new ebook owner & confused

TrolleyGirl · 10-21-2009, 03:45 PM

I just purchased my first ebook. After studying these forums I decided upon the PRS505, which I got at Target for $178.

I signed up for a 1 year subscription at Fictionwise with the 100% micropay rebate. However, now that I am looking around the site most of the books I'm interested in are in the secure ereader format. If I understand right, I need to purchase in the multiformat lrf version. Am I thinking right, or can I purchase the secure ereader format and using the free ereader pro software on my PC somehow convert the book so the PRS505 will accept it?

Please help me as I am clueless! Thanks for your time.

AnemicOak · 10-21-2009, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrolleyGirl

I just purchased my first ebook. After studying these forums I decided upon the PRS505, which I got at Target for $178.

Awesome price. Welcome to the forum

Quote:

I signed up for a 1 year subscription at Fictionwise with the 100% micropay rebate. However, now that I am looking around the site most of the books I'm interested in are in the secure ereader format. If I understand right, I need to purchase in the multiformat lrf version. Am I thinking right, or can I purchase the secure ereader format and using the free ereader pro software on my PC somehow convert the book so the PRS505 will accept it?

From Fictionwise books that will work on your 505 are Multiformat (download LRF or EPUB) or for secure books PDF (which they call Secure Adobe). Personally I would steer clear of the PDF's as they don't display as nicely as LRF or EPUB unless specially formatted to fit the Sony's screen, which these are not.

If you're mainly looking for books from authors published by big publishing houses (Penguin, Randon House, Harper Collins, etc) you won't find those in anything but secure formats.

For secure books your best bet are EPUB's from stores like Books On Board, Diesel Ebooks, Shortcovers, etc. or LRX (secure LRF's) from the Sony store. The Sony store is supposed to be switching to EPUB by the end of the year.

As far as buying secure eReader format books, you would have to remove the DRM (the secure part) and then they could be converted.

kelly1010 · 10-21-2009, 04:43 PM

Congrats on getting your 505! I've had mine since March and love it!! I mainly use Booksonboard and the Sony Store, as well as the library for my books. I really wasn't that impressed with fictionwise.

TrolleyGirl · 10-22-2009, 10:04 AM

Thank you both so much for your help. I maybe back with more questions later. I did download "Around the World in 80 Days" for free. It worked. This is a book I have wanted to read for a long time, but never have. My next download will be the final book in the "No. 1 Ladies Detective" series, by Alexander McCall Smith.

I think I understand now, in Books on Board or Diesel Books, for example I choose the Adobe format. While in Shortcovers or Sony's Ebook Store I choose EPub.

Thanks again.

AnemicOak · 10-22-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrolleyGirl

I think I understand now, in Books on Board or Diesel Books, for example I choose the Adobe format. While in Shortcovers or Sony's Ebook Store I choose EPub.

Be careful. Books on Board and Diesel sell both ePub and PDF with Adobe DRM. Unless you're sure you're OK with how PDF displays you'll want to make sure you're buying ePub from them.

BoB calls PDF "Adobe Digital Editions" and ePub "Adobe ePub". Diesel calls PDF "Adobe" and ePub "ePub", but they use the same Adobe graphic for both.

easterncoyote · 10-22-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Be careful. Books on Board and Diesel sell both ePub and PDF with Adobe DRM. Unless you're sure you're OK with how PDF displays you'll want to make sure you're buying ePub from them.

BoB calls PDF "Adobe Digital Editions" and ePub "Adobe ePub". Diesel calls PDF "Adobe" and ePub "ePub", but they use the same Adobe graphic for both.

Brian, I am so confused about this, and I would appreciate it if you or someone could clear it up for me. Is epub an Adobe format? Or does Adobe have its own kind of epub, and are there other kinds of epub? Thank you for any help.

pdurrant · 10-23-2009, 04:04 AM

ePub isn't an Adobe format. It's a defined standard. See http://www.idpf.org/

But most publishers producing ePub format ebooks add Adobe DRM encryption to them. This combination of the ePub format with Adobe DRM is commonly referred to as "Adobe ePubs".

Quote:

Originally Posted by easterncoyote

Brian, I am so confused about this, and I would appreciate it if you or someone could clear it up for me. Is epub an Adobe format? Or does Adobe have its own kind of epub, and are there other kinds of epub? Thank you for any help.

pdurrant · 10-23-2009, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrolleyGirl

I signed up for a 1 year subscription at Fictionwise with the 100% micropay rebate. However, now that I am looking around the site most of the books I'm interested in are in the secure ereader format. If I understand right, I need to purchase in the multiformat lrf version. Am I thinking right, or can I purchase the secure ereader format and using the free ereader pro software on my PC somehow convert the book so the PRS505 will accept it?

