1st 48 Hours

[WBS]

Saw one in Borders at Newark NY airport at Terminal C. Bought it very quickly!

Sat in the Presidents Club for an hour before boarding the flight, reader on charge, silly grin on face as I stroked it(I was going to order one to go the the US office ready for the next trip).

1st problem, I travel fairly light and didn't have the CD/DVD drive for my laptop. No problem, I'll download it. Oh no I won't, dog slow connection speed and couldn't find anywhere to download it from (I've since seen all the comments on it not actually being on the Sony site). I've got a load of RTF books on a memory stick, I'll use that, oh no I won't, memory stick won't connect to the reader and can't transfer from the stick to the laptop to the reader as the software can't be loaded. Bugger, this is more difficult than I thought it was going to be.

Got onto the airplane 45 minutes before departure, with that and the now mandatory extra 45 minutes before pushback, I had an hour and a half to play with it. Read the online manual (not like me), drooled a little as I read it, and tried not to press all the buttons. It's very tactile, neat buttons that make a positive click when pressed, nice cover, wow! that screen. Started to read 1984 (again, but it was the first book in the menu list). 1st slight dissapointment, the cabin lights dimmed as they cut from land based to APU based power, help! can't see the screen. I should have realised but it was still a shock when it dawned on my there is no backlight and you need external lighting to see it! Not a problem, still grinning and stroking it!

2nd dissapointment, can't use the reader on the plane when they shut the cabin door - same rule apply as a laptop or cd/mp3 player. I tried communicating (no, I didn't argue) with the cabin services director but a curt 'if it's got a power button, it's gotta be turned off' made me put it down for the 30 minutes wait to take off and then the 10 minutes flying before the 'bing' sounds and normal service is resumed.

Bloody hell, this screen is clear. Even better if I make the text large, I can leave the reader on the tray table and eat dinner (managed not to drip the ice cream and chocolate sauce over it).

Later that night, when back at home, after having spoken to the wife and napped for a couple of hours, bloody hell, this screen is really clear! No pain just easy flipping through the pages, they might want to put some buttons on the right hand side or provide a remote control though (no complaining though).

The complaining started today. Connect software, good grief it's bad. I think I need to spend a little longer reading some of the forums on here. Connect site. Bugger, you need to have a US addressed credit card. Double bugger, you need a US address to get the $50 coupon. Trebble bugger, there's no sign of a date for launch in the UK. (looking at the state of the software, the downloading site etc, I think I may be in a beta program, only having paid for the privilage of joining).

So, reader 11 out of 10. Software and support 1 out of 10.
Still don't regret anything though.

Off to read the connect software forums and maybe search for pdfs of some books!

[njt]

Interesting read . But I don't think you need a US address to get the 50.00 all you need to do is register the reader^^;

check here just in case on how to get it .

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8018

Cheers

[WBS]

Thanks for the link.

Amazingly for me, I actually did a search earlier and found that one.

As I'm in the UK, when I go to register the reader itself, if you don't have a US address it shoves you over to the international site, this won't let you select the reader as a product to register.

I may register it at my US office address and see what happens, I'm back across in the US in a week and have enough books to keep me going for a little while.

So thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how I get on.

[ultim8fury]

There are a few reader owners in the UK. Don't admit to having a UK address. In the first registration screen there is a tick box to say you're a US resident. Tick it. On the next screen that asks for your address and credit card details click "skip". et voila. You have the software registered. Then go back in and add the reader to your device list. Before you know it $50 has shown up in your account.

[Leaping Gnome]

WBS, glad you like it so far! If you need any money for the Connect store, let me know. I've done four gift-card / paypal exchanges for other foreign members here, they send me paypal and I buy a giftcard for them, they just redeem the code for Connect store credit. I'll be happy to do the same any fellow mobilereader who needs it. Welcome to the site!

[rcs1000]

Just for the record, da_jane did a giftcard for me. The forum is pretty friendly (and seems pretty honest!), so I wouldn't hesitate to do it again - with almost anyone on here.

[WBS]

Thank you all for the quick responses, and more importantly the very kind offers.

I'll have a go at registering then see how to take things.

Still impressed with the reader!

Thanks again for your help.

[igorsk]

You need to authorize the device from inside Connect software (Account-Manage Devices), not through the site.

[Kenal0]

I saw Sony Connect gift cards at Borders in Deerfield IL.
kenal0

[Nightwing]

Originally Posted by Kenal0

I saw Sony Connect gift cards at Borders in Deerfield IL.
kenal0

Drat!!!! Should have asked when I was at the store yesterday.

PS: What does it look like?

[BuddyBoy]

Originally Posted by Leaping Gnome

WBS, glad you like it so far! If you need any money for the Connect store, let me know. I've done four gift-card / paypal exchanges for other foreign members here, they send me paypal and I buy a giftcard for them, they just redeem the code for Connect store credit. I'll be happy to do the same any fellow mobilereader who needs it. Welcome to the site!

Yup, Dan (Leaping Gnome) did this for me, and I couldn't be more grateful.