Firmware update for PRS-500 available - EPUB! - Page 4

AprilHare · 11-16-2009, 04:23 AM

Yes, congratulations to Sony for their excellent support!

Gravitas · 11-16-2009, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If you want to send it here with pre-paid postage back to you, I can send it in for you no problem. That is if Sony will allow multiple 500s to be sent in from the same address.

Anyone know if Sony are allowing multiple devices to be sent from an address in the USA?

As a long time owner of a much beloved PRS500 in the UK I can't send it in direct myself.

I'd like the epub upgrade though

kennyc · 11-16-2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andanzas

Does anybody know when this offer ends? I'd like to wait until the release of the PRS-900 before taking a decision.

Why? It apparently doesn't cost anything to have it done.

Bob Russell · 11-16-2009, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Why? It apparently doesn't cost anything to have it done.

I think the deal is probably upgrade OR trade-in credit, but probably not both. So those of us that are thinking about the credit would not want to do the firmware upgrade offer.

kennyc · 11-16-2009, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

I think the deal is probably upgrade OR trade-in credit, but probably not both. So those of us that are thinking about the credit would not want to do the firmware upgrade offer.

That would make sense then.

stxopher · 11-16-2009, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andanzas

Does anybody know when this offer ends? I'd like to wait until the release of the PRS-900 before taking a decision.

To bad only the 300 and 600 are allowed on the trade-in credit. Still, drops the price on a 600 down to around $225 as opposed to $300.

AprilHare · 11-16-2009, 09:30 AM

I made a little phone call half an hour ago: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62348

junkml · 11-16-2009, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gravitas

Anyone know if Sony are allowing multiple devices to be sent from an address in the USA?

As a long time owner of a much beloved PRS500 in the UK I can't send it in direct myself.

I'd like the epub upgrade though

I went through the process and got all the forms (except the ups labels - that was broken when I went through the process) for both my reader and my wife's. So, yes it looks like multiple readers from one address is fine. Which really only makes sense, because there have to be quite a few households that have more than one reader.

RWood · 11-16-2009, 10:49 AM

Now the question is, "What two-week period can I be without my Reader?"

It is unheard of for a mainline company to support hardware this old -- both in terms of time since release and in generations (at least two generations ago.) Plus they are paying for the shipping. (I have never seen this before. It is hard enough to get most companies to pay for the shipping for returning items that failed in the first thirty-days.)

I suspect that there will be a difference in the used market prices for 500s with and without the upgrade. Some of us thought the custom hacks were nice but went back to the standard firmware

There is another side to the equation that we have not mentioned yet. Sony gets a chance to examine the usage on a wide assortment of Readers from people who used the Reader. They can check the wear of buttons, how have the springs held up, what plating wore off, &c. This will be the largest collection of heavily used Readers available and they can study them for the price of a firmware upgrade/trade-in.

Since Sony was the only source of DRM BBeB books they can allow you to download their ePub replacements from the Sony store so support there is not needed. While I do not know for sure, I suspect that support for the BBeB non-DRM format (LRF) will be in the firmware as it is supported by the current 300/600 line and is said to be a native format for the display. Then again, I can always use Calibre to convert LRF to the new ePub format.

I like the 500, I'm upgrading the firmware.

JSWolf · 11-16-2009, 10:59 AM

My mother-in-law has a 500 and we are upgrading it. I just did the online form and printed all the paperwork. The next step is to pack it up and take it to the UPS store to send it out. The box for my 505 is a good fit for the 500. Just get a box, some bubble wrap and away we go.

kennyc · 11-16-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My mother-in-law has a 500 and we are upgrading it. I just did the online form and printed all the paperwork. The next step is to pack it up and take it to the UPS store to send it out. The box for my 505 is a good fit for the 500. Just get a box, some bubble wrap and away we go.

Cool! Keep us posted on the progress and the process!

JSWolf · 11-16-2009, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

Cool! Keep us posted on the progress and the process!

