New possible Sony Reader with Dial up connection?

Roy White · 05-09-2007, 11:02 PM

Greetings all. I'm an avid reader and have been waiting for a portable reader like the Sony for quite a while but gave up a few years back. I hate sitting at my computer reading and the eyestrain from the CRT is too tiring. The electronic paper is a fascinating concept!

The Sony Reader intrigues me for many reasons. I do, however, have a dial up connection at 50 kps per. So... I've already downloaded tons of books from manybooks.net and am, as I type, downloading George Macdonald's books. Phantastes is one of my favorite books ever. And I've read thousands.
I LOVE the idea of carrying around in my pocket 80 books!!!! I have a couple of questions though. Will dial up work with the Sony connect bookstore? By no means do I read only out of print classics although I've already downloaded all the Tarzan books someone posted on this site and the Barsoom series. The incomparable Deja Thoris, how I loved her as a teen ager! And H.P. Lovecraft ROX!

I read with great interest the bible thread and downloaded the New English version somneone posted.

Can you resize the print at any time while reading or is at a one time thing when you set up the device?

I'm probably going to buy a Sony Reader soon but I'm still researching the difference between it and the illiad. It seems the features the iliad has are things I'm just not interested in. Making notes, sharing files, intenet access to newspapers etc... I'm trying mightily to swallow the 350 dollar price oin the Sony let alone the 700 bucks for the irex. My wife wants me to buy the irex becasue she thinks I will want those features after I've had the Sony for awhile. Does anyone miss thise things with the Sony?

One more thing. I wish the Memory could hold say, 800 books instead of just 80. How much money does the extra memory stick cost and how many books can you put on one. Can you replace the existing memory chip with say a 2 GB card and have done with it?

I have a few more questions but I'll stop now.

Thanks.

Roy White

RWood · 05-09-2007, 11:48 PM

Welcome to MobileRead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy White

Greetings all. I'm an avid reader and have been waiting for a portable reader like the Sony for quite a while but gave up a few years back. I hate sitting at my computer reading and the eyestrain from the CRT is too tiring. The electronic paper is a fascinating concept!

I agree, the Sony Reader is very easy on the eyes. IMHO it looks and works as well (if not better) than the pictures and descriptions of it.

Quote:

The Sony Reader intrigues me for many reasons. I do, however, have a dial up connection at 50 kps per. So... I've already downloaded tons of books from manybooks.net and am, as I type, downloading George Macdonald's books. Phantastes is one of my favorite books ever. And I've read thousands.

Since the LRF format is compressed there is very little problem downloading almost any book. What is two large hardbound books weighing almost 20 pounds was posted her in less than 1 MB.

Quote:

I LOVE the idea of carrying around in my pocket 80 books!!!! I have a couple of questions though. Will dial up work with the Sony connect bookstore? By no means do I read only out of print classics although I've already downloaded all the Tarzan books someone posted on this site and the Barsoom series. The incomparable Deja Thoris, how I loved her as a teen ager! And H.P. Lovecraft ROX!

Yes it will work. Most of the files for the titles at the Sony store are smaller than the files posted here in the MobileRead Sony Reader Download section.

Quote:

I read with great interest the bible thread and downloaded the New English version somneone posted.

Can you resize the print at any time while reading or is at a one time thing when you set up the device?

For LRF and RTF files you can resize the print to Small-Medium-Large at any time while you are reading. Books vary in their base size. The font size for PDF files are fixed when they are made and cannot be changed when you read them.

Quote:

I'm probably going to buy a Sony Reader soon but I'm still researching the difference between it and the illiad. It seems the features the iliad has are things I'm just not interested in. Making notes, sharing files, intenet access to newspapers etc... I'm trying mightily to swallow the 350 dollar price oin the Sony let alone the 700 bucks for the irex. My wife wants me to buy the irex becasue she thinks I will want those features after I've had the Sony for awhile. Does anyone miss thise things with the Sony?

Some do, I for one do not. The reading experience is great and to me those are features that would remain unused. Some with the iRex have moved to the Sony and some that wanted a Sony now have an iRex. It is a choice for each person. The iRex has just introduced support for the MobiPocket format and that opens a whole new area of possibilities for current books for the iRex.

