New PRS-505 has different Firmware.

[sirhunter2010]

I live in Canada and I just purchased my PRS-505 this past week to take advantage for the Sony 100 free classics offer and 25 U.S. dollar coupon for the Sony book store. After initial charging I went to the Sony support site to check on updated firmware for my unit; not that required it but it's always nice to be up-to-date. This is where things get a bit confusing for me;

The online firmware is version:1.1.00.18040
My PRS-505 Reader version is: 1.1.01.25200

Obviously my firmware somewhat more current then the supposed firmware update available on the Sony eSupport website.

My question is; Is the firmware delta explained via localization or is this a yet to be released firmware update for the PRS-505 that I was lucky enough to have already installed on this new unit? This unit was purchased at a SonyStyle Canada store here in Ottawa.

Thanks,

Hunter

[lilac_jive]

I think I remember hearing about this, and seem to remember it was a localization thing. Don't quote me on that though.

I'm more interested in your ebookstore credit. No fair, I want one!

Also, you can get all of those classics and more right here on MobileRead. Although I know a few people who want to beat me over the head with a stick when I say I try for the Sony one first (I like big margins).

I hope you love your new 505!!

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I'm more interested in your ebookstore credit. No fair, I want one!

Also, you can get all of those classics and more right here on MobileRead. Although I know a few people who want to beat me over the head with a stick when I say I try for the Sony one first (I like big margins).

I hope you love your new 505!!

I used to use my Palm TX for books but I have to say that I'm lovin the PRS-505. I tried out a PRS-700 for a week and returned it. The contrast sucked and page turning didn't seem any faster than that of the PRS-505. PDF zoom was quicker on the PRS-700 but hardly worth the 100 dollar uplift from the PRS-505 here in Canada; besides, I hate having to use a bloody vanity cloth to perpetually keep the screen clean due to finger prints. Let's face it, the display on the PRS-505 is killer compared to the PRS-700 and while the PRS-700 does have a moderate collection of additional features over the PRS-505 it's not enough to overcome the contrast differential between the two units.

I have to admit that the classics at Sony seem to be well formated and are quite readable with a very good TOC. I had my hundred titles downloaded and installed on the reader in less than a day.

I had some success with the epubs at Gutenberg but not a even one for instance Dickens "Little Dorrit" refused to be read on the PRS-505 where as I had no issue reading either on the Sony Reader software, calibre 0.53 or Adobe Digital Editions 1.7. Fifty percent of the books I downloaded (200 titles) in epub format from Gutenberg were completely unreadable by the PRS-505. Odd but hardly a show stopper as I simply downloaded the mobi editon from Gutenberg and converted it to epub via calibre; voila, a readable "Little Dorrit" on the PRS-505. Brilliant little app that calibre; it makes the native Sony Reader software look really anemic. Sad really but not unexpected as Sony does hardware brilliantly but software like first year computer science students at a community college.

[gwynevans]

Originally Posted by sirhunter2010

I have to admit that the classics at Sony seem to be well formated and are quite readable with a very good TOC. I had my hundred titles downloaded and installed on the reader in less than a day.

I had some success with the epubs at Gutenberg but not a even one for instance Dickens "Little Dorrit" refused to be read on the PRS-505 where as I had no issue reading either on the Sony Reader software, calibre 0.53 or Adobe Digital Editions 1.7. Fifty percent of the books I downloaded (200 titles) in epub format from Gutenberg were completely unreadable by the PRS-505. Odd but hardly a show stopper as I simply downloaded the mobi editon from Gutenberg and converted it to epub via calibre; voila, a readable "Little Dorrit" on the PRS-505.

