Hello from a newbie

Change · 02-10-2009, 03:16 PM

I've been lurking around the wiki for a few weeks, reading up on the Sony PRS-505 and Kindle devices. Just from the raw specs and price, I was more interested in the Sony, but the Kindle contest got me into the forums. I had a few questions in my mind, but managed to find answers to them all so far, and now I'm considering the Kindle 2 over the Sony. I need to find out who to get a hold of at my local library, I know they offer audiobooks from Overdrive, but I can't find anything on ebooks.

So, thanks all for asking the questions I had, and providing such great answers!

For any other newbies reading this, use the forum search, and check out the stickied posts, your answers probably lie within...

(Oh, and I passed along what I've learned to a friend who is getting a Kindle 2 for his wife...maybe I'll get him active in the forums too)

pshrynk · 02-10-2009, 03:18 PM

Hey, welcome, Change! This place is a fount of helpful info. And free books!

And more than a little craziness...

DixieGal · 02-10-2009, 03:22 PM

Hey There! Glad to meet you finally!

Alisa · 02-10-2009, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Change

I need to find out who to get a hold of at my local library, I know they offer audiobooks from Overdrive, but I can't find anything on ebooks.

Have you tried looking at their website? If they have ebooks, they're likely there for download.

desertgrandma · 02-10-2009, 03:52 PM

\Hello change, and welcome to MobileRead.

If you have a library card, a call to them will tell you what the website is......a quick glance at that will tell you about the books they offer.

enjoy the site.

jj2me · 02-10-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Change

I need to find out who to get a hold of at my local library, I know they offer audiobooks from Overdrive, but I can't find anything on ebooks.

It's rare that a local library offers ebooks. I just asked my library, which is in a consortium of many local libraries, and they said I'm the first one who's asked them.

Here is Mobileread's Wiki on libraries. I just looked at all of those in the U.S. that the Wiki said would accept non-residents for a fee. But only found a couple that really would (the Wiki seems wrong). I ruled out such libraries whose ebook collections were too small (e.g., White Plains, N.Y. charges $75 but in-person and only has 50 ebooks).

Result: if your local library doesn't offer ebooks, the NYPL is the best alternative at $100 per yr. Here is a link to their ebooks section. On the bottom are links to browse all ebooks, which will show you there's over 12,000, and browse all ebooks with copies available, which will show you there's over 10,000.

grooks · 02-10-2009, 04:13 PM

A lot of local libraries (even those as part of a consortium) offer ebooks and audiobooks. I have come across a few consortiums in my state that only offer audiobooks. Use this overdrive link http://search.overdrive.com/ and search by state to find your local library. It will give you a further link to the consortium that your library belongs to. If you already have a library card you should be able to proceed checking out books (some web sites require a password).

If you have a Sony Reader then you will want PDF format. If you have a Kindle then you will want Mobi format. If you need further help please let us know.

lilac_jive · 02-10-2009, 04:26 PM

Hello and welcome!

You should totally get the Sony 505

All the cool kids have it

KindleKat · 02-10-2009, 04:50 PM

Welcome! I personally think the Kindle 2 is the way to go, but maybe i'm biased

europas_ice · 02-10-2009, 05:38 PM

Hi, and welcome. I have two things for you to consider:

1) My library does offer ebook rentals. However, my Sony couldn't read any of them, because they had some sort of DRM protection that Sony couldn't read. So, if being able to read library ebooks is important to you, make sure the device you order can read through the kind of protection your library puts on the books.

2) The big difference between the Sony (that I have) and the Kindle (that I want) in my mind, is the ease of getting books onto it. You might not think it would be a big deal, and maybe for you it wouldn't be, but having to sit down at my PC to buy a book, and then have to connect a cable and do a transfer is just a huge pain. Frankly, as a result, I don't use my Sony Reader as much as I might otherwise. The thought of being able to get books instantly and wirelessly is a HUGE plus for me on the Kindle side. So consider what is important to you in this respect.

Either way you go, I bet you will love your ebook.

grooks · 02-10-2009, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by europas_ice

1) My library does offer ebook rentals. However, my Sony couldn't read any of them, because they had some sort of DRM protection that Sony couldn't read. So, if being able to read library ebooks is important to you, make sure the device you order can read through the kind of protection your library puts on the books.

The inability to read DRM'd PDFs is specific to the Sony Reader 500, which I noticed you have. The 505 and 700 will work for borrowing books from a library.

europas_ice · 02-10-2009, 05:51 PM

Ha, well, I guess my info is out of date. Admittedly, the 505 wasn't out when I was looking into the library stuff, and I haven't really thought much about it since.