Quote:

One more thing. I wish the Memory could hold say, 800 books instead of just 80. How much money does the extra memory stick cost and how many books can you put on one. Can you replace the existing memory chip with say a 2 GB card and have done with it?

I have a few more questions but I'll stop now.

Thanks.

Roy White

I have a SanDisk 2BG SD card (~$30) that can be inserted into a slot in the Reader. (It can also use a Sony Memory Stick. Many people have reported problems with 4 GB cards. Check the MobileRead Wiki for which cards are well supported.) The 80 books that Sony claims are stored in the ~91 MB of internal storage on internal chips that we cannot easily change and would not want to change. While you could carry thousands of books on the SD card, the Sony has a flat file system so all books are organized by either their title or by the author in alphabetical order. At 10 books displayed per page, as you increase the number of books you also increase the time it takes to find any one book. A collection function exists but at the moment it is limited to books in the internal memory only.

Good luck,

Roy White · 05-10-2007, 12:13 AM

Wow thanks for the reply. I feel certain I'm going to buy one soon. One other thing. how rough can you handle it? If it gets dropped from say, 5 feet onto concrete does it survive? Is the reading surface scatchproof?

_darius · 05-10-2007, 12:13 AM

I never used a memory stick - because the internal storage is far big enough!
As for the Iliad: i also was not that sure which one to take, but then i realised, that all i want it for, is reading. I don't need wlan, I don't need a touch screen, and for size reasons, the Sony reader is much better to carry around!
(I read on it on a train or outside, but most of the time at home)

=> So the Sony reader is the cheaper and (for me) the perfect reader!

As for security: I already dropped my precious reader

(about 1.5 feet), but luckily nothing happend! - And the surface is really perfectly constructed, i can see no scratches on it (after 3 month of almost daily use...)

=> And this is for the hole reader: It is on a very high build- quality- level!

greetings from Switzerland
_darius

Mr. Goodbar · 05-10-2007, 08:12 AM

I switched from the iLiad to the Sony Reader and have been very happy. It's just a much better reading experience with the instant on, longer battery life, smaller file sizes and faster page turns.

The electronic newspaper delivery with the iLiad is intriguing, but there are no U.S. (where I live) papers available and only a few from other countries. I did like the larger display of the iLiad, but I think the contrast of the Sony is better. The iLiad is a nice device with good potential, but I think they are behind from a reading experience/customer experience perspective. If they learn from version one and address instant on, battery life and content availability then they'll have a nice device. Just my .02.

Roy White · 05-10-2007, 10:04 PM

One more question. I plan on taking it with me on vacation (Of course.) Typically I pack a suitcase, (Sneaking in a book or four wrapped up in my undies) AND pack a backpack full of books to read sitting around the pool, on the plane, in the airport, standing on line at the movies, waiting for a bus, etc. etc. etc. To only bring one little device instead of 12 books is awesome. And to think I can bring all genres with me from brain candy like Stephen King and Pat Conroy all the way up to Hemmingway and Solzhenitzyn is waaaaay cool!

My next question is... How does the Sony reader hold up under direct, blazing tropical sunlight? If I lay it by my chair in the sun, will the sun and heat hurt it? And how does it bear up under getting a little sweat and/or water on it? I dont expect to take it divng with me but I like to read a little, swim a little, play volleyball a little... And would like to know if its sealed to keep out sand and so on.

I know Sony will claim you can run it over with a bulldozer and all but I'd like to hear from people who have actually abused their reader.

How much will it take?

RWood · 05-10-2007, 10:27 PM

There have been a few (2?) reports of the e-ink screen fading in long exposure to direct sunlight as the display heats above its operating temperature range. I have not duplicated this exercise and in several hours of reading in direct sunlight the display stayed easy to read with great contrast.

The unit is not waterproof -- far from it with the number of buttons and connector slots (power, USB, headphone, cradle, and SD/Memory Stick slot.) Some have used a plastic sandwich bag around the Reader while reading in the tub. They report that they are well pleased with the experience.

Several people have cracked their screens from putting the Reader in their backpack or otherwise exposing it to situations that put pressure on the front of the unit. The expense to repair the screen is almost equal to a new Reader so if possible, get the insurance offered by SonyStyle for the Reader as it is (as I remember) about $54 for a couple of years.

