Getting a .pdf library book onto my Sony Reader

[snowcrocus]

I am mystified. Please help?

I have installed two apps on my PC, an adobe reader app that Cleveland Public Library library said to install and a (Sony?) library thing that my sony ereader said to install. I have activated something adobe that synched my PC and my new Sony PRS-600 reader to the same Adobe ID number.

If I hook up my reader to my PC and then look on my PC, I can see one icon for the adobe empty library and another icon for the Sony library thing (with all of the books that came pre-installed on my new Sony PRS-600 reader).

I have downloaded library books from the Cleveland Public Library. They are .pdf files. They are in a folder on my desktop.

How do I get the library book .pdf files onto my Sony reader?

I just could not figure this out from the documentation for the reader or from the Library. I searched this forum and the web and couldn't find the instructions.

I bought the Sony reader to read library books. I have got to figure out how to do this!

I am hoping this is really easy and someone will tell me what simple step I missed. Thank you so much for any help or advice.

[dreams]

I haven't done this yet, so hopefully a more experienced member will help.

I think I read that if a file extension is .ascm that you click "open" and it downloads into ADE (adobe digital editions). Then you just transfer to you Reader.

I did find this thread with information.

4) Then it just sat there and stared at me. Now what? Feeling increasingly like I was playing a game of Zork, I went back to the file I got from NYPL, and on a whim, double clicked it. Presto. Next thing I know ADE is busily downloading my selected book. It then appeared in the ADE library.

5) Next, within ADE, I dragged the library book to my prs-600. That loaded it onto the device. If you look at the info on the book, indeed it says that it will expire in 21 days. And yup at this point you can disconnect the reader and open the book and read it on the reader.

[snowcrocus]

I am a little confused about the difference between Adobe epub ebooks and .pdf file ebooks.

The library books that I checked out are .pdf file ebooks.

I can try renaming the .pdf files to .ascm files. I am willing to try anything. I got really frustrated last night when I was trying to figure this out. I just googled .pdf .ascm and found more instructions here, so I can work on this tonight...

http://www.ereadable.com/info/FAQ.asp

Why do I get a file with the extension .acsm when I download an Adobe PDF eBook?
When you start to download an Adobe PDF a small file with the extension .acsm is first downloaded. This is used by Adobe Digital Editions to send the activation ID to the delivery server which will use that ID to generate an encrypted PDF eBook, which is then downloaded to your PC. If your computer is asking you where to save the .acsm file then your Adobe Digital Editions may not be installed correctly or not yet authorized.

The computer asked me where to save the library ebooks. Hmmm. Maybe my library ebooks went to the wrong location on my PC.

[AnemicOak]

When you download from the library your browser should try to download an acsm file. The default option should be open with ADE (you can also use the Sony software and the books will be stored elsewhere). When you do that ADE will open and the book, pdf or epub, will be downloaded. It should go to the My Digital Editions folder in your Documents folder. You should be able to either use ADE to make the transfer, use the Sony software to make the transfer or just drag and drop the book file to the proper location on the reader.


Here's a tutorial using the Sony software...
http://ebooktest.blogspot.com/2009/0...ng-public.html

[dreams]

EDIT: AnemicOak was quickly than me. Thank you!
******
I haven't played with library books, yet.

Library books are usually ePub or pdf. You can't have both epub and pdf library books on your Reader at the same time. Right now, they don't play well together. Both are usually DRM'd ( ADE epub and ADE pdf).

I have downloaded DRM'd freebies.

I seem to remember something I chose was open in ADE. Either way I got it in ADE and loaded it to my Reader.

I hope someone who has experience with this will jump in. I know how frustrating it can be trying to figure this stuff out.

[snowcrocus]

Thanks for the advice!
When I rebooted my PC, the library books appeared in my Reader Library.
I used copy and paste to add them to Adobe Digital Editions library.
(It was the Adobe Digital Editions that showed my PRS-600)
Although I tried to send the books into my PRS-600, they went into the area of the Adobe Digital Editions library that is called All Items.
From there, I was able to drag them into the Sony PRS-600.
I may be able to read them now; not sure; I have to disconnect the reader from the computer to see if this will work.
Even if it does work, I am not 100% sure I can ever follow this exact sequence of steps again.
Augh! I am not cut out to be an early adopter!

