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nobicus · 11-19-2008, 04:12 AM

Back to the original question - it really does depend on what you like to read. Try all the usual sites where free books are offered and see if any are your type. I have paid for five books only since I purchased my Sony a few months ago but I already have over 220 books on the SD card. Don't ignore those books that you were forced to read as child and somehow feel that you will not like them. I am reading Tom Sawyer again, the last time being over 50 years ago at school, and I find myself laughing out loud. If you like science fiction be careful if you go to Baen Books. He gives free books and if you read them and get hooked on the author or the series you have to buy the rest. Oh Calamity!!!
You will find most sites very much cheaper than either Waterstones or Smiths. I have just acquired all three books in Philip Pullman's Northern Lights series (The Golden Compass) for $11.97 - about £6.50 for the three. My daughter has just paid nearly £10 each for the three paperbacks. I expect the Sony Reader to pay for itself with this kind of saving many times over.
A little wrinkle that has been suggested on this forum, although I have yet to try it, is to install the UK eBook library on your main computer and then download the US Sony eBook Library software from the US Bookstore and install this on your laptop (or in my case my wife's laptop) and then register with the US site. This should give access to both Waterstones in the UK and Sony Bookstore in the US. I am not sure that it will be worth the bother because of all the other digital booksellers there are on the Internet.
You should also learn to use Calibre and the routine called mobidedrm2 which is available for Python25 which removes the digital lock on mobipocket files allowing them to be converted by Calibre to Sony book format. This routine is probably unlawful in the UK (like converting DVDs to all region from region 2) although I believe that the police would have to prove "mens rea" to gain a prosecution.
But the world is your oyster. Try some internet searches for "ebooks" and the like and to paraphrase Bruce Forsyth "Keep reading!!"

11-19-2008, 04:12 AM	#10
nobicus Member Posts: 21 Karma: 22 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505S	Back to the original question - it really does depend on what you like to read. Try all the usual sites where free books are offered and see if any are your type. I have paid for five books only since I purchased my Sony a few months ago but I already have over 220 books on the SD card. Don't ignore those books that you were forced to read as child and somehow feel that you will not like them. I am reading Tom Sawyer again, the last time being over 50 years ago at school, and I find myself laughing out loud. If you like science fiction be careful if you go to Baen Books. He gives free books and if you read them and get hooked on the author or the series you have to buy the rest. Oh Calamity!!! You will find most sites very much cheaper than either Waterstones or Smiths. I have just acquired all three books in Philip Pullman's Northern Lights series (The Golden Compass) for $11.97 - about £6.50 for the three. My daughter has just paid nearly £10 each for the three paperbacks. I expect the Sony Reader to pay for itself with this kind of saving many times over. A little wrinkle that has been suggested on this forum, although I have yet to try it, is to install the UK eBook library on your main computer and then download the US Sony eBook Library software from the US Bookstore and install this on your laptop (or in my case my wife's laptop) and then register with the US site. This should give access to both Waterstones in the UK and Sony Bookstore in the US. I am not sure that it will be worth the bother because of all the other digital booksellers there are on the Internet. You should also learn to use Calibre and the routine called mobidedrm2 which is available for Python25 which removes the digital lock on mobipocket files allowing them to be converted by Calibre to Sony book format. This routine is probably unlawful in the UK (like converting DVDs to all region from region 2) although I believe that the police would have to prove "mens rea" to gain a prosecution. But the world is your oyster. Try some internet searches for "ebooks" and the like and to paraphrase Bruce Forsyth "Keep reading!!"