Bulldozer? I don't think so.

wallcraft · 05-10-2007, 10:54 PM

The Amazon Kindle is a possible future alternative. We know almost nothing definite about it, but Amazon has apparently recently been showing it to publishers and it is generally similar to the Sony Reader. One thing we know, based on FCC filings, is that it can deliver e-books via a cell phone network. This goes to the point that dial-up is enough, since cell phone networks are not much faster. It may also mean, though, that Amazon will try delivering magazines and newspapers directly to the device. Search the Forums for Kindle if you want more information.

I'm not suggesting that you necessarily wait to see what the Kindle has to offer (since it is an unannounced product and may never see the light of day). But it is good to know what might be coming, so you don't get blind sided.

Elltrain · 05-10-2007, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

There have been a few (2?) reports of the e-ink screen fading in long exposure to direct sunlight as the display heats above its operating temperature range. I have not duplicated this exercise and in several hours of reading in direct sunlight the display stayed easy to read with great contrast.

The unit is not waterproof -- far from it with the number of buttons and connector slots (power, USB, headphone, cradle, and SD/Memory Stick slot.) Some have used a plastic sandwich bag around the Reader while reading in the tub. They report that they are well pleased with the experience.

Several people have cracked their screens from putting the Reader in their backpack or otherwise exposing it to situations that put pressure on the front of the unit. The expense to repair the screen is almost equal to a new Reader so if possible, get the insurance offered by SonyStyle for the Reader as it is (as I remember) about $54 for a couple of years.

Bulldozer? I don't think so.

Can you elaborate on this warranty? I couldn't find this thing anywhere but borders, and they don't offer an in-store warranty like best buy. I just bought my reader a few days ago -- can I still get this extended warranty?

Roy White · 05-11-2007, 01:36 AM

Hmm. After a little more digging around on the internet... It seems that theres a neoprene 'case' that you can put the reader in to make it more water and shock resistant. The m edge. Looks like it will do the trick. And no. I wont be purposely laying it down in the Sun and most of the time I sit under umbrellas or trees on hot summer days anyway. My days of baking like a tater in the sun to get a tan are over.

But I just know that sooner or later I'll drop it like I do my cellphone every 3 or 6 months.

Roy White · 05-11-2007, 02:15 AM

Well folks. I did it! I just now gritted my teeth and tightened up my buns. Ordered it through Sony's website. Yowza! I got the 2 year extended damage warranty. Now I gotta figger out how to use the ebooks 149 dollar free book dealio. I signed up for and bought it using the Sony charge card and they claimed I get 100 dollars off the purchase price? Can anyone explain that? Do I have to call them? Or is it automatic?

I suppose they will send the connect software with the reader?

Bottom line... I'm pumped!

HarryT · 05-11-2007, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RWood

There have been a few (2?) reports of the e-ink screen fading in long exposure to direct sunlight as the display heats above its operating temperature range. I have not duplicated this exercise and in several hours of reading in direct sunlight the display stayed easy to read with great contrast.

In fact, unlike light-emitting screens, the brighter the light, the better the Reader screen is. In full sunlight it's a delight to read.

HarryT · 05-11-2007, 02:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy White

I signed up for and bought it using the Sony charge card and they claimed I get 100 dollars off the purchase price? Can anyone explain that? Do I have to call them? Or is it automatic?

You don't exactly get $100 off the purchase price. What you get is $100 credited to the card after you make your first purchase with it. I suppose it works out the same.

Quote:

I suppose they will send the connect software with the reader?

Yes, but you can download it directly from Sony if you wish. The download link is in one of the "Sticky" threads on this forum.

Quote:

Bottom line... I'm pumped!

I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Once you get it, please have a go at creating your own books for it - we have a very active community here of people creating nicely formatted LRF (Sony's native book format) versions of out-of-copyright books for the Reader - see the "Book Uploads" subforum for tutorials, guidelines, etc.

Have fun with your Reader!

NatCh · 05-11-2007, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy White

It seems that theres a neoprene 'case' that you can put the reader in to make it more water and shock resistant. The m edge. Looks like it will do the trick.

