New software for PC!

alfredopp · 09-14-2011, 10:37 AM

Apparently Sony has launched a new version of their software. Looks nicer, and it is supposed to be finally compatible with 64-bit Macs. Let's hope this software is a bit better, it appears not to be an update but a whole new software written from the ground up.

http://ebookstore.sony.com/download

Kolenka · 09-14-2011, 11:32 AM

Looks like they are trying to equalize themselves with the Nook and Kobo apps.

Now if only inertial scrolling on the Mac didn't suck in this app. It's like they never bothered to try scrolling on a Mac trackpad at all and they override the default behavior into something that is just terrible.

Pinecone · 09-14-2011, 11:45 AM

I just wish I could add books to my wishlist without the software.

Can NOT add software to work computer, so can't run Reader Software.

redbees · 09-14-2011, 01:35 PM

Here is what I have learned about the new software, Reader for PC.

Reader for PC installs separately from Reader Library, so it is possible to have both on your computer. I would suggest retaining the old software until you're certain you like the new version.

There is no longer a lefthand Control Panel for the Reader software.

Syncing with your reader happens automatically. If a book purchased from Sony is downloaded into Reader for PC, it will automatically sync to your reader, when the reader is next connected. (No more drag and drop to move books around.) Since I use to Calibre to manage my reader, I don't know if it was formerly possible to have a book present on the computer in the Reader software and not on the ereader, but that is not possible now. If you wish to delete a book from the reader, you may do so, but if you want it to stay off and not be re-added when connecting the reader to your computer, you must delete the book from the Reader for PC software.

Annotations (to books purchased from Sony) are stored in the cloud. (I assume they get there when you connect the reader to your computer for pre-T1 models, and maybe directly if wi-fi is on for the T1.) Annotations remain accessible to you even if you delete a book from your reader and from RfPC on your computer.

I have no special knowledge of this software, and gleaned this information during a call to Sony CS, during the course of which I discussed with the representative how the new software worked, and how it differed from the old software. This phone call was necessitated by user error. (Unbeknownst to me, although my computer was displaying the correct date and time, I was listed as being in the incorrect Time Zone, and the Reader for PC software didn't like that, and would not install.)

If any of this information is incorrect, please post below. (I will Edit to Add to correct any misinformation.) I just wanted to let others know about possible inconveniences and improvements to the Reader software.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-14-2011, 02:12 PM

Thank you for sharing your conversation with Sony support, redbees. From the website pics it looks more like other reading apps now and less like iTunes. I wonder how you will deal with non-Sony books now. Drag and drop through file management only?

redbees · 09-14-2011, 02:35 PM

Bookworm_Girl,

To add non-Sony books, you can either drag and drop a file, or choose 'File' in the upper left-hand corner of RfPC, then select either 'Add File' or 'Add Folder' and navigate to the file to be added. I have successfully tried both methods.

I'm glad to see Mac owners finally getting support for 64-bit. I wonder if this software eliminates the problem some Win7 64-bit users had with the drivers for the PRS-950 not working at all. (I have Win7 64-bit, but thankfully don't have that difficulty.)

TimW · 09-14-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfredopp

Apparently Sony has launched a new version of their software. Looks nicer, and it is supposed to be finally compatible with 64-bit Macs. Let's hope this software is a bit better, it appears not to be an update but a whole new software written from the ground up.

http://ebookstore.sony.com/download

Thanks for the info...I couldn't get the old version to work with my Win 7 64 bit to save my life.

Mark Nord · 09-14-2011, 02:49 PM

Some more technical remarks:

The new Reader.exe seems to be based on QT with phonon4.
But there are still two (2) helper-apps appHelper and deviceHelper which are based on the kinoma FSK-framework (judged by the FSK*.dll files there)

I also managed to import some books into the Reader but there is no LRF / BBeB support any longer!? At least I'm not able to import any *.LRF file to the Reader.
*.epub and *.pdf are accepted.

ChrisR · 09-14-2011, 03:18 PM

I have a 64 bit iMac, so was excited to learn here of the new Reader software for Mac.

Unfortunately, once installed I was not able to log into my account. Instead I got an error message:
"Reader Store encountered an error.
Please contact Sony customer support.

Error: -1."

I did contact Sony, they took over my computer, but could not immediately identify the problem. I am very impressed by their customer service, but am still waiting to login!

mikaelalind · 09-14-2011, 03:45 PM

I must admit, it does look sleek. The features isn't much new, except maybe for the annotations being in the cloud. ( Not that my PRS 505 supports annotations)
Anyway, I wondered if it supported BN's DRM, since that would be a sign that T1 support it. So I added one of the freebies I downloaded recently, but it couldn't open it. Not that I really expected it too

.
Oh, and the way it Author Sorts, and that I cannot change it annoys me.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-14-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Nord

I also managed to import some books into the Reader but there is no LRF / BBeB support any longer!? At least I'm not able to import any *.LRF file to the Reader.
*.epub and *.pdf are accepted.

