Sony PRS drivers no where to be found

[wndrstrck]

Hey all,

Im trying to ressurect an old Sony PRS-650 but alas can't find a source for the windows drivers anywhere. My PC doesnt even seem to detect the device being plugged in. I'm old school and have not updated past Windows 7 and dont plan to, I however need the drivers to install PRS+. Does anyone from this board have a copy they would be so generous to upload somewhere I could obtain them.

Thanks in advance

wndrstrck

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by wndrstrck

Hey all,

Im trying to ressurect an old Sony PRS-650 but alas can't find a source for the windows drivers anywhere. My PC doesnt even seem to detect the device being plugged in. I'm old school and have not updated past Windows 7 and dont plan to, I however need the drivers to install PRS+. Does anyone from this board have a copy they would be so generous to upload somewhere I could obtain them.

Thanks in advance

wndrstrck

I've got the firmware update that runs under Windows (if you live in the U.S.)...

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lYK...ew?usp=sharing

But I'm not sure if I saved the Windows Reader software or not. I'll have to check for it. I'm pretty sure I have it somewhere and I'll look for it – unless the firmware update file is what you need.

The Reader software is here...

https://www.softpedia.com/get/Others...-Library.shtml

[Quoth]

The PRS-350, PRS-T1 and PRS-T2 didn't need any driver to be recognised with XP or Linux. The Sony Windows software is pretty rubbish; the only thing it does that Calibre didn't do was annotations.

I looked at PRS+ but don't see the point of it now.

The PRS-350 and PRS-T2 are still used via Linux and Calibre. I embed subsetted fonts in the epubs so no issue with italics. I gave the T2 to someone else in the family.


If the PRS-650 does mount it may be broken or a faulty cable. You can also boot your PC with an MX Linux or Linux Mint + Mate USB stick without installing to see if Linux recognises your PRS-650.

[wndrstrck]

Thank you both for your input. I was duped by having a number of cables, that wouldn't work with the Sony? I would have thought an older cable would work over a newer cable (that came with a USB charging station), but that's what eventually ending up working. Regardless, it's been updated and modified to PRS+ and running great.

Thanks again

wndrstck

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by wndrstrck

Thank you both for your input. I was duped by having a number of cables, that wouldn't work with the Sony? I would have thought an older cable would work over a newer cable (that came with a USB charging station), but that's what eventually ending up working. Regardless, it's been updated and modified to PRS+ and running great.

Thanks again

Happy to hear it worked. I tried PRS+ once (on an older Sony). I can't remember why I didn't keep it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by rcentros

Happy to hear it worked. I tried PRS+ once (on an older Sony). I can't remember why I didn't keep it.

I tried PRS+ once. I dumped it because the battery drained too fast.

The solution to PRS+ is to get a Kobo Libra 2.

[wndrstrck]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I tried PRS+ once. I dumped it because the battery drained too fast.

The solution to PRS+ is to get a Kobo Libra 2.

I put a 3400mah battery I had laying around in the Sony, which so far has been great battery life.

I wish I could get behind the idea of supporting Kobo, I have no need for devices they'll eventually abandon unfortunately. My wife's Kobo Aura just magically did a hard reset and now wont connect to wifi. Was working fine for the past few years no issue, this is unacceptable to me.

[Quoth]

Sony so much doesn't support older products that they removed all existing downloads.
Almost the oldest Kobos still get good firmware updates:
https://pgaskin.net/KoboStuff/kobofirmware.html
I think some have even run Kobo Glo FW on the Kobo Mini?

I've had maybe nine makes of ereader inc Sony, reMarkable, four Kindle models (tested 3 others), six Kobo models.

I find Kobo the best and better than the average retail gadget.

You've had one unfortunate experience that's not representative.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by wndrstrck

I put a 3400mah battery I had laying around in the Sony, which so far has been great battery life.

I wish I could get behind the idea of supporting Kobo, I have no need for devices they'll eventually abandon unfortunately. My wife's Kobo Aura just magically did a hard reset and now wont connect to wifi. Was working fine for the past few years no issue, this is unacceptable to me.