A number of folks have ordered cases from M-Edge, if you want some more info, you should have a look at the Reader Accessories Sub-Forum -- there are several threads on the M-Edge cases there. Some folks like them and some not so much, but you can see why they did or didn't like them and decide for yourself how you feel about those details before you order.

Congratulations on your new toy -- I hope you love it as much as I love mine.

Azayzel · 05-11-2007, 10:32 AM

I received the $150 credit (was initially offered $100 on the SonyStyle site, then for some reason or another I went to Sony's main site and saw the $150 offer before I made the final purchase) to my SonyCard when I made the purchase, it was almost instantanious so check your online account in a few days to see if it posted. We ended up with two CC's through Sony, but I guess I still have the $100 credit waiting on the other if I decide to use it. Sweet deal, huh?

05-09-2007, 11:02 PM	#1
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	New possible Sony Reader with Dial up connection? Greetings all. I'm an avid reader and have been waiting for a portable reader like the Sony for quite a while but gave up a few years back. I hate sitting at my computer reading and the eyestrain from the CRT is too tiring. The electronic paper is a fascinating concept! The Sony Reader intrigues me for many reasons. I do, however, have a dial up connection at 50 kps per. So... I've already downloaded tons of books from manybooks.net and am, as I type, downloading George Macdonald's books. Phantastes is one of my favorite books ever. And I've read thousands. I LOVE the idea of carrying around in my pocket 80 books!!!! I have a couple of questions though. Will dial up work with the Sony connect bookstore? By no means do I read only out of print classics although I've already downloaded all the Tarzan books someone posted on this site and the Barsoom series. The incomparable Deja Thoris, how I loved her as a teen ager! And H.P. Lovecraft ROX! I read with great interest the bible thread and downloaded the New English version somneone posted. Can you resize the print at any time while reading or is at a one time thing when you set up the device? I'm probably going to buy a Sony Reader soon but I'm still researching the difference between it and the illiad. It seems the features the iliad has are things I'm just not interested in. Making notes, sharing files, intenet access to newspapers etc... I'm trying mightily to swallow the 350 dollar price oin the Sony let alone the 700 bucks for the irex. My wife wants me to buy the irex becasue she thinks I will want those features after I've had the Sony for awhile. Does anyone miss thise things with the Sony? One more thing. I wish the Memory could hold say, 800 books instead of just 80. How much money does the extra memory stick cost and how many books can you put on one. Can you replace the existing memory chip with say a 2 GB card and have done with it? I have a few more questions but I'll stop now. Thanks. Roy White Last edited by Roy White; 05-09-2007 at 11:17 PM.

05-10-2007, 12:13 AM	#4
_darius Enthusiast Posts: 25 Karma: 15 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Switzerland Device: Sony Reader	I never used a memory stick - because the internal storage is far big enough! As for the Iliad: i also was not that sure which one to take, but then i realised, that all i want it for, is reading. I don't need wlan, I don't need a touch screen, and for size reasons, the Sony reader is much better to carry around! (I read on it on a train or outside, but most of the time at home) => So the Sony reader is the cheaper and (for me) the perfect reader! As for security: I already dropped my precious reader (about 1.5 feet), but luckily nothing happend! - And the surface is really perfectly constructed, i can see no scratches on it (after 3 month of almost daily use...) => And this is for the hole reader: It is on a very high build- quality- level! greetings from Switzerland _darius Last edited by _darius; 05-10-2007 at 12:17 AM.

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05-10-2007, 08:12 AM	#5
Mr. Goodbar Wizard Posts: 1,005 Karma: 98078 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Mini 4	I switched from the iLiad to the Sony Reader and have been very happy. It's just a much better reading experience with the instant on, longer battery life, smaller file sizes and faster page turns. The electronic newspaper delivery with the iLiad is intriguing, but there are no U.S. (where I live) papers available and only a few from other countries. I did like the larger display of the iLiad, but I think the contrast of the Sony is better. The iLiad is a nice device with good potential, but I think they are behind from a reading experience/customer experience perspective. If they learn from version one and address instant on, battery life and content availability then they'll have a nice device. Just my .02.