So, do library books work with the Kindle?

desertgrandma · 02-10-2009, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by europas_ice

Ha, well, I guess my info is out of date. Admittedly, the 505 wasn't out when I was looking into the library stuff, and I haven't really thought much about it since.

So, do library books work with the Kindle?

Yes. After running the kindlefix script. Works beautifully. You download to your computer, run kindlefix, then load to kindle.

After the loan period, the book becomes unreadable. No harm, no foul.

desertgrandma · 02-10-2009, 05:54 PM

one more thing.........the Kindle can only read the
'mobipocket' book formats from the library.

wallcraft · 02-10-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by europas_ice

So, do library books work with the Kindle?

As desertgrandma said, lending library ebooks (all from Overdrive) come in three flavours: PDF, ePub and MOBI. The ePub option is new, with relatively few libraries offering it. The PRS-505 and PRS-700 read ePub and PDF and the Amazon Kindle reads MOBI (after running through the KindleFIX script, which does not remove DRM and is generally thought to be completely legal in the US). The PDFs are not typically formatted for a small screen, so on the Sony's they use the standard Adobe Digital Editions PDF reflow - which can create a partially empty screen at the end of each page. This annoys some people, but they usually get over it for library books.

There seem to be many more PDFs available than MOBIs at most libraries. So check first if this is a major factor in which device you buy.

02-10-2009, 03:16 PM	#1
Change Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: US Device: Looking at the Sony PRS-505	Hello from a newbie I've been lurking around the wiki for a few weeks, reading up on the Sony PRS-505 and Kindle devices. Just from the raw specs and price, I was more interested in the Sony, but the Kindle contest got me into the forums. I had a few questions in my mind, but managed to find answers to them all so far, and now I'm considering the Kindle 2 over the Sony. I need to find out who to get a hold of at my local library, I know they offer audiobooks from Overdrive, but I can't find anything on ebooks. So, thanks all for asking the questions I had, and providing such great answers! For any other newbies reading this, use the forum search, and check out the stickied posts, your answers probably lie within... (Oh, and I passed along what I've learned to a friend who is getting a Kindle 2 for his wife...maybe I'll get him active in the forums too)

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02-10-2009, 03:18 PM	#2
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	Hey, welcome, Change! This place is a fount of helpful info. And free books! And more than a little craziness...

02-10-2009, 03:22 PM	#3
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Hey There! Glad to meet you finally!

02-10-2009, 03:52 PM	#5
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	\Hello change, and welcome to MobileRead. If you have a library card, a call to them will tell you what the website is......a quick glance at that will tell you about the books they offer. enjoy the site.

02-10-2009, 04:13 PM	#7
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	A lot of local libraries (even those as part of a consortium) offer ebooks and audiobooks. I have come across a few consortiums in my state that only offer audiobooks. Use this overdrive link http://search.overdrive.com/ and search by state to find your local library. It will give you a further link to the consortium that your library belongs to. If you already have a library card you should be able to proceed checking out books (some web sites require a password). If you have a Sony Reader then you will want PDF format. If you have a Kindle then you will want Mobi format. If you need further help please let us know.

02-10-2009, 04:26 PM	#8
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Hello and welcome! You should totally get the Sony 505 All the cool kids have it

02-10-2009, 04:50 PM	#9
KindleKat Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 29 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	Welcome! I personally think the Kindle 2 is the way to go, but maybe i'm biased

02-10-2009, 05:38 PM	#10
europas_ice Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 220 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, ID Device: iPhone 11 (Kindle app & iBooks)	Hi, and welcome. I have two things for you to consider: 1) My library does offer ebook rentals. However, my Sony couldn't read any of them, because they had some sort of DRM protection that Sony couldn't read. So, if being able to read library ebooks is important to you, make sure the device you order can read through the kind of protection your library puts on the books. 2) The big difference between the Sony (that I have) and the Kindle (that I want) in my mind, is the ease of getting books onto it. You might not think it would be a big deal, and maybe for you it wouldn't be, but having to sit down at my PC to buy a book, and then have to connect a cable and do a transfer is just a huge pain. Frankly, as a result, I don't use my Sony Reader as much as I might otherwise. The thought of being able to get books instantly and wirelessly is a HUGE plus for me on the Kindle side. So consider what is important to you in this respect. Either way you go, I bet you will love your ebook.

02-10-2009, 05:51 PM	#12
europas_ice Groupie Posts: 190 Karma: 220 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, ID Device: iPhone 11 (Kindle app & iBooks)	Ha, well, I guess my info is out of date. Admittedly, the 505 wasn't out when I was looking into the library stuff, and I haven't really thought much about it since. So, do library books work with the Kindle?

02-10-2009, 05:54 PM	#14
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	one more thing.........the Kindle can only read the 'mobipocket' book formats from the library.

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