Install Kobo Desktop to sort it. The problem is that your wife's Kobo Aura has too old a version of the firmware. She needs to update it.

As for support, Kobo has the best support any Reader brand. They support most of their Readers with new firmware releases. I think only model with a touchscreen that's not supported is the Kobo Mini. Kobo does not support any of the models before the Kobo Touch. But that's 24 models they keep up-to-date. Nobody else comes even close.

Your complaining about Kobo eventually abandoning their Readers (which currently is wrong) and yet you use a Sony that's been abandoned since February 6, 2014. That's almost 10 years of abandonment.

[wndrstrck]

I guess I should explain my statements and my decisions as outwardly they do seem to conflict.

I have had many ereaders over the years, Kindles, Kobos, Sonys, and the latest was a Boyue P78. Most of which I used for a good few years before upgrading. A couple months back I broke the P78 screen and to be honest don't have the funds to repair it or let alone replace it.

I happen to be one of those pay it forward types and have gifted away most of my readers to others as they were still useful. I however always kept my beloved 650, which was always my favorite honestly. Which led me to resurrecting it as my daily reader.

I stopped upgrading my wife's Kobo because honestly there were a couple really crappy FW upgrades and well honestly didn't see the harm in holding it back. I will be able to get it back with bypass method and just use it as a dumb reader (no account or sync).

Thanks for all of your thoughts, as they bring valid points they just don't fit my use case scenario.

wndrstrck

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by wndrstrck

I stopped upgrading my wife's Kobo because honestly there were a couple really crappy FW upgrades and well honestly didn't see the harm in holding it back. I will be able to get it back with bypass method and just use it as a dumb reader (no account or sync).

Yes, there was one really bad firmware update. But if you keep up with the firmware threads here on MR, you'd know if there was a reason to not install the new firmware. The problem exists with your wife's Kobo because you stopped updating the firmware.

You do need to register your wife's Kobo. There is no harm in doing so. I've had a Kobo for 9 years. I've been registered all that time. I do keep the WiFi off and I do not sync. I download any eBooks from Kobo as ePub and I strip the DRM from all eBooks I purchase.

[Quoth]

I've never had any email on custom address I used for oldest Kobo, or on any others since. Not from any source other than my own test emails
The only email I used to register a Kobo that gets Kobo emails is purchase confirmations of ebooks bought from Kobo, which I download to PC.

I don't need WiFi or Sync on any ereader.

If the Kobo mounts as storage via USB you don't even need the Kobo Desktop. Simply download and unzip from here
https://pgaskin.net/KoboStuff/kobofirmware.html
Put the unzipped files and folder into .kobo on the Kobo Aura, eject and it will update.

The PRS650 is OK; I have the PRS350, but only advantage is small size. The H2O Original, Libra, Nia, Libra2 and Sage are all far better and integrate better with Calibre.

I looked at PRS+, but couldn't see the point vs risk of messing up a decent PRS350.

I have the Boyue Likebook Mars 7.8" and I think it's junk compared to Kindle or Kobo. The only advantage, and the reason I got it, is to use the Android App for the Libraries here in Ireland. It's got no sane library / metadata interface like Sony / Kindle / Kobo. Maybe be more use when KOReader gets a Metadata interface instead of folder browsing + Search. But MTP is a pain.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

...

You do need to register your wife's Kobo. There is no harm in doing so. I've had a Kobo for 9 years. I've been registered all that time. I do keep the WiFi off and I do not sync. I download any eBooks from Kobo as ePub and I strip the DRM from all eBooks I purchase.

I thought one didn't need to register if one uses sideloadedmode?

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

I thought one didn't need to register if one uses sideloadedmode?

You don't really, but it does no harm. If you use gmail, Chrome or Social Media that's infinitely worse. Kobo's registration is (or was) purely an email and password. They don't even check that the domain is real (or didn't) never mind sending a link to activate. The most benign registration I've seen in nearly 30 years.

Edit
Using the Internet at all is worse than Kobo registration.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You don't really, ...

That's all I was looking for.