Sony Reader questions answered by Sony Reader Team - Page 4

dugbug · 08-13-2006, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jæd

You underestimate the techno-fear/fear-of-the-new some people have... People on carry laptops because they've had them setup for them, and have been instructed how to use them. I once worked for a CEO... After five years using PCs he hadn't figured out that "File" -> "Open" could be used instead of double clicking on email attachments. No-one had ever shown him how, and he didn't want to break his computer by experimenting...

Who will show them how to use a Sony Reader...?

I don't understand the relevance. Board a plane and look around. about 30% are laptop-equipped business users. I think they know how to do file->open

rmeister0 · 08-13-2006, 03:19 PM

Fear is not what is going to hold the Sony reader back. The fact that the economics of ebooks makes no sense is what will stop people from buying it. $350 is a lot of money for a one-use device.

Most people don't have any electronic books they can repurpose for this device like they did for digital music players.

jæd · 08-13-2006, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugbug

I don't understand the relevance. Board a plane and look around. about 30% are laptop-equipped business users. I think they know how to do file->open

You'd be suprised...!

yvanleterrible · 08-13-2006, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmeister0

Fear is not what is going to hold the Sony reader back. The fact that the economics of ebooks makes no sense is what will stop people from buying it. $350 is a lot of money for a one-use device.

Most people don't have any electronic books they can repurpose for this device like they did for digital music players.

It is a fact that Sony being as big as It is, overprices all they sell.
And as you say people will think hard before buying a one use device, specially since this one, contrary to music players, requires that you fully concentrate on it.

NatCh · 08-13-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

This is a wild guess i.e. hope.
If the Connect software works like Itunes, you'll have a library to store your books in and a software patch that converts them in the reader's language(BBeB). The only issue left would be formatting.

I'm not entirely sure that I'm answering what you asked, so tell me if it's not.

The Connect store will keep track of which books you purchase there, so that you can download them again later as you like (for as long as the Connect store operates, of course). Kind of like the "Your Books" function at Baen, or the "My Bookshelf" function at FictionWise. All of those books will be formatted to work on the Sony Reader (it's their store, after all!).

If you're asking if you can upload your own content to the Connect store, I don't know it, but I'm pretty sure the answer to that will be 'no.'

exvaxman · 08-14-2006, 07:12 AM

I noticed that my question on the underlying technology for the connect store was not answered. To understand how bad it was check out this page:

http://news.com.com/How+Sony+failed+...3-6078659.html

The Sonicstage software that I was using at the time to go to minidisc was just horrible. Based on the continued dalays of the Sony reader, and the non-replaceable battery, it is a decent thing that Jinke is shipping evaluation units now. Not to the general public, but to their business partners according to the last email I recieved. And the battery is user-replaceable! I used to love Sony. But since Morita died, the downhill path has been quick and fast. Rootkit DRM's, lousy software, lower quality in manufacturing trying to save a buck and live on the name

yvanleterrible · 08-14-2006, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

If you're asking if you can upload your own content to the Connect store, I don't know it, but I'm pretty sure the answer to that will be 'no.'

I'm sure they won't NatCh! Sony will never bother with something as trivial as a personnal collection.Imagine the server space needed!
If you are familiar with Itunes, there is a library in which you store the IDs of any media you collect except text based. Most media computer dependant accessory you buy has software that helps catalog your content for easier reference. I was hoping that the Connect store software would be complemented in such a way.
Also in Itunes, any music you have in whatever format or sampling rate is automatically reconverted to fit in your Ipod as soon as you download to It.
If such software was offered for the PRS-500 or the Iliad for that matter, the use of such a tool would be greatly simplified.

NatCh · 08-14-2006, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvanleterrible

If you are familiar with Itunes, there is a library in which you store the IDs of any media you collect exept text based. Most media computer dependant accessory you buy has software that helps catalog your content for easier reference. I was hoping that the Connect store software would be complemented in such a way.
Also in Itunes, any music you have in whatever format or sampling rate is automatically reconverted to fit in your Ipod as soon as you download to It.
If such software was offered for the PRS-500 or the Iliad for that matter, the use of such a tool would be greatly simplified.

Hmm. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with iTunes, hence my guessing at what you were asking.

I'm not much of a music person, I'm afraid, I like music just fine, I just don't seek it out nearly enough to justify an iPod level expense for myself, is all. I don't think they let me use iTunes to put music on my Palm.

Reading, now, that's a totally different price point.

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find/figure out too much detail how the Connect software that you install on your PC works. We may have to wait and see on it. The few details I've scraped up could suggest that it does something like what you're looking for.

We know that the access to the Connect Store is through the Connect Software. We know that they store a record of what you've bought somewhere, I assume on their servers rather than my PC. We know that their aim in creating the connect store is to gather content for the PRS500 and make it easily available to the non-geek market (like my 62 year old mother, who thinks this is all simply a grand idea, but has only recently "gotten" what a flash drive is).

