New Owner

aphil · 08-25-2007, 02:15 PM

Bear with me if this message is posted twice. The first time I tried, the page locked on me, so I'm not sure whether this message has been posted before.

New Sony Reader (SR) owner here and I'm tickled with it. I've no complaints .. yet ... I bought it to read and transport books conveniently, and that's just what it does. I'm not interested in storing addresses, phone numbers, surfing the internet, etc.--I have the appropriate electronic gagets for that .. most of us gals use big enough purses that we can carry several devices, and I'm not for putting all my eggs in one basket anyway in case I lose that one basket! Is it pricey? Yes, but worth it to me.

QUESTION: Where's some software (hopefully FREE, but I'm not averse to paying a modest amount for a good program) that translates text files (txt, doc, html, etc.) to BBeB/LRF format for transfer to the SR? BookDesigner?BBeBinder? Has anyone tried these?

I've found a work-around. I use PageMaker7 from which I can export/distill a text file to Adobe .pdf format. The trick is to specify the correct page size for the SR in the PM7 document setup before exporting to .pdf. Works nicely for me. Love my new toy!
AP in NC

RWood · 08-25-2007, 06:01 PM

Welcome to MobileRead aphil. Congratulations on your new "toy" and glad to have you here.

As for software, there is a great deal of free software available for creating LRF files. Many of us, myself included, avoid PDF files on the Reader as they are not resizable and take more storage space for the same base text than LRF files.

There are two strong LRF creation programs available that have great support and a strong following. The first you already mentioned is BookDesigner. It is a Windows only program that produces lovely LRF files from a variety of sources. There are many resources at MobileRead to assist you with installation, configuration, and use.

The second package of note is libprs500. This runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It offers many functions through the GUI and many more functions through command line interfaces.

Many commercial publishers of ebooks have used these programs. Steve Jordan Books and Babble Books use BookDesigner while Fictionwise uses libprs500. More information on each can be found in the MobileRead Wiki by clicking on the Wiki entry from the menu at the top of the page. Once there, click on ebook conversions. There is even a link to the Best Practices for BookDesigner at the bottom of the page.

Any more questions, just ask.

LaughingVulcan · 08-25-2007, 11:12 PM

Welcome!

And what RWood said... Both libprs500 and Book Designer are excellent tools. If I were just looking for a straight .txt file converter, I use Book Designer. It has a learning curve (especially if you want to use advanced functions - I'm still learning what it can do.) But both are excellent.

You may want to reference this entry on the Wiki about Book Designer, or look at Kovid Goyal's website for details on libprs500. (We really should get a Wiki page started for that...

) And of course, the relevant threads in the Reader sections here - though they are getting a little long in the tooth size wise.

08-25-2007, 02:15 PM	#1
aphil Avid Reader Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Sony Reader	New Owner Bear with me if this message is posted twice. The first time I tried, the page locked on me, so I'm not sure whether this message has been posted before. New Sony Reader (SR) owner here and I'm tickled with it. I've no complaints .. yet ... I bought it to read and transport books conveniently, and that's just what it does. I'm not interested in storing addresses, phone numbers, surfing the internet, etc.--I have the appropriate electronic gagets for that .. most of us gals use big enough purses that we can carry several devices, and I'm not for putting all my eggs in one basket anyway in case I lose that one basket! Is it pricey? Yes, but worth it to me. QUESTION: Where's some software (hopefully FREE, but I'm not averse to paying a modest amount for a good program) that translates text files (txt, doc, html, etc.) to BBeB/LRF format for transfer to the SR? BookDesigner?BBeBinder? Has anyone tried these? I've found a work-around. I use PageMaker7 from which I can export/distill a text file to Adobe .pdf format. The trick is to specify the correct page size for the SR in the PM7 document setup before exporting to .pdf. Works nicely for me. Love my new toy! AP in NC

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08-25-2007, 06:01 PM	#2
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Welcome to MobileRead aphil. Congratulations on your new "toy" and glad to have you here. As for software, there is a great deal of free software available for creating LRF files. Many of us, myself included, avoid PDF files on the Reader as they are not resizable and take more storage space for the same base text than LRF files. There are two strong LRF creation programs available that have great support and a strong following. The first you already mentioned is BookDesigner. It is a Windows only program that produces lovely LRF files from a variety of sources. There are many resources at MobileRead to assist you with installation, configuration, and use. The second package of note is libprs500. This runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It offers many functions through the GUI and many more functions through command line interfaces. Many commercial publishers of ebooks have used these programs. Steve Jordan Books and Babble Books use BookDesigner while Fictionwise uses libprs500. More information on each can be found in the MobileRead Wiki by clicking on the Wiki entry from the menu at the top of the page. Once there, click on ebook conversions. There is even a link to the Best Practices for BookDesigner at the bottom of the page. Any more questions, just ask.

08-25-2007, 11:12 PM	#3
LaughingVulcan Technophile Posts: 206 Karma: 617 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Land of Lincoln Device: Kobo Sage. Ex Sony (PRS-500, -600, -650 and Nook)	Welcome! And what RWood said... Both libprs500 and Book Designer are excellent tools. If I were just looking for a straight .txt file converter, I use Book Designer. It has a learning curve (especially if you want to use advanced functions - I'm still learning what it can do.) But both are excellent. You may want to reference this entry on the Wiki about Book Designer, or look at Kovid Goyal's website for details on libprs500. (We really should get a Wiki page started for that... ) And of course, the relevant threads in the Reader sections here - though they are getting a little long in the tooth size wise.

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