the cord and hope for the best. I guess reinstalling Connect is in order. I wonder if the other 4 USB devices connected to the laptop (via a hub) is causing the confusion?

I've investigated the matter of unplugging USB devices, and also posted about it in an other forum. The consensus seems to be that in most cases no harm is done by just unplugging the things without bothering to go through the Safely Remove Hardware ritual.

I've been doing it for some time now with everything except a powered external HDD, and have suffered no unwanted results. Maybe I've just been lucky, but it saves a lot of time.

Done this with my camera, the old Rocket eBook, the Reader, a flash drive and even an inkjet printer (don't unplug the latter, just turn it off). I often get a little "ping" sound, but everything continues to work fine when I plug 'em in again.

YMMV!

I've never done the "safely remove hardware" thing on the Reader, I just pull the plug. Windows has never yelled at me about it (like it does with my flash drives), and I've never noticed any adverse effect on the Reader either. I'm inclined to think that it's more like a Palm Pilot connection, you don't have to eject them either. :shrug:

I've never done the "safely remove hardware" thing on the Reader, I just pull the plug. Windows has never yelled at me about it (like it does with my flash drives), and I've never noticed any adverse effect on the Reader either. I'm inclined to think that it's more like a Palm Pilot connection, you don't have to eject them either. :shrug:

Exactly my experience as well. Only time to worry is when a file is actually transfering.

Same here although windows sometimes crashes when I do it with various flash drives

The only time it is unsafe to pull the plug is if the reader tells you not too. Even then, sometimes you can get away with it. Basically USB communication with the reader happens in sessions. The connect s/w opens a session, reader icon changes to dont disconnect, connect does stuff, closes session, reader icon changes back.