Hi From Ottawa!

DSmith · 01-16-2008, 09:26 PM

Hi All,

I'm new to these ebooks so I have a few questions to put out there.

First off, I'm from Canada so I am wondering which ereaders are available here. I know the Kindle and the Sony models are both out.

Secondly, what websites are best for buying ebooks?

Any help is great.

Thanks.

Nate the great · 01-16-2008, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSmith

Hi All,

I'm new to these ebooks so I have a few questions to put out there.

First off, I'm from Canada so I am wondering which ereaders are available here. I know the Kindle and the Sony models are both out.

Secondly, what websites are best for buying ebooks?

Any help is great.

Thanks.

The Kindle is out because because demand currently outstrips supply. Otherwise, you could find one on Ebay.

The Sony Reader is still a possibility because you can find the (slightly outdated) PRS 500 pretty cheap on Ebay. The PRS 500 is still quite usable. This is a good choice in terms of hardware price.

Another possibility is the Bookeen Cybook. If you want one, you might get a better price from NAEB. This might be the best choice in terms of ebook selection and ease of use.

There is also the Irex Iliad, but at $700 it's frigging expensive.

nermalscoot · 01-17-2008, 01:10 AM

Hello fellow canadian
i'm from victoria and i have a sony reader prs-505. unfortunately, the sony e-book site doesn't allow downloads to people without an american credit card. there's two work-arounds for this: 1. there is a conversion program called convertlit that can convert Microsoft Reader formatted books to HTML format. then there's another program called libprs500 that will convert the HTML format into the lrf format which is what the Sony Reader natively reads. with this solution, you can download e-books from any bookstore that sells e-books in Microsoft Reader format and convert them for use on your sony reader. 2. the other solution is to get someone who lives in the states to purchase gift codes for you to use on the sony connect ebook site.

Ervserver · 01-17-2008, 01:18 AM

Hello DSmith

spoudaios · 01-17-2008, 02:02 AM

hi i am from canada too. Victorian here as well. Just wondering if getting the Sony PRS505 is worth it. Is doing the conversion from the different format easy to be done? I am trying to read more as it is never my hobby since little. However, i plan to apply to a medical school soon and the reading part of the exam is killing me. I hope it is easier this way. I can bring the portable reader without having to carry a book all the time.
What about any articles from newspaper like the Economist, wall street journal?

DSmith · 01-17-2008, 08:30 AM

Thanks for all the great feedback.

Now one last question, what book stores are you guys using to buy ebooks in the Microsoft format?

MickeyC · 01-17-2008, 12:28 PM

Hi DSmith and welcome to the Forum. I just got a 505 and really like it. Be sure and let us know how you like your's.

DSmith · 01-17-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

Hi DSmith and welcome to the Forum. I just got a 505 and really like it. Be sure and let us know how you like your's.

Where did you buy your's from? How much did it cost? And lastly, where do you download from?

MickeyC · 01-17-2008, 10:50 PM

DSmith, I got it in Arlington, VA at the Sony Store a couple of weeks ago. Big deal was it was 40% off as it was a window model. Cost was $170.

So far, Ive only downloaded from the Sony site

DSmith · 01-17-2008, 11:30 PM

We in Canada cannot buy from the Sony store.

nermalscoot · 01-18-2008, 12:53 AM

i'm a new sony reader owner, but i've bought a book in ms reader format from BooksOnBoard.com. you can also search for ms reader books at mslit.com. ebooks.com also has ms reader books.

you will need to install and register the Microsoft Reader software on your computer in order to download ms reader e-books.

also beware that when i tried to download from booksonboard i found that i needed to use IE as my browser when downloading - for some reason firefox didn't work - it kept telling me i didn't have a registered copy of microsoft reader

using convertlit and prslib500 are pretty easy. convertlit can be a little tricky to get going, but as long as you follow the instructions in the readme, you should be fine. prslib500 has a nice interface and is easy and intuitive to use.

finally, i've heard from other postings on this site that Leaping Gnome offers to purchase gift codes on the sony connect store for people outside the US if you send him $ thru paypal:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/member.php?u=6455

spoudaios · 01-26-2008, 12:03 AM

Well i got mine. IT's a nice dark blue. I just installed the e-library CD Rom that came along with it.

What to do next? Which is the conversion program i need to get? Also, is there series of free ebooks that came with the device?

spoudaios · 01-26-2008, 12:31 PM

I've got another problem. It seems i tried to click the product registration website but it did not come up. Did i do something wrong?

spoudaios · 01-26-2008, 10:19 PM

Wow... i tried few things... it seems to be very complicated...

1>. I bought some ebooks from booksonboard.com
2>. Then, i had to download microsoft reader which i did and i had the books i purchased.
3>. I tried to convert using the libprs program but it did not work because of DRM
4>. I downloaded the converlit program

From here, i am not sure what to do. I tried to activate the program and it asked me which books (in which directory) and then it asked me which parent directory the expanded lit should go? I kept trying any directory to no avail. It did not work...

Can someone help out?
Thanks

nermalscoot · 01-30-2008, 12:10 AM

did u read the readme that comes with convertlit?
To enable ConvertLIT for DRM5, do the following:
Run "ReaderKeyRecoveryTool.exe" on a machine with an activated copy of
Microsoft Reader

It should display the email address for your activation, and create a
key file in the ConvertLIT program directory.

Click "[Get Key]".

Wait for Microsoft Reader to load.

Open a DRM5 ebook in Microsoft Reader. Microsoft Reader should exit -
this is intentional.

