PRS505 Firmware update: epub, DE, and reflow -- oh my!

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by sam1am

If anyone wants a free epub book to try out, they just posted one on tor.com. Check the freebies forum for how to get the books. I'm going to try it out soon and I'll let you all know if it's awesome.

Or you could check out the hundreds thousands available over at Feedbooks.

[Amalthia]

Originally Posted by Hadrien

Well, good news only if they also updated the metadata/browsing system. I wouldn't carry 13,000 books with me using the current system.

Is this update going to be part of the firmware upgrade? Or only for Sony PRS-505 sold in the UK?

[thorswitch]

Ok, figured out how to get the ADE DRM books into the Sony library program so I can put them in categories - I just have to select the reader first, pick the book, drag it over to the "Library" icon at the top of the sidebar and put it there, then go to the Library view, find the book, and drag it to the collection I want to put it in. Not too much work, really and that'll help keep things more organized.

Tried opening a couple of non-secure .pdfs and one just locked up and the other has the same problem as the secure Adobe books - though, in this case, it makes a bit more sense, I guess, because the author is including footnotes, so when you reach what would be the end of a page, all the footnotes are there, then blank space until the top of the next page - even if the break is in the middle of a sentence.

I'm wondering if I somehow did something wrong when I installed it, since everyone else is reporting such good results... I installed the ADE program last night, made sure to update the Sony Library before installing the upgrade and then installed the upgrade, following the instructions on the screen and also what I'd printed off from the Sony page itself, and everything went exactly as it said it should.... weird.

[MerLock]

Originally Posted by mikecook

perhaps a warning for PRS-500 users.

I've just upgrade the library software, everything went fine, until it asked me to activate the reader. I was already on my last free activation, I kept formatting my HD without de-activating - and now I can't read any of my old purchases!

I am uninstalling and loading up the older version to see if can get access to de-activate.

I'll let you know how that goes...wish me luck

You can send an e-mail to sony customer support and they can de-activate all the computers you don't want. It was simple when I did it and took just one business day. Might be faster if you wanted to call.

[Peto]

What's the use of erasing books directly from the Reader if you cannot add books to the Reader from the SD?

[mikecook]

Originally Posted by MerLock

You can send an e-mail to sony customer support and they can de-activate all the computers you don't want. It was simple when I did it and took just one business day. Might be faster if you wanted to call.

Thanks MerLock, I'll do that.

I tried re-installing the older versions of the library but to no avail. Still, perhaps a warning to any PRS-500 users, de-activate your computer before upgrading the software.

Cheers!

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by kacir

You CAN delete files directly from PRS 500.
try looking for HackBuilder on this site.
One of the hacks is deleting files and copying files from memory to card and vice versa.

Yah, I know, but it has some caveats to using it, particularly with Collections, which I insist on using. Sony actually putting it into their firmware is a big step forward is all.

Originally Posted by ambertape

To me it is sad to note that the upcoming PRS-505 upgrade is for the 505 and not the PRS-500 . It seems to me that SONY should consider the pioneers of the PRS-500 and bring them into the PRS-505 world or give us an incentive to trade in the PRS500 for a PRS-505 and then they will not have to develop a upgrade to the owners of the PRS-500. If SONY does nothing for owners of PRS-500 then it might be an idea to sell my unit, and buy another manufacturer product. It is very important for a manufacturer like SONY to get good publicity and not bad publicity. Why should I show this product to my friends ?

The obstacle appears to be a hardware one: i.e. reportedly the 500 hardware physically can't support these new functions. As for a trade in scheme, yeah, it would be nice (speaking as a 500 owner myself), but I don't see how a vendor is under any obligation to upgrade hardware that was sold in good faith. What? should I drag out my old 286 PC and expect IBM to offer me an upgrade on that too? That strikes me as a bit ... presumptuous.

Sure, it would be wonderful if Sony were to do it, but make no mistake: it would be an act of extreme generosity -- Sony has no business need to eat a bunch of money (when they're already in the red on their "flagship" product lines just now) to upgrade folks who bought their generation last product. Especially as it would set a precedent such that we'd all expect them to do the same for the PRS510 or whatever the next one is, and the next one, and the next one ....

I can't think of too many things that would more greatly encourage them to exit the e-book hardware business than this sort of expectation from their customers.

Originally Posted by mikecook

I've just upgrade the library software, everything went fine, until it asked me to activate the reader. I was already on my last free activation, I kept formatting my HD without de-activating - and now I can't read any of my old purchases!

I am uninstalling and loading up the older version to see if can get access to de-activate.

I'll let you know how that goes...wish me luck

If it doesn't work for you, just give them a call and ask them to de-authorize everything except your Reader -- they're usually pretty good about doing it, and it only takes a few minutes ... once you get through the obstacle course they call a phone system.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by Peto

What's the use of erasing books directly from the Reader if you cannot add books to the Reader from the SD?

It's marginal, Peto, about the only real use is that you don't have to delete them later on the PC. However, some folks like to delete books as they finish them, think of it as a neatness quirk if you like.

[anotherchance]

Originally Posted by Peto

What's the use of erasing books directly from the Reader if you cannot add books to the Reader from the SD?

I don't use an SD, I don't see the need, because there's plenty of space on the Reader itself (for me). I hook up my Reader to the PC maybe once every two months to put on a few new books. I have a rolling stock of about 40 books on the Reader.

When I've read a book, I'll now be able to delete it from the Reader without having to hook up to the PC, which will help to thin my menus out a little. It's a nice little convenience to me which I will be glad to have.

[reeder]

Let me get this straight: In order for the firmware upgrade to work on the PRS-505, you need to install it using the computer your Sony account was activated on, unless the ebooks you purchased through them will no longer work??? Is that right?
If that's right, what if that computer broke and you can't use it anymore? Thanks in advance guys.

[khourianya]

Originally Posted by anotherchance

I don't use an SD, I don't see the need, because there's plenty of space on the Reader itself (for me). I hook up my Reader to the PC maybe once every two months to put on a few new books. I have a rolling stock of about 40 books on the Reader.

When I've read a book, I'll now be able to delete it from the Reader without having to hook up to the PC, which will help to thin my menus out a little. It's a nice little convenience to me which I will be glad to have.

This is exactly how I use mine and am looking forward to the delete option when I upgrade the second I get home tonight

[fi79]

Ok - I'm probably missing something really obvious - since I'm totally new to this and have had my reader for precisely 4 days BUT:

I bought a Digital Editions ebook the other day - not realising the difference between this PDF and the ones the reader could previously take.

Anyway, I realised I couldn't use it and was a bit scunnered so was chuffed about the new firmware supporting DE.

I've updated my 505 and it all seemed to go fine - but it won't let me import the DE ebook I downloaded the other night. Is this because I bought it before the update or am I just being really dense?

Sorry - I'm such a basic computer user!!

[holden1]

I haveupdated to the new firmware. I downloaded a couple of pdf. files from Tor.com, loaded them up and gave them a try. To my dissapointment the files are a mess. As soon as I enlarge the text the words, paragraphs and chapters are broken up. What gives?

[Stingo]

Any sign of the firmware? We already had a 50 page thread from the earlier announcement.

Stingo

[dborja]

Originally Posted by reeder

Let me get this straight: In order for the firmware upgrade to work on the PRS-505, you need to install it using the computer your Sony account was activated on, unless the ebooks you purchased through them will no longer work??? Is that right?
If that's right, what if that computer broke and you can't use it anymore? Thanks in advance guys.

No. I just installed from my work computer and it worked. I had activated my Sony account on my iMac (WinXP under VMFusion) at home. The updater is a standalone program...