Unfortunately Fictionwise don't currently supply ePub as one of the formats for their "Secure eBooks". I'd suggest that, if you're OK with removing DRM, your best bet would be Secure Mobipocket format. The DRM is easily removed, and the format converts well to ePub using Calibre.

easterncoyote · 10-23-2009, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

ePub isn't an Adobe format. It's a defined standard. See http://www.idpf.org/

But most publishers producing ePub format ebooks add Adobe DRM encryption to them. This combination of the ePub format with Adobe DRM is commonly referred to as "Adobe ePubs".

Thank you. I finally understand!

kennyc · 10-23-2009, 07:24 AM

Welcome. Great advice above.

I was unintentionally fooled by the BookonBoard abobe naming and inadvertently got a PDF instead of an epub. When I contacted them they were kind enough to credit the purchase price to my account.

mgrunk · 10-24-2009, 06:09 PM

I've been a long time fictionwise user - so, when I picked up the Sony 505, I continued w/ FW - I did find a way to de-drm my books, and purchase in mobipocket secure format. It's an extra step, but I have an easy setup now to do it. So, don't be discouraged that you bought a fw membership. You can still take advantage of it w/ secure books by taking a couple of extra steps.

Oh, and look at your local library for books to check out online. I had to go one county over to get a library card. My only complaints are that there seems to only be two genre's - thriller (i.e. Cussler) and romance. I am not a big reader of either. And, the other complaint is the majority of books are PDF and the display of them is entirely painful to get through and truly take away from the enjoyment of reading.

10-21-2009, 03:45 PM	#1
TrolleyGirl Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: prs505	new ebook owner & confused I just purchased my first ebook. After studying these forums I decided upon the PRS505, which I got at Target for $178. I signed up for a 1 year subscription at Fictionwise with the 100% micropay rebate. However, now that I am looking around the site most of the books I'm interested in are in the secure ereader format. If I understand right, I need to purchase in the multiformat lrf version. Am I thinking right, or can I purchase the secure ereader format and using the free ereader pro software on my PC somehow convert the book so the PRS505 will accept it? Please help me as I am clueless! Thanks for your time.

10-24-2009, 06:09 PM	#11
mgrunk Zealot Posts: 130 Karma: 96 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: metro Atlanta, GA Device: Sony Reader PRS-505	I've been a long time fictionwise user - so, when I picked up the Sony 505, I continued w/ FW - I did find a way to de-drm my books, and purchase in mobipocket secure format. It's an extra step, but I have an easy setup now to do it. So, don't be discouraged that you bought a fw membership. You can still take advantage of it w/ secure books by taking a couple of extra steps. Oh, and look at your local library for books to check out online. I had to go one county over to get a library card. My only complaints are that there seems to only be two genre's - thriller (i.e. Cussler) and romance. I am not a big reader of either. And, the other complaint is the majority of books are PDF and the display of them is entirely painful to get through and truly take away from the enjoyment of reading. Last edited by mgrunk; 10-24-2009 at 06:12 PM.

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10-21-2009, 04:43 PM	#3
kelly1010 Book Addict! Posts: 533 Karma: 1070 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: CA Device: Sony PRS-505, iPod Touch, Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi	Congrats on getting your 505! I've had mine since March and love it!! I mainly use Booksonboard and the Sony Store, as well as the library for my books. I really wasn't that impressed with fictionwise.

10-22-2009, 10:04 AM	#4
TrolleyGirl Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: prs505	Thank you both so much for your help. I maybe back with more questions later. I did download "Around the World in 80 Days" for free. It worked. This is a book I have wanted to read for a long time, but never have. My next download will be the final book in the "No. 1 Ladies Detective" series, by Alexander McCall Smith. I think I understand now, in Books on Board or Diesel Books, for example I choose the Adobe format. While in Shortcovers or Sony's Ebook Store I choose EPub. Thanks again.

10-23-2009, 07:24 AM	#10
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,872 Karma: 118716293 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Welcome. Great advice above. I was unintentionally fooled by the BookonBoard abobe naming and inadvertently got a PDF instead of an epub. When I contacted them they were kind enough to credit the purchase price to my account.

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