ReaderKeyRecoveryTool should display a "Check Mark" with a long number.

If you exit Reader without opening a DRM5 book, you'll need to re-run
ReaderKeyRecoveryTool.

until you successfully complete the steps above you will not be able to run convertlit. you'll know that you've done the above steps if you find that you have a keys.txt file in the directory where you have convertlit installed.

once you have the keys.txt file, you should be able to run convertlit and it should stop giving you errors that directories don't exist etc...

01-16-2008, 09:26 PM	#1
DSmith Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: None	Hi From Ottawa! Hi All, I'm new to these ebooks so I have a few questions to put out there. First off, I'm from Canada so I am wondering which ereaders are available here. I know the Kindle and the Sony models are both out. Secondly, what websites are best for buying ebooks? Any help is great. Thanks.

01-17-2008, 08:30 AM	#6
DSmith Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: None	OK, So Sony it is Thanks for all the great feedback. Now one last question, what book stores are you guys using to buy ebooks in the Microsoft format?

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01-17-2008, 01:10 AM	#3
nermalscoot Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Device: prs-505	Hello fellow canadian i'm from victoria and i have a sony reader prs-505. unfortunately, the sony e-book site doesn't allow downloads to people without an american credit card. there's two work-arounds for this: 1. there is a conversion program called convertlit that can convert Microsoft Reader formatted books to HTML format. then there's another program called libprs500 that will convert the HTML format into the lrf format which is what the Sony Reader natively reads. with this solution, you can download e-books from any bookstore that sells e-books in Microsoft Reader format and convert them for use on your sony reader. 2. the other solution is to get someone who lives in the states to purchase gift codes for you to use on the sony connect ebook site.

01-17-2008, 01:18 AM	#4
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	Hello DSmith

01-17-2008, 02:02 AM	#5
spoudaios Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: sony	hi i am from canada too. Victorian here as well. Just wondering if getting the Sony PRS505 is worth it. Is doing the conversion from the different format easy to be done? I am trying to read more as it is never my hobby since little. However, i plan to apply to a medical school soon and the reading part of the exam is killing me. I hope it is easier this way. I can bring the portable reader without having to carry a book all the time. What about any articles from newspaper like the Economist, wall street journal?

01-17-2008, 12:28 PM	#7
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi DSmith and welcome to the Forum. I just got a 505 and really like it. Be sure and let us know how you like your's.

01-17-2008, 10:50 PM	#9
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	DSmith, I got it in Arlington, VA at the Sony Store a couple of weeks ago. Big deal was it was 40% off as it was a window model. Cost was $170. So far, Ive only downloaded from the Sony site

01-17-2008, 11:30 PM	#10
DSmith Junior Member Posts: 4 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: None	We in Canada cannot buy from the Sony store.

01-18-2008, 12:53 AM	#11
nermalscoot Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Device: prs-505	i'm a new sony reader owner, but i've bought a book in ms reader format from BooksOnBoard.com. you can also search for ms reader books at mslit.com. ebooks.com also has ms reader books. you will need to install and register the Microsoft Reader software on your computer in order to download ms reader e-books. also beware that when i tried to download from booksonboard i found that i needed to use IE as my browser when downloading - for some reason firefox didn't work - it kept telling me i didn't have a registered copy of microsoft reader using convertlit and prslib500 are pretty easy. convertlit can be a little tricky to get going, but as long as you follow the instructions in the readme, you should be fine. prslib500 has a nice interface and is easy and intuitive to use. finally, i've heard from other postings on this site that Leaping Gnome offers to purchase gift codes on the sony connect store for people outside the US if you send him $ thru paypal: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/member.php?u=6455

01-26-2008, 12:03 AM	#12
spoudaios Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: sony	Well i got mine. IT's a nice dark blue. I just installed the e-library CD Rom that came along with it. What to do next? Which is the conversion program i need to get? Also, is there series of free ebooks that came with the device?

01-26-2008, 12:31 PM	#13
spoudaios Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: sony	I've got another problem. It seems i tried to click the product registration website but it did not come up. Did i do something wrong?

01-26-2008, 10:19 PM	#14
spoudaios Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: sony	Wow... i tried few things... it seems to be very complicated... 1>. I bought some ebooks from booksonboard.com 2>. Then, i had to download microsoft reader which i did and i had the books i purchased. 3>. I tried to convert using the libprs program but it did not work because of DRM 4>. I downloaded the converlit program From here, i am not sure what to do. I tried to activate the program and it asked me which books (in which directory) and then it asked me which parent directory the expanded lit should go? I kept trying any directory to no avail. It did not work... Can someone help out? Thanks

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01-30-2008, 12:10 AM	#15
nermalscoot Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Canada Device: prs-505	did u read the readme that comes with convertlit? To enable ConvertLIT for DRM5, do the following: Run "ReaderKeyRecoveryTool.exe" on a machine with an activated copy of Microsoft Reader It should display the email address for your activation, and create a key file in the ConvertLIT program directory. Click "[Get Key]". Wait for Microsoft Reader to load. Open a DRM5 ebook in Microsoft Reader. Microsoft Reader should exit - this is intentional. ReaderKeyRecoveryTool should display a "Check Mark" with a long number. If you exit Reader without opening a DRM5 book, you'll need to re-run ReaderKeyRecoveryTool. until you successfully complete the steps above you will not be able to run convertlit. you'll know that you've done the above steps if you find that you have a keys.txt file in the directory where you have convertlit installed. once you have the keys.txt file, you should be able to run convertlit and it should stop giving you errors that directories don't exist etc...