Update: Got another (unsolicited) email from them saying that my refund had been processed (but when I log on, I don't see anything about a refund...??). But I have been playing around with this quite a bit, determined to get the flippin' book on my reader! I don't really want a refund, I commited to buying this book, I just want it to work on my sony!
Well, success! These are the things I tried: print it to pdf (two different programs-bullzip and cute pdf), no dice. Finally printed it to xps. No idea why, I really don't know what that is, it was just an option that showed up all of the sudden, so I went for it. I could read it, and it had more options than the exe file did, so I tried to save it as pdf (didn't do anything, same as what happened with the print to pdf earlier), tried to copy and paste it into word (which I could do, but it showed up in word as ?????????????? etc), nothing was working. I tried to print it as a microsoft one-note (again, no idea what that is). It came out looking like it was written in some sort of middle eastern language. I tried opening calibre to make it do something-- I could import it, but it wouldn't convert, since it didn't recognize the source base or something. I don't even use calibre normally, because it's kind of confusing to me (I know it's easy and awesome, but it gives me too many options and confuses me), but I had just been reading about how calibre can convert formats (which is an awesome feature!). I thought it might work.
So I decided to take a break from this task (again) and play around with trying to convert some of my other pdf/epub books to mobi to read on my blackberry, which worked beautifully, but I couldn't successfully send them to the bb device. It looked like it sent, but I couldn't see them. So I somehow sent them to the wrong place on my bb, I guess
I opened up mobi pocket and imported the mobi files that I converted in calibre (which I had saved), and that worked like a dream. I'm sure I made a ton more work for myself than I needed to, but oh well! It worked.
Suddenly, I realize there is a pdf copy of that study guide book on my desktop! I don't know *what* worked to do it, but it's a pdf!! I have no idea what i did that made it work, or if it just felt really sorry for my lame ass, with all the time I had put into it to make it become a pdf, but there it was!
So i downloaded it onto my reader, fully expecting it to say "protected page" or something, since it's clearly the fort knox of ebooks. But it's there, and I can read it!! Only problem is, I can *barely* read it. The font is waaaaay small and light, and when I try to magnify, it puts all the lines on each page on top of each other- so it's one line with all the text piled up. Reminds me of the "secret" code I used to use when I was in 3rd grade. So I can't magnify it. It's legible, but not comfortable.
So I tried to convert it to epub using calibre, hoping I can magnify it better. I know somehow in calibre you can change font size too? The epub conversion was completely unsuccessful. It's on my reader as an epub, it can be read, but it's using some substitute code where words like "look" become "fllj."
I don't have time to learn a new coded language, so that's a no go. not sure what happened there, when I have a little more time and energy, I'll probably try to do something else. For now, I'm so happy it's on the reader, even if it is of substandard quality.
This company still sucks, they promised me a pdf, and they made me go through hell to get a tiny-fonted pdf, but at least it's on my reader and I can take it with my on my trip to study. Oh, and if you know me at all, you know I'm really, really tech challenged, so I am incredibly proud of myself for getting this far!