PRS-300 Soldier deploying is PRS300 OK?

GlenBarrington · 03-06-2011, 08:21 AM

I'm thinking of buying a US soldier I know a reconditioned PRS300. The nature of his job prevents him from saying where or exactly when he will be deployed, but we are all on notice that he will be leaving sooner rather than later. I think it is safe to assume it will be someplace unpleasant though.

He likes to read, so I thought a 300 might be a useful gift. Its small, reasonably rugged and they are cheap enough now that if it breaks no major money is lost. The crazy part is a modern soldier is never away from an internet connection for very long, so downloading fresh material won't be an issue for him. Much has changed since MY war.

He is a Macintosh guy, I'm a PC, so I don't know about the Mac infrastructure for the Sony eReaders. Is Sony Library for the Mac more or less frustrating than the PC version? What about Calibre? I've been to a few Mac sites and there seems to be universal contempt for the Calibre UI, that I havent heard of on the PC side.

I just don't know, am I buying him more hassle than he needs?

Bookworm_Girl · 03-06-2011, 10:19 AM

In my opinion, the Mac versions of Sony Reader Library and calibre work very much the same as the PC versions. I have used both since I have my disk partitioned and am able to boot in either Mac OS X or Windows XP.

ADE for Mac doesn't recognize the Sony ereaders as a connected USB device so you can't use ADE to transfer books (like some prefer). I use the Sony Reader Library instead, and it works just fine for me.

elcreative · 03-06-2011, 10:49 AM

Don't know about the Mac sites you've viewed but I've been happily using calibre since first available for Mac and, everywhere I go, it is held in high regard... personally I use calibre and drag'n'drop as my main transfer methods... no problems at all... DRMd books is another matter as I don't use them... for those then Sony Reader Library seems to work fine according to many users (and be a disaster for the few)

AlbertaCowboy · 03-06-2011, 11:37 AM

I might also suggest looking into something like this:

http://www.medgestore.com/products/prs300-leisure.psp

Especially if there is the (likely) potential for your friend to encounter blowing sand and dust. I had the leisure cover for my 505, and it was great for those windy days at the beach.

kacir · 03-06-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

I might also suggest looking into something like this:

http://www.medgestore.com/products/prs300-leisure.psp

Especially if there is the (likely) potential for your friend to encounter blowing sand and dust. I had the leisure cover for my 505, and it was great for those windy days at the beach.

I have purchased cheap generic "waterproof" cover for turistic maps, very similar to cover you linked to.
I have been using it with my Sony Reader and later with my PocketBook reader.

A good waterproof cover AND a sturdy box where the reader in cover will fit is absolutely indispensable in dirty, dusty or wet field conditions.

polly · 03-07-2011, 06:56 PM

A digital reader is a great thing to take on a deployment, but I would personally recommend against the 300, just because it's so stripped down.

One thing to consider is that while the internet is widely available, it's supplied to military computers and the military doesn't allow with memory anything to be attached to its computers, including book readers. Also, the military doesn't allow programs like Digital Editions or the Sony store to be installed. There are some areas where people can pay for internet access for their own computers, but the less pleasant a place is, the less likely that's an option. With a reader that accepts flash memory, it becomes possible for family to mail new books on a flash card. As long as the deployed reader and the computer at home are both authorized on the same Adobe account, the books will work.

Even better than the 300 is the PocketBook 360. Portability is key on deployments because bags aren't allowed at many places on a base. If it doesn't fit in your pocket, you can't carry it with you, so I would definitely stay with the 5" screen. The PocketBook comes with a snap on case that adds virtually no weight or bulk, but protects the screen.

I carried a PocketPro all over the Middle East in a LogiTech case; the case protected it from sand and all the sharp bits in my bag. If I wanted to carry it during the day, though, I had to leave the case behind and carry it bare in the cargo pocket.

03-06-2011, 08:21 AM	#1
GlenBarrington Cheese Whiz Posts: 908 Karma: 2720097 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Springfield, Illinois Device: Droid Bionic, 1st Gen Kindle Fire. All Sony's Retired	Soldier deploying is PRS300 OK? I'm thinking of buying a US soldier I know a reconditioned PRS300. The nature of his job prevents him from saying where or exactly when he will be deployed, but we are all on notice that he will be leaving sooner rather than later. I think it is safe to assume it will be someplace unpleasant though. He likes to read, so I thought a 300 might be a useful gift. Its small, reasonably rugged and they are cheap enough now that if it breaks no major money is lost. The crazy part is a modern soldier is never away from an internet connection for very long, so downloading fresh material won't be an issue for him. Much has changed since MY war. He is a Macintosh guy, I'm a PC, so I don't know about the Mac infrastructure for the Sony eReaders. Is Sony Library for the Mac more or less frustrating than the PC version? What about Calibre? I've been to a few Mac sites and there seems to be universal contempt for the Calibre UI, that I havent heard of on the PC side. I just don't know, am I buying him more hassle than he needs? __________________ I like soup. . .

03-06-2011, 11:37 AM	#4
AlbertaCowboy Proud New Daddy! Posts: 306 Karma: 1787322 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: PRS-505, PRS-300, PRS-350, PRS-650, iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7"	I might also suggest looking into something like this: http://www.medgestore.com/products/prs300-leisure.psp Especially if there is the (likely) potential for your friend to encounter blowing sand and dust. I had the leisure cover for my 505, and it was great for those windy days at the beach. __________________ Many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

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03-06-2011, 10:19 AM	#2
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 2,418 Karma: 4141890 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Sony 350, T2; KPW, Fire; iPad 4; Nooks	In my opinion, the Mac versions of Sony Reader Library and calibre work very much the same as the PC versions. I have used both since I have my disk partitioned and am able to boot in either Mac OS X or Windows XP. ADE for Mac doesn't recognize the Sony ereaders as a connected USB device so you can't use ADE to transfer books (like some prefer). I use the Sony Reader Library instead, and it works just fine for me.

03-06-2011, 10:49 AM	#3
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,673 Karma: 4934392 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Galaxy IIS, iPad 4 etc	Don't know about the Mac sites you've viewed but I've been happily using calibre since first available for Mac and, everywhere I go, it is held in high regard... personally I use calibre and drag'n'drop as my main transfer methods... no problems at all... DRMd books is another matter as I don't use them... for those then Sony Reader Library seems to work fine according to many users (and be a disaster for the few)

03-07-2011, 06:56 PM	#6
polly Evangelist Posts: 449 Karma: 270240 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS 650, PocketBook 360, Astak PocketPro (RIP), Tungsten T3	A digital reader is a great thing to take on a deployment, but I would personally recommend against the 300, just because it's so stripped down. One thing to consider is that while the internet is widely available, it's supplied to military computers and the military doesn't allow with memory anything to be attached to its computers, including book readers. Also, the military doesn't allow programs like Digital Editions or the Sony store to be installed. There are some areas where people can pay for internet access for their own computers, but the less pleasant a place is, the less likely that's an option. With a reader that accepts flash memory, it becomes possible for family to mail new books on a flash card. As long as the deployed reader and the computer at home are both authorized on the same Adobe account, the books will work. Even better than the 300 is the PocketBook 360. Portability is key on deployments because bags aren't allowed at many places on a base. If it doesn't fit in your pocket, you can't carry it with you, so I would definitely stay with the 5" screen. The PocketBook comes with a snap on case that adds virtually no weight or bulk, but protects the screen. I carried a PocketPro all over the Middle East in a LogiTech case; the case protected it from sand and all the sharp bits in my bag. If I wanted to carry it during the day, though, I had to leave the case behind and carry it bare in the cargo pocket.


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