Just a few misc. questions before purchase

[shrktank]

I use to have the Kindle 2, but never really fell in love with it and sold after several months.

I have been doing my research on the 600 and the 300 and I have a few questions.

1. Can I load my own RSS feeds into the ebook store or onto one of these devices? I enjoy RSS feeds and would find this to be beneficial. Liked it on the Kindle, but not at a $1/month per each feed

2. The KIndle never really felt good to hold. I do not know why, but it seemed it was not well balanced for holding. Are the Sony devices designed better from the standpoint of holding comfort

3. I hear all the time on the internet that the Kindle, due to Amazon, has more books than anyone else. I do not argue that fact, but are we talking main stream books or unknown books the average person would not care about? In other words will most of the major ebook publishers have their books on both devices?

4. One thing I hate about the Kindle is the concept of buying a book and not being able to keep it, unless I always use the Kindle. I really like the concept of openness with the 600 and 300. However, assuming Sony;s ebook store does not have an author or a book I want, how many places could I perhaps purchase it at?

5. Whispernet was nice on the Kindle, however I found it addicting as I tend to be an impulse buyer. It seemed I would buy books since it was so easy. I did like how the Kindle would download and install the books in seconds. How does one get the books onto the Sony reader? Is it pretty much drag and drop ? Also is the method the same no matter where I purchase the book?

6. If I buy a ebook from the Sony store, can I legally sell the book to someone after I read it, if I delete from my side?

7. If I go the Sony route, is there pro/cons of the black over the silver color. I know on video I prefer the black trim on the video devices as it keeps the colors more true (well at least in my pea brain)

8. When they release the daily reader, I understand they will allow magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Will these also be available for the 300 and 600

9. I have an iphone and have tried to read books on it from the Kindle store. Way too small to really be effective other than short term. However it was nice when I read from the Kindle, the iphone app would know where I left off and I could pick up from that spot on the iphone. Is this something Sony can do from the ereader to pc and an iphone app if they get one

10. One annoying thing on the Kindle was the page numbering scheme they used. You really never knew how far you were in a book. How does the Sony ereaders display page numbers and such?

11. Final question...does Amazon have more books due to exclusive deals with companies/authors or because they just sell books? In other words will the ebook availability of the Sony increase through time

Thanks for your responses. I love ebook readers as I tend to read more.

[Gideon]

Okay, I'll answer what I can.

1) You can use Calibre to create RSS feeds or your device.
3) Most mainstream 'best sellers' are available pretty much on both. Amazon has a more robust selection in general... so if you have a best seller from 10 years ago or a non-fiction book from a year or two ago Amazon is far more likely to have it. It's getting better, though.
4) Not sure how many other options you have, but just because Sony uses ePub doesn't mean they don't use DRM. You're just as potentially screwed with Sony as you are on the Kindle.
6) Dunno... but probably not, not.
9) No, not right now at least. Pretty sure Amazon patented the whispersync tech.
10) Nope.
11) Amazon, afaik, doesn't use exclusive deals - they've just been pursuing it harder than Sony. Sony should get better with time. Hopefully.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by shrktank

3. I hear all the time on the internet that the Kindle, due to Amazon, has more books than anyone else. I do not argue that fact, but are we talking main stream books or unknown books the average person would not care about? In other words will most of the major ebook publishers have their books on both devices?


Thanks your responses. I love ebook readers as I tend to read more.

Make a list of your favorite authors/subjects.....now check out the Kindle store on Amazon, and then check out the Sony store. That will give you a great idea on what is available.

On the plus side for Sony, its much easier to borrow ebooks from libraries. If you have a library card from one that carries a good selection of epub books, thats a huge plus.

[doreenjoy]

For the record, I also used to own a Kindle and sold it for many of these reasons.

RE: question 1, You can use either the Sony Library software *or* Calibre to load RSS feeds onto your device.

2. The KIndle never really felt good to hold. Are the Sony devices designed better from the standpoint of holding comfort

I find it easier to hold the Sony because it's smaller overall, there isn't a huge wide margin, and you never have to deal with the cumbersome keypad being right where you want to put your thumb.

