PRS-600 File Transfer Nightmare!

chameleon · 03-14-2010, 03:42 PM

Hi guys

Just bought a Sony touch 600 after owning an Elonex 511 for a short while before I took it back faulty.

I have just tried to transfer some of my pdf collection (many tens of gigs) to the reader but have come across many problems.

Firstly the Elonex let you just drag the folders with their sub-folder/file structure intact over to the reader and they were automatically accessible and filed intact in their structure.

With the Sony it seems that first I must import the books into the library with the e reader software, then go through an ever increasing list of hundreds/thousands of books, cross referencing with the original folders in order to reproduce their structure by creating 'collections'.

If this wasn't bad enough, for some reason it renames many of the files arbitrarily and sometimes prefixes them with 'Microsoft Word -' despite them being a pdf file, or one it removed the title and named it 'INTRODUCTION' for example? This happens even if I make the file 'read only'. Another it renamed 'Brochure' to 'Flyer'?

Consequently I have to go through thousands of files looking for the ones I've just imported, noting the ones I can't find due to renaming, then go through thousands of files again trying to figure what they have been renamed to in order to add them to the 'collection'.

Then if/when I find them there doesn't seem to be a way of renaming them to their original and correct title.

And of course this is going to get worse to the point of near impossibility if I add more memory cards. I dread to think of having to go through 32 gigs worth of book files every time to find one pdf to add to a collection. Life's too short!

And swopping or updating files isn't going to be easy either. Rather than just deleting a folder when read I will have to go through the same convoluted process to find all the seperate files rather than just removing the collection, as these are only shortcuts.

All in all I find this a TERRIBLE and ill thought out piece of software design which frankly is spoiling my experience of what apart from this seems a great lttle gadget.

What took 5 minutes for 4gb of transfer on the Elonex has taken me half a day to transfer and categorise 100 mb of pdfs!!!

Anyone any ideas?

Cheers

tofubean · 03-14-2010, 09:57 PM

Forget about sony library. Try to use another program like calibre to organise your books. The software is really crappy compared to the product itself.

colinsky · 03-14-2010, 10:01 PM

The Sony 300 accepts files copied directly to the device as a hard drive without use of Calibre or the Sony Ebook library; I would assume the 600 should do the same?

carlobee · 03-14-2010, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tofubean

Forget about sony library. Try to use another program like calibre to organise your books. The software is really crappy compared to the product itself.

I would have to agree with this one.

doreenjoy · 03-15-2010, 02:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colinsky

The Sony 300 accepts files copied directly to the device as a hard drive without use of Calibre or the Sony Ebook library; I would assume the 600 should do the same?

Yes, you can drag and drop to the Sony 600. I do it all the time.

banjobama · 03-15-2010, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tofubean

Forget about sony library. Try to use another program like calibre to organise your books. The software is really crappy compared to the product itself.

This. After trying Calibre, I haven't touched the Sony software. It sucks that a 3rd party program is better than Sony's but that's the way she goes.

chameleon · 03-15-2010, 05:52 AM

thanks for your replies.

However I already realise I can drag and drop onto the Sony 600, that was the first thing I tried, but it doesn't retain the folder structure: ie it just compiles all the books in one LONG list, which I then have to endlessly go through in order to re-categorize as 'Collections', you cannot drag across folders with folders inside them eg a cookery section folder with authors folders inside it...it doesn't recognize folders at all!...that was my problem.

Also the fact that it randomly renames files which makes it very hard to find them amongst hundreds listed?

I have d'loaded Calibre but am not sure if it will solve the problem as it seems to be the way Sony have structured the reader itself...Collections should allow you to reorganize the files themselves into respective folders, not just point shortcuts at the original files... that would allow for folders to be dragged.

Has anyone else had a problem with arbitrary renaming of files, especially pdfs?

thanks

chameleon · 03-15-2010, 06:42 AM

every time I connect the reader it also loads the installer for the software which comes up as another small drive in addition to the reader one in 'my computer', despite the fact that I have already installed it? Am I alone and is there any way to get rid of this?

igorsk · 03-15-2010, 07:22 AM

The reader does not "rename" the files, it just displays the title from PDF's metadata. If you want it changed, edit it with Acrobar or Calibre (or some other program).

chameleon · 03-15-2010, 08:13 AM

thanks igorsk I see, thanks for clearing up my confusion. Am just looking at Calibre now and though it won't be as easy as dragging my folders across, it does seem a lot better than the Sony software and there is also support for collections.

thanks for all your help guys.

Mike_73 · 03-15-2010, 08:19 AM

You can put any file (book) in any directory of the reader or create your own folders on the reader. On startup, the reader will scan the memory for books and show them in the books menu. The collections are only tags attached to files. In use, this can somehow resemble a folder structure, but it is not a real folder structure.

cgk · 03-15-2010, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike_73

You can put any file (book) in any directory of the reader or create your own folders on the reader. On startup, the reader will scan the memory for books and show them in the books menu. The collections are only tags attached to files. In use, this can somehow resemble a folder structure, but it is not a real folder structure.

Ah - I was wondering about this (have a PRS-600) coming on friday - I have tagging documents ready - does this mean that "academic" will be a collection and "Sci-fi" will be another collection?

Does that mean the quickest way to remember which documents I have read is to change them from having a 'unread' tag to a 'read' or a 'follow-up' tag?

Mike_73 · 03-15-2010, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cgk

Does that mean the quickest way to remember which documents I have read is to change them from having a 'unread' tag to a 'read' or a 'follow-up' tag?

That is exactly what I meant.
A lot of people around here use Calibre for that.

