Sony PRS-505 Newbee with questions!

Mgrmitch · 06-10-2009, 04:13 PM

Hi all,

Just got this unit yesterday. I am using the sony ebook store to purchase some ebooks. It is my understanding that these books are in the LRX format. My question is what if i change ebook readers to Kindle or other reader what happens to the books I have purchased will they convert??? I am also reading that the sony ebook store is higher in price than other ebook retailers on the web. If that is the case what format do I want to download for future books?? Then do I just copy into the ebook library? Is there any manual that will tell how to use the sony reader without their software?

Thanks

cassidym · 06-10-2009, 04:45 PM

Hi Mgrmitch and welcome to MobileRead. The Sony format is .lrf also known as BBeB. However the Sony 505 will also read ePub (the emerging eBook standard) as well as Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). You can convert from one format to another using Calibre which is free and available for download on this site. However, if the book is DRM protected, it won't convert unless you strip off the DRM. There are ways to do that but not on this site.

The Sony site seems to be competitive price-wise. But there are other sites you can buy from such as Fictionwise. Also you can borrow eBooks from libraries using ADE. See the Wiki here http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EBook_Lending_Libraries for a list of lending libraries. Also lots of info in the Wiki on formats

Zero9 · 06-10-2009, 05:01 PM

I see cassidym beat me to responding while I'm in the middle of typing this.

I'm not going to edit my post for redundancy, so hopefully it's not too annoying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgrmitch

I am using the sony ebook store to purchase some ebooks. It is my understanding that these books are in the LRX format. My question is what if i change ebook readers to Kindle or other reader what happens to the books I have purchased will they convert???

Books you buy from the Sony eBook store will not work on your Kindle or other non-Sony devices. There exist for some eBook formats tools that can strip the DRM and allow you to convert to other formats, but LRX is not one of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgrmitch

I am also reading that the sony ebook store is higher in price than other ebook retailers on the web. If that is the case what format do I want to download for future books??

The Sony eBook store is often cheaper than other eBook stores, but rarely as cheap as Amazon's Kindle Store. Some Kindle fans will probably beat me up for saying this, but I doubt Amazon will continue to keep their prices so low much longer. Expect Kindle's eBook price advantage to decrease as eBooks become more mainstream.

If you're not buying from Sony's eBook store, your other choices for non-free books are Adobe EPUB and Adobe PDF. Stores like BooksOnBoard.com have a wide selection of these. For the PRS-505, always choose ePub over PDF when it's a choice (it'll look nicer).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mgrmitch

Then do I just copy into the ebook library? Is there any manual that will tell how to use the sony reader without their software?

If you're buying ePubs and PDFs, you'll use Adobe Digital Editions (the store you buy them from should have an explanation of how this works). It has the ability to communicate directly with your PRS-505 and send the books to it. For DRM free books (like the ones found here at Mobileread, sites like Manybooks and Feedbooks, etc.), you can add them to the Sony software, Adobe DE software, or even the powerful Calibre. You can also drag supported formats directly on to your PRS-505 using MY COMPUTER or whatever file manager your computer's Operating System uses.

Welcome to Mobileread!

Mgrmitch · 06-10-2009, 05:11 PM

Thank you both for the quick response!

Curly · 06-10-2009, 05:38 PM

Welcome Mgrmitch!

Congrats on your new 505! There are many free books here on MobileRead as well (click on E-books in the blue bar at the top of the page). You can use either the BeBB (lrf) format or the epub formats.

kelly1010 · 06-10-2009, 05:40 PM

I shop around when I look for books.....quite often I HAVE found Booksonboard to be cheaper than the Sony bookstore, especially when they sales, and they have rewards discounts. But, On a couple occasions I wanted a new release that only came out in Hardback and Sony website was cheaper.

06-10-2009, 04:13 PM	#1
Mgrmitch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	Sony PRS-505 Newbee with questions! Hi all, Just got this unit yesterday. I am using the sony ebook store to purchase some ebooks. It is my understanding that these books are in the LRX format. My question is what if i change ebook readers to Kindle or other reader what happens to the books I have purchased will they convert??? I am also reading that the sony ebook store is higher in price than other ebook retailers on the web. If that is the case what format do I want to download for future books?? Then do I just copy into the ebook library? Is there any manual that will tell how to use the sony reader without their software? Thanks

06-10-2009, 04:45 PM	#2
cassidym Grand Wizard Posts: 5,063 Karma: 15465 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Northern Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPhone	Hi Mgrmitch and welcome to MobileRead. The Sony format is .lrf also known as BBeB. However the Sony 505 will also read ePub (the emerging eBook standard) as well as Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). You can convert from one format to another using Calibre which is free and available for download on this site. However, if the book is DRM protected, it won't convert unless you strip off the DRM. There are ways to do that but not on this site. The Sony site seems to be competitive price-wise. But there are other sites you can buy from such as Fictionwise. Also you can borrow eBooks from libraries using ADE. See the Wiki here http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/EBook_Lending_Libraries for a list of lending libraries. Also lots of info in the Wiki on formats __________________ I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library. - Jorge Luis Borges

06-10-2009, 05:40 PM	#6
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 518 Karma: 402 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505 (BLUE!!!), iPod Touch	I shop around when I look for books.....quite often I HAVE found Booksonboard to be cheaper than the Sony bookstore, especially when they sales, and they have rewards discounts. But, On a couple occasions I wanted a new release that only came out in Hardback and Sony website was cheaper. __________________ Kelly Check out my bookshelf on Shelfari!

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06-10-2009, 05:11 PM	#4
Mgrmitch Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	Thank you both for the quick response!

06-10-2009, 05:38 PM	#5
Curly Summer is here! Posts: 1,211 Karma: 3976 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Scotland Device: PRS-505	Welcome Mgrmitch! Congrats on your new 505! There are many free books here on MobileRead as well (click on E-books in the blue bar at the top of the page). You can use either the BeBB (lrf) format or the epub formats.