Now you've had a look there, you might want to take a look at the titles available here on MR! :-) Look for the "E-Books" link on the bar near the top of the page - Just to get you started, there's this one - HarryT's conversion of Little Dorrit (Illustrated) to LRF format.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by sirhunter2010

I used to use my Palm TX for books but I have to say that I'm lovin the PRS-505. I tried out a PRS-700 for a week and returned it. The contrast sucked and page turning didn't seem any faster than that of the PRS-505. PDF zoom was quicker on the PRS-700 but hardly worth the 100 dollar uplift from the PRS-505 here in Canada; besides, I hate having to use a bloody vanity cloth to perpetually keep the screen clean due to finger prints. Let's face it, the display on the PRS-505 is killer compared to the PRS-700 and while the PRS-700 does have a moderate collection of additional features over the PRS-505 it's not enough to overcome the contrast differential between the two units.

I have to admit that the classics at Sony seem to be well formated and are quite readable with a very good TOC. I had my hundred titles downloaded and installed on the reader in less than a day.

I had some success with the epubs at Gutenberg but not a even one for instance Dickens "Little Dorrit" refused to be read on the PRS-505 where as I had no issue reading either on the Sony Reader software, calibre 0.53 or Adobe Digital Editions 1.7. Fifty percent of the books I downloaded (200 titles) in epub format from Gutenberg were completely unreadable by the PRS-505. Odd but hardly a show stopper as I simply downloaded the mobi editon from Gutenberg and converted it to epub via calibre; voila, a readable "Little Dorrit" on the PRS-505. Brilliant little app that calibre; it makes the native Sony Reader software look really anemic. Sad really but not unexpected as Sony does hardware brilliantly but software like first year computer science students at a community college.

You aren't the first person to say that, but I don't have too much of a problem with it, as long as it does what I need it to do. I only use it for transferring books (I browse the ebookstore on a regular browser).

Most of the Sony Classics I've read were in good shape, but one in particular was AWFUL. I read A Modest Proposal, which is only 30 or so pages, and at least 5 times on each page there was an error. So don't get that one

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Most of the Sony Classics I've read were in good shape, but one in particular was AWFUL. I read A Modest Proposal, which is only 30 or so pages, and at least 5 times on each page there was an error. So don't get that one

Good info, Thanks!

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by gwynevans

Now you've had a look there, you might want to take a look at the titles available here on MR! :-) Look for the "E-Books" link on the bar near the top of the page - Just to get you started, there's this one - HarryT's conversion of Little Dorrit (Illustrated) to LRF format.

Question: Is LRF a better or rather more compatible format for the PRS-505?

Thanks for the heads up on the mobileread library. I have been browsing.

I'm personally jazzed about Barnes and Noble coming on-board with Sony. With the one-two punch from the Sony - Google alliance and now Barnes and Noble, Amazon has got to be worried.

Personally I think that both companies can co-exist quite comfortably but business is business and it's all about choice and right now, Sony has it in spades with world wide distribution of it's hardware and strategic alliances within the publishing community, it's going to be very difficult for Amazon to compete on the same playing field. Has Amazon better hardware, possibly but I would argue the convenience factor of wifi in a reader as I can't think of a book that I need right that very millisecond and I use calibre for all my RSS feeds rather than the lame Sony RSS offerings. Immediacy is not something I'm really looking for in a reader but rather functionality as it pertains to reading - every additional feature offered is a distant second on my priority list in terms of hardware.

Cheers,

Hunter

[grooks]

LRF is a format that only works on the Sony devices. It is also called their proprietary BBeB format.

Don't get too jazzed about the Barnes and Noble thing. I think it was an April Fool's joke.

I do think that multiple reading devices can co-exist in this market. Different people want different features. Wispernet or wi-fi may be important to some but useless to others. As long as content is available, most people should be happy with almost any reader.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by sirhunter2010

Question: Is LRF a better or rather more compatible format for the PRS-505?

Thanks for the heads up on the mobileread library. I have been browsing.

I'm personally jazzed about Barnes and Noble coming on-board with Sony. With the one-two punch from the Sony - Google alliance and now Barnes and Noble, Amazon has got to be worried.

