Repeated syncing
 

I am fairly new to e-readers, have a Sony prs350 and a newish Mac desk top with Lion. I have downloaded the updated Reader library software for Lion which seemed to be working OK then when I downloaded a new book it automatically resynced all my books again and I had to manually delete the duplicated lot. How can I prevent this happening again?

There are some rough edges at the Sony Reader Software for your desktop/laptop...
=> maybe you can give Calibre a try... it supports the sony readers too (and better than the Sony library software) ;)

Thanks. I do have Calibre and probably should just use that. I did find that when a friend sent me an ebook recently I saved it on my desktop, then opened the reader and dragged it in from there and that worked fine.

If you want to continue using Sony's Reader Library without automatic sync'ing, you have to turn off sync.

This is potentially problematic, because to turn off sync, you have to plug in your Reader, which will try to sync, perhaps before you get a chance to turn off sync. To turn off sync, you uncheck all the check boxes that appear when you click on the green icon "Sync", which appears when you expand your Reader device icon. (I don't recall, but I think I was able to quickly turn off sync successfully before automatic sync'ing started.) Once done, however, you'll never sync again. You can drag and drop instead, from your Library to the Reader.

This is the way the Windows Reader Library works. I'm not sure about the Mac version as I don't own a Mac.

Although you can avoid sync'ing by using Calibre exclusively to load ebooks, if you have any need whatsoever for Sony's Reader Library (e.g., purchasing Sony ebooks, or downloading OverDrive library books without opening Adobe Digital editions) you'll probably want to do the above. Why? Because despite your intentions to never have the Reader plugged in when the Reader Library software is running, it's too easy to accidentally do a download to Sony Reader Library when your Reader is plugged in. Poof, stuff syncs.

Thanks. That's helpful but why oh why do manufacturers make it so complicated!

That won't help stop sync. It'll still sync every single time. You either don't use the Sony software when the device is connected to the computer or be super quick enough to stop the sync before it messes up content on your reader.

There's no way to stop it.

Strange that you say that, since it worked for me for my 505 and 350. Never ever syncs. If what you said were true, why would they have check boxes?

Per Sony's help file:

Oh it's true! Do some searches here on the forums. Reader for PC and the new T1 automatically sync regardless of what you have checked or unchecked. When you have nothing checked it thinks that means you want to have NOTHING on your T1 and proceeds to delete all your books. :eek:

It's happened to me a couple of times. I don't use Reader for PC, the new software with the 350. I use the old software with it which doesn't work with the T1. Mind you, I don't use the new software with the T1 either so...LOL I do drag & drop with the T1.

So it must be the new Reader Library for the T1 (which I assume I don't have--mine is 3.3.00.07130), or the T1 itself. Sounds like a terrible feature to have mandatory sync. Maybe a workaround for the T1 would be to sync only one Collection containing only one book?

Don't know but your workaround wouldn't work for most people because then the program would only put 1 book on the reader & delete everything else. For me, that defeats the purpose of having a reader. I like to be able to carry several books in one little device. If I'm only carrying one at a time I might as well stick to paper books.

For me & others, there is no workaround when dealing with the Reader for PC. I don't use it to put books on my T1. I drag & drop or use Calibre. I've never been quick enough to stop the sync when it starts & it messes up the books on my device so I just don't use it.

Synchronize means having the same things on both the program & the device. I don't like that. I don't want every book I own on the device. Syncing also means you can't manually control anything on the device. You can't move books around or delete them or whatever. Again, I don't like that. I loved how the Reader Library was for the 300 & the 350 but alas, the new software doesn't do that. :(