05-10-2007, 10:04 PM	#6
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	One more question. I plan on taking it with me on vacation (Of course.) Typically I pack a suitcase, (Sneaking in a book or four wrapped up in my undies) AND pack a backpack full of books to read sitting around the pool, on the plane, in the airport, standing on line at the movies, waiting for a bus, etc. etc. etc. To only bring one little device instead of 12 books is awesome. And to think I can bring all genres with me from brain candy like Stephen King and Pat Conroy all the way up to Hemmingway and Solzhenitzyn is waaaaay cool! My next question is... How does the Sony reader hold up under direct, blazing tropical sunlight? If I lay it by my chair in the sun, will the sun and heat hurt it? And how does it bear up under getting a little sweat and/or water on it? I dont expect to take it divng with me but I like to read a little, swim a little, play volleyball a little... And would like to know if its sealed to keep out sand and so on. I know Sony will claim you can run it over with a bulldozer and all but I'd like to hear from people who have actually abused their reader. How much will it take?

05-10-2007, 10:27 PM	#7
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	There have been a few (2?) reports of the e-ink screen fading in long exposure to direct sunlight as the display heats above its operating temperature range. I have not duplicated this exercise and in several hours of reading in direct sunlight the display stayed easy to read with great contrast. The unit is not waterproof -- far from it with the number of buttons and connector slots (power, USB, headphone, cradle, and SD/Memory Stick slot.) Some have used a plastic sandwich bag around the Reader while reading in the tub. They report that they are well pleased with the experience. Several people have cracked their screens from putting the Reader in their backpack or otherwise exposing it to situations that put pressure on the front of the unit. The expense to repair the screen is almost equal to a new Reader so if possible, get the insurance offered by SonyStyle for the Reader as it is (as I remember) about $54 for a couple of years. Bulldozer? I don't think so.

05-10-2007, 10:54 PM	#8
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	The Amazon Kindle is a possible future alternative. We know almost nothing definite about it, but Amazon has apparently recently been showing it to publishers and it is generally similar to the Sony Reader. One thing we know, based on FCC filings, is that it can deliver e-books via a cell phone network. This goes to the point that dial-up is enough, since cell phone networks are not much faster. It may also mean, though, that Amazon will try delivering magazines and newspapers directly to the device. Search the Forums for Kindle if you want more information. I'm not suggesting that you necessarily wait to see what the Kindle has to offer (since it is an unannounced product and may never see the light of day). But it is good to know what might be coming, so you don't get blind sided.

05-11-2007, 01:36 AM	#10
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	Hmm. After a little more digging around on the internet... It seems that theres a neoprene 'case' that you can put the reader in to make it more water and shock resistant. The m edge. Looks like it will do the trick. And no. I wont be purposely laying it down in the Sun and most of the time I sit under umbrellas or trees on hot summer days anyway. My days of baking like a tater in the sun to get a tan are over. But I just know that sooner or later I'll drop it like I do my cellphone every 3 or 6 months.

05-11-2007, 02:15 AM	#11
Roy White Evangelist Posts: 482 Karma: 7696 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Turner, Oregon Device: Sony Reader	Well folks. I did it! I just now gritted my teeth and tightened up my buns. Ordered it through Sony's website. Yowza! I got the 2 year extended damage warranty. Now I gotta figger out how to use the ebooks 149 dollar free book dealio. I signed up for and bought it using the Sony charge card and they claimed I get 100 dollars off the purchase price? Can anyone explain that? Do I have to call them? Or is it automatic? I suppose they will send the connect software with the reader? Bottom line... I'm pumped!

05-11-2007, 10:32 AM	#15
Azayzel Cache Ninja! Posts: 643 Karma: 1002300 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: PRS-500, HTC Shift, iPod Touch, iPaq 4150, TC1100, Panasonic WordsGear	I received the $150 credit (was initially offered $100 on the SonyStyle site, then for some reason or another I went to Sony's main site and saw the $150 offer before I made the final purchase) to my SonyCard when I made the purchase, it was almost instantanious so check your online account in a few days to see if it posted. We ended up with two CC's through Sony, but I guess I still have the $100 credit waiting on the other if I decide to use it. Sweet deal, huh?

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