Thanks for the technical details. LRF is not on the supported format list for the T1. I guess I am not surprised they removed it from the new Reader software too. I still have LRF's in my library. I actually still have LRX's on an old 505 that Sony has never converted to EPUB's in my past purchases!

jakeluck · 09-14-2011, 05:19 PM

The new Reader software indeed works on 64bit Mac OS X Lion.

Personally I find the new UI less unintuitive and it forces the user
to _sync_ with their Library, most of the direct device management features
are gone!

- double-clicking on a book, no longer opens it, no more preview, no alt-click contextual menu
- the drive explorer view is no longer present for dragging books into the device directly
- the software won't even let you add, delete directly from the device, nor are collection management.
- giant icon and text size (ala Skype 5 for Mac) takes up too much screen real estate,
- software insists the user to connect to the store on startup.

rkomar · 09-14-2011, 05:44 PM

Still no Linux version. Yet another reason why DRM sucks.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-14-2011, 09:11 PM

I haven't had an opportunity to play around much. Change is always difficult! I downloaded the Mac version. Note: I use OS X 10.5.8 32-bit.

First impressions: Icons are way too big. Notice the slide bar in the lower-right corner to make them smaller. Too bad you can't change the text size of the list this way! You can however change the width of the columns in the list view which is critical to prevent having to scroll both horizontal & vertically which was wreaking havoc with my touchpad.

It didn't choke on the books in my account that have never been converted to EPUB like the Android app does. It just doesn't show them in the list. In the old software, they showed forever as "Available Soon" (yeah, right, 2 years later...).

The best news for me is that collections are still available! You will have to create them from scratch again since you can't import them from the old software. Also, although the software is setup to sync with your entire library by default, it does offer the ability to filter content still like by collections. It actually looks like it might be more powerful management features, just not intuitive. I will have to read through the help manual some other time.

Also, don't forget to turn off the auto-launch and sync with reader and auto-update if you don't like those preferences.

graycyn · 09-14-2011, 10:15 PM

Anyone know how big the file for the new software is? I didn't see a filesize indicated.

09-14-2011, 10:37 AM	#1
alfredopp Member Posts: 23 Karma: 4695 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: none	New software for PC! Apparently Sony has launched a new version of their software. Looks nicer, and it is supposed to be finally compatible with 64-bit Macs. Let's hope this software is a bit better, it appears not to be an update but a whole new software written from the ground up. http://ebookstore.sony.com/download

09-14-2011, 02:35 PM	#6
redbees Enthusiast Posts: 128 Karma: 52196 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: US Device: Paperwhite 2, Nexus 7	Bookworm_Girl, To add non-Sony books, you can either drag and drop a file, or choose 'File' in the upper left-hand corner of RfPC, then select either 'Add File' or 'Add Folder' and navigate to the file to be added. I have successfully tried both methods. I'm glad to see Mac owners finally getting support for 64-bit. I wonder if this software eliminates the problem some Win7 64-bit users had with the drivers for the PRS-950 not working at all. (I have Win7 64-bit, but thankfully don't have that difficulty.) Last edited by redbees; 09-14-2011 at 02:39 PM.

09-14-2011, 03:45 PM	#10
mikaelalind Fanatic Posts: 590 Karma: 788068 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Sweden Device: Sony PRS 505, Cybook Odessey	I must admit, it does look sleek. The features isn't much new, except maybe for the annotations being in the cloud. ( Not that my PRS 505 supports annotations) Anyway, I wondered if it supported BN's DRM, since that would be a sign that T1 support it. So I added one of the freebies I downloaded recently, but it couldn't open it. Not that I really expected it too . Oh, and the way it Author Sorts, and that I cannot change it annoys me. Last edited by mikaelalind; 09-14-2011 at 03:48 PM.

09-14-2011, 05:19 PM	#12
jakeluck Groupie Posts: 193 Karma: 3252 Join Date: Dec 2004	The new Reader software indeed works on 64bit Mac OS X Lion. Personally I find the new UI less unintuitive and it forces the user to _sync_ with their Library, most of the direct device management features are gone! - double-clicking on a book, no longer opens it, no more preview, no alt-click contextual menu - the drive explorer view is no longer present for dragging books into the device directly - the software won't even let you add, delete directly from the device, nor are collection management. - giant icon and text size (ala Skype 5 for Mac) takes up too much screen real estate, - software insists the user to connect to the store on startup. Last edited by jakeluck; 09-14-2011 at 05:26 PM.