You can see that those tidbits might add up to what you're looking for, but they might not too. (shrug)

@ exvaxman: yeah, that article does suggest some serious past issues with the Connect store, but it also seems to suggest that they are mostly dealt with. Certainly the web side of the Connect store is up for music, even if I do have to use IE (mutter) to see it. The Connect Software for the PRS500 is supposed to be a self contained conduit to the book side of the Connect store, not going through a browser at all, so who knows what difference that might make? I haven't been able to find anything other than that article to suggest that the Connect store is ... disconnected. I'm also wondering if that Kinoma business would necessarily have any effect on e-books -- doesn't it deal with multimedia?

While I see your concern, I've decided to wait and see on that one. Probably our only real option anyway.

Gameboy70 · 08-15-2006, 05:41 PM

Lack of HTML support is disappointing, but not surprising. I have zero interest in buying DRM content, but was looking forward to having a better medium to read online content offline, only a fraction of which is in PDF.

Hopefully Sony will include an updated equivalent of Toolbar for Librie, an IE add-on which did a great job of converting HTML pages to BeBB in one click. If not, and if the existing version of TFL produces incompatible pages, then I'll pass. Time to reconsider the iLiad.

NatCh · 08-15-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gameboy70

Hopefully Sony will include an updated equivalent of Toolbar for Librie, an IE add-on which did a great job of converting HTML pages to BeBB in one click.

Or someone else will do so.

It's not a viable option for everything, but the Sony Reader will display rtf, so some things could converted to that format....

rjnagle · 08-17-2006, 09:54 AM

Will the Sony give any capability of printing out pages? What about storing text in a clipboard (for quoting, etc).

rj

NatCh · 08-17-2006, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rjnagle

Will the Sony give any capability of printing out pages? What about storing text in a clipboard (for quoting, etc).

rj

Dunno, but I really doubt it -- it's really aimed as a reader only. However, I suspect that the screen may be good enough to use one of those line-scanner pen things to capture text.

Gameboy70 · 08-17-2006, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

Or someone else will do so.

I'm looking forward to a devoted, open source developer community coming to the rescue to make the device usable, as they did with the Librie.

Quote:

It's not a viable option for everything, but the Sony Reader will display rtf, so some things could converted to that format....

I got a lot of mileage out of the Librie with just txt. Sony's preliminary information on what the Reader can and can't do has been discouraging, but as a former Librie owner, I know that just having the Librie's capabilities and an all-English interface makes it an attractive proposition in spite of everything.

bob_ninja · 08-22-2006, 01:21 PM

rmeister0,
Economics certainly can/will make sense, but may take some time. Consider newspapers whose lifespan is 1-5 days! The cost of paper and printing is far greater than electronic delivery to a reader, so at some point newspapers will offer significant discount for e-delivery to a reader. Books individually may be cheap, but at least half of them are thrown away and/or collect dust in the basement. There is also the hassle of storing them, etc. Depending on the number and type of books one consumes, svaing from e-delivery can add up. Once again, publishers will eventually have to pass on a lot of the savings onto consumers (from not having to print, distribute, etc.) which may not be happening right now. So it may take time.

Keep in mind that there is also tangible benefit (that has certain $ value) of having quick and easy access to a library without computers and networks. You just cannot carry around many reference volumes in printed form, but you can carry them in a reader. For some/many professions that capability alone can be worth hundreds of dollars.

I agree that the fixed battery that cannot easily be replaced is a major. If I build a library of content on it over several years then I don't want to throw it away just because I cannot replace battery!?!?! It is very annoying to say the least. There should be a fairly simple procedure to be able to replace battery.
Also not mentioned is that battery looses its charge even while device is idle. If one can turn 7500 pages on a single charge over the course of 24 hours, that doesn't mean you get the same 7500 turns over the course of 1 year for instance. Even if you don't use it at all, between 6 and 12 months battery will be mostly empty. Not a big deal.

I don't mind an "end-user friendly DRM" that enables Sony and others to make money so long as non-DRM formats are also supported. Also would be nice to have a "backup to local computer hard disk" option as I don't want to depend on any remote store 100%. Also e-books pricing has to reflect the savings. For instance, if e-book version of a novel costs about the same as printed and I don't intend to keep it for a long time, then I would still purchase paper version.

Lack of HTML support is unfortunate but I hope will be fixed in the future.

Seems like a nice gadget, even if overpriced may be worth it. Still, I may wait for version 2 if they don't fix the major problems (battery replacement). Also I'd like to ensure that built-in memory is sufficient for a decent size library.

Fr. Robert Dye · 08-23-2006, 12:51 PM

I was pretty excited about the Sony product. I have a Rocket ebook 1100, and have enjoyed using it, but since I am a stinkin' Mac user, interface has been a hassle.

I had really hoped that Sony would consider Mac users in its marketing and design, but it looks like we are excluded again.

I suppose eventually, I will have to surrender and buy a Windows machine. I think I'd rather quit using a computer altogether than do that, but I will have to have a computer for my work, just as I had to break down and get a cell phone.

But I intend to stay Mac as long as I can, just as I stayed cell-free as long as I could manage it. This means no Sony ebook for me...too bad, so sad, etc.