Will do. I hope it goes smoothly.

HarryT · 11-16-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Russell

I think the deal is probably upgrade OR trade-in credit, but probably not both. So those of us that are thinking about the credit would not want to do the firmware upgrade offer.

It is either/or - this is clear if you read the text of the offer.

=X= · 11-16-2009, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khalleron

Sort of an ambivalent reason: most companies would simply expect/force you to buy new hardware, not offer to 'fix' your old hardware for free.

Most hardware is backward-compatible. Offering to make old hardware forward-compatible is practically unheard of. At least, I never heard of anyone doing this before.

Not really, they've done it once already with the PRS-505. I believe Cybook did it recently by releasing a Firmware release to support ePUB.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Actually, it might be quite the opposite. Because they could continue to sell the ebooks from there store in BBeB format and ePub format to continue supporting the 500.

But, once they do this upgrade the 500 will no longer be limited to buying from the Sony store, but opens up a world of eBooks stores and libraries too.

So, by doing this they could be loosing sales.

Is the upgrade free?

Also, not sure why they dropped the discount. When the 505 came out they gave you $100 off on trade in. I guess because they 500's are all a year older now than the last offer.

BOb

Not really, the money is in selling books not devices. First of most SONY customers are going to chose the SONY store over any vendor because of brand loyalty. Second look at SONY prices vs. other ePUB vendors and you'll see SONY has better prices on average. Yes SONY might loose a few sales to other stores but they now they will keep most of the sales in their pocket.

There is another business need that is harder to put a price tag and that is customer loyalty. By upgrading 500 models not only do they continue to make sales off of their customer;s purchases but they also make their customer's happy and that is worth much money that will translate to future sales.

=X=

JSWolf · 11-16-2009, 12:41 PM

Well once the 500 is upgraded, I do think it will be able to be sold for more then Sony is offering via the trade-in. So it's worth it to update it and sell it instead of just a trade-in.

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11-16-2009, 04:23 AM	#46
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	Yes, congratulations to Sony for their excellent support!

11-16-2009, 09:30 AM	#52
AprilHare Wizard Posts: 2,981 Karma: 11862367 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony Reader PRS-T2	I made a little phone call half an hour ago: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62348

11-16-2009, 10:49 AM	#54
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Now the question is, "What two-week period can I be without my Reader?" It is unheard of for a mainline company to support hardware this old -- both in terms of time since release and in generations (at least two generations ago.) Plus they are paying for the shipping. (I have never seen this before. It is hard enough to get most companies to pay for the shipping for returning items that failed in the first thirty-days.) I suspect that there will be a difference in the used market prices for 500s with and without the upgrade. Some of us thought the custom hacks were nice but went back to the standard firmware There is another side to the equation that we have not mentioned yet. Sony gets a chance to examine the usage on a wide assortment of Readers from people who used the Reader. They can check the wear of buttons, how have the springs held up, what plating wore off, &c. This will be the largest collection of heavily used Readers available and they can study them for the price of a firmware upgrade/trade-in. Since Sony was the only source of DRM BBeB books they can allow you to download their ePub replacements from the Sony store so support there is not needed. While I do not know for sure, I suspect that support for the BBeB non-DRM format (LRF) will be in the firmware as it is supported by the current 300/600 line and is said to be a native format for the display. Then again, I can always use Calibre to convert LRF to the new ePub format. I like the 500, I'm upgrading the firmware.

11-16-2009, 10:59 AM	#55
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,015 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	My mother-in-law has a 500 and we are upgrading it. I just did the online form and printed all the paperwork. The next step is to pack it up and take it to the UPS store to send it out. The box for my 505 is a good fit for the 500. Just get a box, some bubble wrap and away we go.

11-16-2009, 12:41 PM	#60
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,015 Karma: 129333114 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Well once the 500 is upgraded, I do think it will be able to be sold for more then Sony is offering via the trade-in. So it's worth it to update it and sell it instead of just a trade-in.

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