Sony Data Discman

Nate the great · 08-01-2008, 02:53 PM

This is going to be one of the readers I bring to the meetup. It's my latest find.
I happened across it on Ebay. The model is the DD-E1X.

This is a late model of Sony's first ebook reader. The first was released in Japan in 1990. This one has a manufacturing date of October 1991.

The books are on CDs. The book currently displayed in the pictures is Compton's Encyclopedia. Note the illustrations. I also have 3 other books: King James Bible, Wellness Encyclopedia, and the World Travel Translator. Plus, I found software online to make ebooks for it.

daffy4u · 08-01-2008, 03:02 PM

In the first picture it looks like a color screen or is that the light from your computer monitor washing across it? The same illustration in the last picture looks to be gray scale.

What can you do with the keyboard and function keys? How much does it weigh? Did I ask enough questions?

At some point, you're going to have to open a museum of ebook readers, even if it's only an online version.

Nate the great · 08-01-2008, 03:19 PM

It's a gray-scale screen. I had my monitor on in the background because it was having a positive effect on the picture quality. I was using it as a flood light.

The weight is around a pound. And the keyboard is a keyboard. Guess what it's used for?

DaleDe · 08-01-2008, 04:12 PM

Nate, can you collect the specs and make a wiki page. This is a nice piece of history and I find nothing on it in a google search.

Dale

edit: I found stuff using the full name.

Nate the great · 08-01-2008, 04:30 PM

I'm still trying to find some specs. Here is what little I've found so far:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Discman

http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0014.html

http://home.earthlink.net/~d4321/ddmodels.htm

The last link is the best.

DaleDe · 08-02-2008, 12:18 AM

Yea, I found some of those. Looks like almost enough to create a good wiki page.
And this German site still makes books for this device.
http://www.treebook.de/. they even have a fair picture that can be filched.

Dale

DaleDe · 08-02-2008, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

This is going to be one of the readers I bring to the meetup. It's my latest find.
I happened across it on Ebay. The model is the DD-E1X.

Plus, I found software online to make ebooks for it.

Where did you find this software?

edit: never mind, I found it at the last link you gave.

Dale

Nate the great · 08-02-2008, 12:57 PM

It was one jump away from the third link I provided. Here it is:

http://home.earthlink.net/~d4321/dd8d.htm

DaleDe · 08-02-2008, 01:44 PM

Wiki page Data Discman has been created. Please add to it if you can. A Data Bookman would be interesting as well, perhaps someday. I am not sure it can read the same books but perhaps so.

Nate the great · 08-02-2008, 09:08 PM

I took each of the book CDs out of its caddy and put it in my laptop's CD drive. I found a DOS emulator of the Data Discman. It runs fine under WinXP.

Also, I found another Data Discman on Ebay (model DD-20). This one is comes in the retail box.

Madam Broshkina · 08-02-2008, 09:21 PM

I wonder when the next firmware update will be for the Sony Data Discman. If one does not come out soon I will never buy another Sony product again.

xianfox · 08-02-2008, 09:42 PM

That thing looks like a Star Trek Tricorder to me.

Nate the great · 08-02-2008, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madam Broshkina

I wonder when the next firmware update will be for the Sony Data Discman. If one does not come out soon I will never buy another Sony product again.

There is no need. All the Data Discman play the same format. It never changed (unlike the PRS line).

08-01-2008, 02:53 PM	#1
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Sony Data Discman This is going to be one of the readers I bring to the meetup. It's my latest find. I happened across it on Ebay. The model is the DD-E1X. This is a late model of Sony's first ebook reader. The first was released in Japan in 1990. This one has a manufacturing date of October 1991. The books are on CDs. The book currently displayed in the pictures is Compton's Encyclopedia. Note the illustrations. I also have 3 other books: King James Bible, Wellness Encyclopedia, and the World Travel Translator. Plus, I found software online to make ebooks for it. Attached Thumbnails

08-02-2008, 09:08 PM	#10
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	small update I took each of the book CDs out of its caddy and put it in my laptop's CD drive. I found a DOS emulator of the Data Discman. It runs fine under WinXP. Also, I found another Data Discman on Ebay (model DD-20). This one is comes in the retail box.

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08-01-2008, 03:02 PM	#2
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	In the first picture it looks like a color screen or is that the light from your computer monitor washing across it? The same illustration in the last picture looks to be gray scale. What can you do with the keyboard and function keys? How much does it weigh? Did I ask enough questions? At some point, you're going to have to open a museum of ebook readers, even if it's only an online version.

08-01-2008, 03:19 PM	#3
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	It's a gray-scale screen. I had my monitor on in the background because it was having a positive effect on the picture quality. I was using it as a flood light. The weight is around a pound. And the keyboard is a keyboard. Guess what it's used for?

08-01-2008, 04:12 PM	#4
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	Nate, can you collect the specs and make a wiki page. This is a nice piece of history and I find nothing on it in a google search. Dale edit: I found stuff using the full name.

08-01-2008, 04:30 PM	#5
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I'm still trying to find some specs. Here is what little I've found so far: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Discman http://elab.eserver.org/hfl0014.html http://home.earthlink.net/~d4321/ddmodels.htm The last link is the best.

08-02-2008, 12:18 AM	#6
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	Yea, I found some of those. Looks like almost enough to create a good wiki page. And this German site still makes books for this device. http://www.treebook.de/. they even have a fair picture that can be filched. Dale

08-02-2008, 12:57 PM	#8
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	It was one jump away from the third link I provided. Here it is: http://home.earthlink.net/~d4321/dd8d.htm

08-02-2008, 01:44 PM	#9
DaleDe Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,470 Karma: 13095790 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Grass Valley, CA Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7	Wiki page Data Discman has been created. Please add to it if you can. A Data Bookman would be interesting as well, perhaps someday. I am not sure it can read the same books but perhaps so.

08-02-2008, 09:21 PM	#11
Madam Broshkina Manic Do Fuse Posts: 2,312 Karma: 3325462 Join Date: Oct 2006 Device: Sony 500, 505, 350, Kindle 3, DXG, nook, Irex DR800SG, iPad	I wonder when the next firmware update will be for the Sony Data Discman. If one does not come out soon I will never buy another Sony product again.

08-02-2008, 09:42 PM	#12
xianfox Ebook Addict Posts: 225 Karma: 2136 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin, USA Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition	That thing looks like a Star Trek Tricorder to me.