It *also* means I don't talk up the Sony product to people who would see me using it in public. But this is no big deal for Sony, as I am just one person, and they don't need *my* business.

Oh, well.

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08-14-2006, 07:12 AM	#51
exvaxman Connoisseur Posts: 66 Karma: 38 Join Date: Mar 2006	Will not be using connect if at all possible I noticed that my question on the underlying technology for the connect store was not answered. To understand how bad it was check out this page: http://news.com.com/How+Sony+failed+...3-6078659.html The Sonicstage software that I was using at the time to go to minidisc was just horrible. Based on the continued dalays of the Sony reader, and the non-replaceable battery, it is a decent thing that Jinke is shipping evaluation units now. Not to the general public, but to their business partners according to the last email I recieved. And the battery is user-replaceable! I used to love Sony. But since Morita died, the downhill path has been quick and fast. Rootkit DRM's, lousy software, lower quality in manufacturing trying to save a buck and live on the name

08-17-2006, 09:54 AM	#56
rjnagle Zealot Posts: 126 Karma: 2167 Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Device: ipad 1, Nook Simple Touch, Kindle 3, ebookwise 1150	can you print pages? Will the Sony give any capability of printing out pages? What about storing text in a clipboard (for quoting, etc). rj

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08-13-2006, 03:19 PM	#47
rmeister0 Addict Posts: 270 Karma: 298 Join Date: Mar 2005	Fear is not what is going to hold the Sony reader back. The fact that the economics of ebooks makes no sense is what will stop people from buying it. $350 is a lot of money for a one-use device. Most people don't have any electronic books they can repurpose for this device like they did for digital music players.

08-15-2006, 05:41 PM	#54
Gameboy70 Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 1002150 Join Date: Apr 2006 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, 3rd Gen iPad	Lack of HTML support is disappointing, but not surprising. I have zero interest in buying DRM content, but was looking forward to having a better medium to read online content offline, only a fraction of which is in PDF. Hopefully Sony will include an updated equivalent of Toolbar for Librie, an IE add-on which did a great job of converting HTML pages to BeBB in one click. If not, and if the existing version of TFL produces incompatible pages, then I'll pass. Time to reconsider the iLiad.

08-22-2006, 01:21 PM	#59
bob_ninja Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 582 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: Zire71	rmeister0, Economics certainly can/will make sense, but may take some time. Consider newspapers whose lifespan is 1-5 days! The cost of paper and printing is far greater than electronic delivery to a reader, so at some point newspapers will offer significant discount for e-delivery to a reader. Books individually may be cheap, but at least half of them are thrown away and/or collect dust in the basement. There is also the hassle of storing them, etc. Depending on the number and type of books one consumes, svaing from e-delivery can add up. Once again, publishers will eventually have to pass on a lot of the savings onto consumers (from not having to print, distribute, etc.) which may not be happening right now. So it may take time. Keep in mind that there is also tangible benefit (that has certain $ value) of having quick and easy access to a library without computers and networks. You just cannot carry around many reference volumes in printed form, but you can carry them in a reader. For some/many professions that capability alone can be worth hundreds of dollars. I agree that the fixed battery that cannot easily be replaced is a major. If I build a library of content on it over several years then I don't want to throw it away just because I cannot replace battery!?!?! It is very annoying to say the least. There should be a fairly simple procedure to be able to replace battery. Also not mentioned is that battery looses its charge even while device is idle. If one can turn 7500 pages on a single charge over the course of 24 hours, that doesn't mean you get the same 7500 turns over the course of 1 year for instance. Even if you don't use it at all, between 6 and 12 months battery will be mostly empty. Not a big deal. I don't mind an "end-user friendly DRM" that enables Sony and others to make money so long as non-DRM formats are also supported. Also would be nice to have a "backup to local computer hard disk" option as I don't want to depend on any remote store 100%. Also e-books pricing has to reflect the savings. For instance, if e-book version of a novel costs about the same as printed and I don't intend to keep it for a long time, then I would still purchase paper version. Lack of HTML support is unfortunate but I hope will be fixed in the future. Seems like a nice gadget, even if overpriced may be worth it. Still, I may wait for version 2 if they don't fix the major problems (battery replacement). Also I'd like to ensure that built-in memory is sufficient for a decent size library.

08-23-2006, 12:51 PM	#60
Fr. Robert Dye Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Device: REB 1100 / Nokia phone	I was pretty excited about the Sony product. I have a Rocket ebook 1100, and have enjoyed using it, but since I am a stinkin' Mac user, interface has been a hassle. I had really hoped that Sony would consider Mac users in its marketing and design, but it looks like we are excluded again. I suppose eventually, I will have to surrender and buy a Windows machine. I think I'd rather quit using a computer altogether than do that, but I will have to have a computer for my work, just as I had to break down and get a cell phone. But I intend to stay Mac as long as I can, just as I stayed cell-free as long as I could manage it. This means no Sony ebook for me...too bad, so sad, etc. It also means I don't talk up the Sony product to people who would see me using it in public. But this is no big deal for Sony, as I am just one person, and they don't need my business. Oh, well.

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