3. In other words will most of the major ebook publishers have their books on both devices?

Yes. And keep in mind, books for the Sony can be purchased from MANY places, not only the Sony Store. So comparing the Sony store to the Kindle store isn't a fair comarison of how many titles are really available for the Sony. The Sony will open EPUB, LRF, LRX, PDF, and RTF.

4. However, assuming Sony;s ebook store does not have an author or a book I want, how many places could I perhaps purchase it at?

Same answer as question 3.

5. How does one get the books onto the Sony reader? Is it pretty much drag and drop ? Also is the method the same no matter where I purchase the book?

Yes, yes, and yes. You can drag and drop to the reader from a file manager like Windows Explorer (the Sony shows up as a drive), or you can use the Sony LIbrary or Calibre. I prefer the Sony LIbrary because it pre-paginates the books, saving battery life on the device. I also find the UI much nicer than Calibres; the Sony Library is similar to iTunes.

6. If I buy a ebook from the Sony store, can I legally sell the book to someone after I read it, if I delete from my side?

No one knows the legal answer to this, but DRM is DRM and if you have a DRM'd book, it'll be hard to transfer.

7. If I go the Sony route, is there pro/cons of the black over the silver color. I know on video I prefer the black trim on the video devices as it keeps the colors more true (well at least in my pea brain)

Go with the color that makes you happy. My 505 is silver and the 600 Red.

8. When they release the daily reader, I understand they will allow magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Will these also be available for the 300 and 600

No one knows yet.

9. I have an iphone and have tried to read books on it from the Kindle store. Way too small to really be effective other than short term. However it was nice when I read from the Kindle, the iphone app would know where I left off and I could pick up from that spot on the iphone. Is this something Sony can do from the ereader to pc and an iphone app if they get one

I know if you read the same book on the Sony Reader, it will synch the last page read to the Sony Library, and vice versa.

10. One annoying thing on the Kindle was the page numbering scheme they used. You really never knew how far you were in a book. How does the Sony ereaders display page numbers and such?

Sony shows that you are on page 42 of 624, for example, on every page.

11. Final question...does Amazon have more books due to exclusive deals with companies/authors or because they just sell books? In other words will the ebook availability of the Sony increase through time

Who knows. I'm not disappointed with what I can read on my Sony. In fact I save $$$ by using the library's E-books.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by shrktank

1. Can I load my own RSS feeds into the ebook store or onto one of these devices? I enjoy RSS feeds and would find this to be beneficial. Liked it on the Kindle, but not at a $1/month per each feed

I'm told Calibre does this very well; I've never quite figured out RSS feeds so I can't offer more than that.

2. The KIndle never really felt good to hold. I do not know why, but it seemed it was not well balanced for holding. Are the Sony devices designed better from the standpoint of holding comfort

I love the feel of my PRS-505. It doesn't feel fragile, but is still light enough to hold comfortably with one hand. I often read on crowded subways, or with one hand while I'm eating. I would like it a little smaller, and am considering the 300 or Aztak Pocket Pro for that reason, but part of that's because I know I'm comfortable reading on a smaller screen.

3. I hear all the time on the internet that the Kindle, due to Amazon, has more books than anyone else. I do not argue that fact, but are we talking main stream books or unknown books the average person would not care about? In other words will most of the major ebook publishers have their books on both devices?

4. One thing I hate about the Kindle is the concept of buying a book and not being able to keep it, unless I always use the Kindle. I really like the concept of openness with the 600 and 300. However, assuming Sony;s ebook store does not have an author or a book I want, how many places could I perhaps purchase it at?

The majority of ebook stores, from what I've seen, carry lots of Adobe Digital Editions books, which work on the Sony series. If you have a preference between PDF and EPub, you might have to contact the store to find out which one a particular book is; many stores are lax about telling you the actual filetype, and just tell you the program you need to read it.

There are some books that only Amazon carries, but not many; the majority of current commercial ebooks seem to be in several stores. And the Sony series can read enough other formats that non-DRM'd books, which tend to be either older or freebies (some of which are current releases), are more directly usable on the Sonys.

5. Whispernet was nice on the Kindle, however I found it addicting as I tend to be an impulse buyer. It seemed I would buy books since it was so easy. I did like how the Kindle would download and install the books in seconds. How does one get the books onto the Sony reader? Is it pretty much drag and drop ? Also is the method the same no matter where I purchase the book?