Personally I think that both companies can co-exist quite comfortably but business is business and it's all about choice and right now, Sony has it in spades with world wide distribution of it's hardware and strategic alliances within the publishing community, it's going to be very difficult for Amazon to compete on the same playing field. Has Amazon better hardware, possibly but I would argue the convenience factor of wifi in a reader as I can't think of a book that I need right that very millisecond and I use calibre for all my RSS feeds rather than the lame Sony RSS offerings. Immediacy is not something I'm really looking for in a reader but rather functionality as it pertains to reading - every additional feature offered is a distant second on my priority list in terms of hardware.

Cheers,

Hunter

That B&N thing was an april fool's joke. So don't get too excited


LRF is the native format of the Sony. LRX is what they sell at the Sony store (LRF with DRM).

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

That B&N thing was an april fool's joke. So don't get too excited

Seriously??!!?? LOL Got me there! Damn it!!! I should have known it was way to good to be true. Damn, damn, damn.

Hunter

BTW I can, however, sign out ebooks from my local Library here in Ottawa in epub time sensitive format. One small thing I noticed about the PRS-505 - when I send the DRM epub to my PRS-505 it says I have 21 days left on the book in order to read it. When I do a hard shutdown, in order to save battery power overnight and then power up again in the morning, the reader has added an additional 670 days to the expiration date of the epub. I have to say that I'm loving that bug in a big way! I've not experimented with more than one DRM epub at one time but will do so by signing out additional titles from my library online over the course of the next couple of days. Any thoughts on this issue or have you seen it before?

Hunter

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by sirhunter2010

Seriously??!!?? LOL Got me there! Damn it!!! I should have known it was way to good to be true. Damn, damn, damn.

BTW I can, however, sign out ebooks from my local Library here in Ottawa in epub time sensitive format. One small thing I noticed about the PRS-505 - when I send the DRM epub to my PRS-505 it says I have 21 days left on the book in order to read it. When I do a hard shutdown, in order to save battery power overnight and then power up again in the morning, the reader has added an additional 670 days to the expiration date of the epub. I have to say that I'm loving that bug in a big way! I've not experimented with more than one DRM epub at one time but will do so by signing out additional titles from my library online over the course of the next couple of days. Any thoughts on this issue or have you seen it before?

Hunter

i think i read that shutting down completely resets the internal date, which is why it suddenly thinks you have 2 years to read your books. take a look in the settings to see if that's right.

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

i think i read that shutting down completely resets the internal date, which is why it suddenly thinks you have 2 years to read your books. take a look in the settings to see if that's right.

You are totally right. I just checked my date and it is indeed reset back to May 28, 2007. Now the dilemma, do I set my date correctly or do I just leave it. I think what I will do is set my date correctly prior to adding another DRM epub library book and then do another hard shut down so that I have all the bloody time in the world to read my latest library find. "Nature found a way."

As for the B&N April Fools joke, damn! I'm still laughing about it. Just too funny.

[Amalthia]

Originally Posted by sirhunter2010

You are totally right. I just checked my date and it is indeed reset back to May 28, 2007. Now the dilemma, do I set my date correctly or do I just leave it. I think what I will do is set my date correctly prior to adding another DRM epub library book and then do another hard shut down so that I have all the bloody time in the world to read my latest library find. "Nature found a way."

As for the B&N April Fools joke, damn! I'm still laughing about it. Just too funny.

I'm now tempted to get library ebooks. seriously 21 days isn't enough time to read a book...(well it would be if I focused on one book at a time...)

[sirhunter2010]

Originally Posted by Amalthia

I'm now tempted to get library ebooks. seriously 21 days isn't enough time to read a book...(well it would be if I focused on one book at a time...)

I generally agree as I have up to 5 books on the go at any given time. I can, if I'm so motivated and the subject matter is magnetic, read a book in a day but it's been a while since I've been so intrigued with a book. "American Eve" by Paula Uruburu (non-fiction) is one that I just finished in a day. Salacious and well written and very much worth the read if you like reading about 1901 sensibilities and how they defined scandal during that period.

Hunter