I just drag and drop files from PC to the reader and back, so I just go with the Sony-Software for tagging.
You put a file onto the reader and then start the software on PC. You will see the files on the reader. Add the tags you created to the files you want. Eject the reader using the eject button right beside the Reader within the software to safely remove from PC.
This way, there is no need synchronizing the reader and the software on the PC. The software sees what's on the reader and the reader sees what tags you've put on a file.

Nvidiot · 03-15-2010, 06:36 PM

The big advantage of tags/collections is that you can have a book with 10 tags/in 10 collections without having 10 copies of that file on the drive in 10 different folders.

franchute · 03-19-2010, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tofubean

Forget about sony library. Try to use another program like calibre to organise your books. The software is really crappy compared to the product itself.

Yes

Sony PRS is made in Japan Specification

Software library is made in usa

Something similar to toyota.

03-14-2010, 03:42 PM	#1
chameleon Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Sony touch 600	File Transfer Nightmare! Hi guys Just bought a Sony touch 600 after owning an Elonex 511 for a short while before I took it back faulty. I have just tried to transfer some of my pdf collection (many tens of gigs) to the reader but have come across many problems. Firstly the Elonex let you just drag the folders with their sub-folder/file structure intact over to the reader and they were automatically accessible and filed intact in their structure. With the Sony it seems that first I must import the books into the library with the e reader software, then go through an ever increasing list of hundreds/thousands of books, cross referencing with the original folders in order to reproduce their structure by creating 'collections'. If this wasn't bad enough, for some reason it renames many of the files arbitrarily and sometimes prefixes them with 'Microsoft Word -' despite them being a pdf file, or one it removed the title and named it 'INTRODUCTION' for example? This happens even if I make the file 'read only'. Another it renamed 'Brochure' to 'Flyer'? Consequently I have to go through thousands of files looking for the ones I've just imported, noting the ones I can't find due to renaming, then go through thousands of files again trying to figure what they have been renamed to in order to add them to the 'collection'. Then if/when I find them there doesn't seem to be a way of renaming them to their original and correct title. And of course this is going to get worse to the point of near impossibility if I add more memory cards. I dread to think of having to go through 32 gigs worth of book files every time to find one pdf to add to a collection. Life's too short! And swopping or updating files isn't going to be easy either. Rather than just deleting a folder when read I will have to go through the same convoluted process to find all the seperate files rather than just removing the collection, as these are only shortcuts. All in all I find this a TERRIBLE and ill thought out piece of software design which frankly is spoiling my experience of what apart from this seems a great lttle gadget. What took 5 minutes for 4gb of transfer on the Elonex has taken me half a day to transfer and categorise 100 mb of pdfs!!! Anyone any ideas? Cheers Last edited by chameleon; 03-14-2010 at 03:49 PM.

03-15-2010, 05:52 AM	#7
chameleon Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Sony touch 600	re calibre etc thanks for your replies. However I already realise I can drag and drop onto the Sony 600, that was the first thing I tried, but it doesn't retain the folder structure: ie it just compiles all the books in one LONG list, which I then have to endlessly go through in order to re-categorize as 'Collections', you cannot drag across folders with folders inside them eg a cookery section folder with authors folders inside it...it doesn't recognize folders at all!...that was my problem. Also the fact that it randomly renames files which makes it very hard to find them amongst hundreds listed? I have d'loaded Calibre but am not sure if it will solve the problem as it seems to be the way Sony have structured the reader itself...Collections should allow you to reorganize the files themselves into respective folders, not just point shortcuts at the original files... that would allow for folders to be dragged. Has anyone else had a problem with arbitrary renaming of files, especially pdfs? thanks

03-15-2010, 06:42 AM	#8
chameleon Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Sony touch 600	oh and... every time I connect the reader it also loads the installer for the software which comes up as another small drive in addition to the reader one in 'my computer', despite the fact that I have already installed it? Am I alone and is there any way to get rid of this?

03-15-2010, 08:13 AM	#10
chameleon Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Mar 2010 Device: Sony touch 600	ahhh thanks igorsk I see, thanks for clearing up my confusion. Am just looking at Calibre now and though it won't be as easy as dragging my folders across, it does seem a lot better than the Sony software and there is also support for collections. thanks for all your help guys.

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03-14-2010, 09:57 PM	#2
tofubean Connoisseur Posts: 75 Karma: 64 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: K3, iPad, PW	Forget about sony library. Try to use another program like calibre to organise your books. The software is really crappy compared to the product itself.

03-14-2010, 10:01 PM	#3
colinsky Addict Posts: 233 Karma: 3232318 Join Date: Sep 2009 Device: Sony PRS-300, PRS-T1, PRS-T3	The Sony 300 accepts files copied directly to the device as a hard drive without use of Calibre or the Sony Ebook library; I would assume the 600 should do the same?

03-15-2010, 07:22 AM	#9
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	The reader does not "rename" the files, it just displays the title from PDF's metadata. If you want it changed, edit it with Acrobar or Calibre (or some other program).

03-15-2010, 08:19 AM	#11
Mike_73 Guru Posts: 750 Karma: 1323 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: PRS-505, PRS-600, iPad 16GB Wifi, Kindle Voyage, Nexus 6, Razr HD	You can put any file (book) in any directory of the reader or create your own folders on the reader. On startup, the reader will scan the memory for books and show them in the books menu. The collections are only tags attached to files. In use, this can somehow resemble a folder structure, but it is not a real folder structure.

03-15-2010, 06:36 PM	#14
Nvidiot Connoisseur Posts: 57 Karma: 30 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Netherlands Device: PW2	The big advantage of tags/collections is that you can have a book with 10 tags/in 10 collections without having 10 copies of that file on the drive in 10 different folders.