Couple of possible methods, so you can sort out which one suits you better.
1) For ADE books, you have to install the program, register it, and download through it, and register your Sony with their servers, and then you'll be able to drag and drop, or use Sony's program to install the books on your device.

2) For the Sony store, right now it's "download through their software," and then you can either use their library software to manage the books, or drag-and-drop from wherever you've saved it.

3) For non-DRMd books, you can use the Sony library program, or Calibre, or drag-and-drop.

Other than the nuisance of registering the device in the first place, it works out mostly very simple. The library programs help you manage your ebooks and can sort them into collections that work much like folders, or you can ignore the managing software & just use the conversion parts when necessary and drag-and-drop.

6. If I buy a ebook from the Sony store, can I legally sell the book to someone after I read it, if I delete from my side?

Sony says no. I disagree, along with several other copyfight activists. However, if you buy an ebook from the Sony store *now*, it'll be in LRX format, which is one of the two forms of DRM that hasn't been cracked; right now, the only way to resell Sony ebooks is to sell the registered device along with them.

Soon, they'll be converting their store to ePub, which is crackable; those ebooks would be practical (if something of a hassle) to resell. Sony, and every other ebook store in the marketplace, will still tell you it's illegal to resell ebooks.

7. If I go the Sony route, is there pro/cons of the black over the silver color. I know on video I prefer the black trim on the video devices as it keeps the colors more true (well at least in my pea brain)

I have the red PRS-505. It's a well-known true fact that red covers make the electrons inside go faster and also make the content more thrilling.

8. When they release the daily reader, I understand they will allow magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Will these also be available for the 300 and 600

Unknown, but likely. However, they'll have to be downloaded; I expect they're pitching the subscriptions as part of the wireless package, and don't believe people are as interested in subscriptions they have to fetch from a program. (Also, there are several free ebook sources for RSS feeds, in various formats.)

9. I have an iphone and have tried to read books on it from the Kindle store. Way too small to really be effective other than short term. However it was nice when I read from the Kindle, the iphone app would know where I left off and I could pick up from that spot on the iphone. Is this something Sony can do from the ereader to pc and an iphone app if they get one

That feature, I expect they don't have; that's part of the Kindlebooks being maintained on Amazon's servers, not your computer (Kindle, iPhone, whatever). It's possible, but I suspect not likely, that if you read ebooks *with the Sony library program* you might be able to read them where you left off. Looks like I'm wrong about that one; I don't use the library program, and synch of devices has always eluded me. Sorry.

10. One annoying thing on the Kindle was the page numbering scheme they used. You really never knew how far you were in a book. How does the Sony ereaders display page numbers and such?

Sony's page numbering is nice. The info bar at the bottom of the screen, which shows your remaining battery level, also shows page count. Picking a book at random in my Sony: 87 of 295 on the "S" (smallest font) setting; 117 of 405 on the "M" setting; 172 of 604 on "L." That's for LRF, RTF and TXT; ePub and PDF don't renumber pages, instead staying on "47 of 326" (or whatever) for several page turns at the larger sizes.

11. Final question...does Amazon have more books due to exclusive deals with companies/authors or because they just sell books? In other words will the ebook availability of the Sony increase through time

Very likely the first; Sony will probably have more ebooks available over time (especially as ePubs are purchasable in many other stores). There will likely always be some ebooks available at Amazon and not other places; however, there are also ebooks available elsewhere and not in Kindle-usable formats.

It's likely someone else will have better info on this; while I believe the Sony is much more versatile in terms of shopping ability, I've so little interest in DRM'd ebook purchases that I've never actually compared the selections available in different stores.

[shrktank]

Thanks for all the useful information. WEll know that I am comfortable with the Sony ereaders it is now just deciding on the 300 or 600.

[Kostas]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

However, if you buy an ebook from the Sony store *now*, it'll be in LRX format, which is one of the two forms of DRM that hasn't been cracked;

I thought that lrx was the only format that hasn't been cracked.
Which one is the other??

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Kostas

I thought that lrx was the only format that hasn't been cracked.
Which one is the other??

Topaz hasn't. Not sure if Wolf has (not that I've ever seen it for sale).

[Kostas]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

Topaz hasn't.

Right! Forgot it! Thx!