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09-14-2011, 11:32 AM	#2
Kolenka <Insert Wit Here> Posts: 1,017 Karma: 1275899 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Puget Sound Device: Kindle Oasis, Kobo Forma	Looks like they are trying to equalize themselves with the Nook and Kobo apps. Now if only inertial scrolling on the Mac didn't suck in this app. It's like they never bothered to try scrolling on a Mac trackpad at all and they override the default behavior into something that is just terrible.

09-14-2011, 11:45 AM	#3
Pinecone Guru Posts: 902 Karma: 1660722 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Maryland Device: PRS-650, PRS-600, PRS-350	I just wish I could add books to my wishlist without the software. Can NOT add software to work computer, so can't run Reader Software.

09-14-2011, 01:35 PM	#4
redbees Enthusiast Posts: 128 Karma: 52196 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: US Device: Paperwhite 2, Nexus 7	Here is what I have learned about the new software, Reader for PC. Reader for PC installs separately from Reader Library, so it is possible to have both on your computer. I would suggest retaining the old software until you're certain you like the new version. There is no longer a lefthand Control Panel for the Reader software. Syncing with your reader happens automatically. If a book purchased from Sony is downloaded into Reader for PC, it will automatically sync to your reader, when the reader is next connected. (No more drag and drop to move books around.) Since I use to Calibre to manage my reader, I don't know if it was formerly possible to have a book present on the computer in the Reader software and not on the ereader, but that is not possible now. If you wish to delete a book from the reader, you may do so, but if you want it to stay off and not be re-added when connecting the reader to your computer, you must delete the book from the Reader for PC software. Annotations (to books purchased from Sony) are stored in the cloud. (I assume they get there when you connect the reader to your computer for pre-T1 models, and maybe directly if wi-fi is on for the T1.) Annotations remain accessible to you even if you delete a book from your reader and from RfPC on your computer. I have no special knowledge of this software, and gleaned this information during a call to Sony CS, during the course of which I discussed with the representative how the new software worked, and how it differed from the old software. This phone call was necessitated by user error. (Unbeknownst to me, although my computer was displaying the correct date and time, I was listed as being in the incorrect Time Zone, and the Reader for PC software didn't like that, and would not install.) If any of this information is incorrect, please post below. (I will Edit to Add to correct any misinformation.) I just wanted to let others know about possible inconveniences and improvements to the Reader software.

09-14-2011, 02:12 PM	#5
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Thank you for sharing your conversation with Sony support, redbees. From the website pics it looks more like other reading apps now and less like iTunes. I wonder how you will deal with non-Sony books now. Drag and drop through file management only?

09-14-2011, 02:49 PM	#8
Mark Nord 2B \|\| !2B Posts: 852 Karma: 194010 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Austria Device: Sony PRS505/650/T1/tolino vision 5	Some more technical remarks: The new Reader.exe seems to be based on QT with phonon4. But there are still two (2) helper-apps appHelper and deviceHelper which are based on the kinoma FSK-framework (judged by the FSK.dll files there) I also managed to import some books into the Reader but there is no LRF / BBeB support any longer!? At least I'm not able to import any .LRF file to the Reader. .epub and .pdf are accepted.

09-14-2011, 03:18 PM	#9
ChrisR Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 3686 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	I have a 64 bit iMac, so was excited to learn here of the new Reader software for Mac. Unfortunately, once installed I was not able to log into my account. Instead I got an error message: "Reader Store encountered an error. Please contact Sony customer support. Error: -1." I did contact Sony, they took over my computer, but could not immediately identify the problem. I am very impressed by their customer service, but am still waiting to login!

09-14-2011, 05:44 PM	#13
rkomar Wizard Posts: 3,041 Karma: 18821071 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	Still no Linux version. Yet another reason why DRM sucks.

09-14-2011, 09:11 PM	#14
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I haven't had an opportunity to play around much. Change is always difficult! I downloaded the Mac version. Note: I use OS X 10.5.8 32-bit. First impressions: Icons are way too big. Notice the slide bar in the lower-right corner to make them smaller. Too bad you can't change the text size of the list this way! You can however change the width of the columns in the list view which is critical to prevent having to scroll both horizontal & vertically which was wreaking havoc with my touchpad. It didn't choke on the books in my account that have never been converted to EPUB like the Android app does. It just doesn't show them in the list. In the old software, they showed forever as "Available Soon" (yeah, right, 2 years later...). The best news for me is that collections are still available! You will have to create them from scratch again since you can't import them from the old software. Also, although the software is setup to sync with your entire library by default, it does offer the ability to filter content still like by collections. It actually looks like it might be more powerful management features, just not intuitive. I will have to read through the help manual some other time. Also, don't forget to turn off the auto-launch and sync with reader and auto-update if you don't like those preferences.

09-14-2011, 10:15 PM	#15
graycyn Wizard Posts: 1,581 Karma: 11380098 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: NE Oregon Device: Kobo Sage, Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma, Kindle Oasis 2	Anyone know how big the file for the new software is? I didn't see a filesize indicated.

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