[Storm27]

I hope this is an okay place to post this -- the question is store-related rather than specific to a device or format.

There is one of the HarperCollins books that has been pulled from most retailers that I very much want to buy now to read on flights next week. Unfortunately the only two places I can currently find it are Sony and Amazon, with the Sony version more reasonably priced. I'm also interested in some of the current Sony freebies.

However browsing the store it looks as if the only way to buy books from them is to download their proprietary software and there doesn't seem to be any information about what format you get, how it's delivered or how usable it is if you don't have a Sony reader. (I need to be able to get it onto my bebook mini -- just reading on the computer isn't practical for me.) I'm also somewhat cynical about how user-friendly bundled programs tend to be, after having been burned badly some years ago by manufacturers own software that came with MP3 players and I know I've seen complaints about the Sony software before. So I'm coming to mobileread with the following questions on the grounds that people here always know a lot and are very helpful.

1. Do I have to install their own software to buy from the Sony store?
2. Are 100% of their books always epub or might I accidentally buy something in a different format? Is there any way to tell?
3. Are the books tied in any way to the Sony readers, or should I be able to read it on the bebook mini?
4. Is the DRM delivered through ADE or some other way? Will I be able to open and read the book in ADE on my computer and use ADE to transfer it to my device?
5. Can the books be downloaded through ADE in the normal way for DRMed epubs or does it work differently?
6. Is there any reason at all that I would have to use the Sony software for anything other than the process of buying books?
7. How bad is the software? Is it just not very user friendly? Might it fail to complete purchases/downloads? Is it going to actually mess up anything else on my computer, try to scan all my ebooks into it, disable ADE or calibre, reset itself as my default reader or not allow me to stop it running on start-up? (Yes -- I'm cynical).
8. How do geographical restrictions work at Sony? The book I want may be unrestricted, but I can't work out how to check. I couldn't see anything about any restrictions at all when I browsed their website, but that sounds too good to be true.
9. What payment methods etc does the store accept? I have a preference for PayPal for online transactions, but assume that if they don't take that then their credit card server would be secure. Do they accept international cards? (Again I couldn't find out a way to check without installing the software).

Thanks for the help! I have mainly bought from Fictionwise and Books on Board before, so venturing into the realms of websites that seemed to be designed to promote a specific device that I don't own is a bit scary.