[snowcrocus]

Anemic Oak -
Thanks for your link; it included this tip that I think will help me in the future:

this is very important: Have your options set to open with Sony's eBook Library software. If you Save to Disk, you'll be all bollixed. If that happens, just hit the Download button again and select Open with eBook Library.

I believe I may have used Save to Disk and been bollixed.


I disconnected the reader from the PC and I can successfully read the library books. Thank you again.

[GraceKrispy]

aww, too late to help! But I read tons of library books on my reader, and I have never had a major problem, as long as I hit open instead of save. At the beginning, I made the "save" mistake too, and could not figure out how to read the darn things! Open will open them right into one of the programs (it used to do with ade, but now that the reader library is a little different, it opens directly to that instead.

Glad you got it figured out and can read your library books now!

[snowcrocus]

I had trouble with this again, and spent a lot of time putzing - ok, my reader will be a .pdf reader and no other format will go on it for a while. The Digital Rights Management on library books is driving me crazy.

A Protected Page! error occurs on the Reader™ digital book when opening a book.

http://www.kb.sony.com/selfservice/d...nalId=C1008686

Finally truly got rid of EVERYTHING (Not just things I had put on it but also the epub and BBeB files that came on the reader as demos, since they fight with the .pdf files.) and followed these instructions to install only .pdf files.

Question
How do I transfer eBooks and other files from my computer to my Reader Digital Book?

Answer
In the Reader Library Software, select the "Library" view - this is where you can see all imported files and purchased eBooks.

Click on one, or several, titles and drag the files from your Library onto your Reader Digital Book (the Status symbol will start spinning for the duration of the transfer).
Once the Status symbol comes to a halt, the transfer is finished.
Still within the Reader Library Software, select your Reader Digital Book to verify that the file(s) are on the device

from
http://ebooks.custhelp.com/app/answe...0file/r_id/166

I will get the hang of this eventually, but boy, they sure do not make it easy, do they? I am not sure what is going on, why having two types of files can make an ereader go crazy, but I have a solution for now and my library has plenty of .pdf files.

[MO74]

here'e what I've learned: you do not need to SAVE the downloaded library ebook before loading it.

IF your ereader is connected to your computer, the file will automatically download to your reader if you choose OPEN when the download dialogue box appears.

Trial and error - hope this helps !

BTW _ I only have Adobe Digital Editions open when downloading. I do not like the Sony ereader program - duplicates everything I download and it's not user friendly.

You do not have to have Sony ereader program open along with Adobe - been there, done that !

[JSWolf]

yes, you can get that library PDF onto your Sony Reader. Will you enjoy the experience? No. Will you enjoy the hassle to read it? No. Will you enjoy the mess reflow will make out of it? No. Is it worth bothering? No.

[pendragginp]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

yes, you can get that library PDF onto your Sony Reader. Will you enjoy the experience? No. Will you enjoy the hassle to read it? No. Will you enjoy the mess reflow will make out of it? No. Is it worth bothering? No.

AGREE.

Also, if you do hit Save instead of Open, no worries; after Overdrive downloads it to your computer it will offer Open again as an option, and that will open your Reader Library where you will find the book and be able to drag and drop it into your connected Sony.

[Elton Noway]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Will you enjoy the hassle to read it? No. Will you enjoy the mess reflow will make out of it? No. Is it worth bothering? No.

I'll agree the formatting of a PDF file, once loaded on youre reader, is a mess. Sentences can stop or start in the middle of a page. Some pages may only have one or two words on them. There can be no separation in dialog when two or more characters are talking so its hard to tell whos saying what. No hyphenation. etc... That said... I have learned to adapt to the messy format and no longer find it to be as annoying as it was the first time I tried reading a PDF download. Since then I have been able to download some "current" publications in PDF format (for free, or next to nothing ) so I find it is worth the bother... even if flow is messed up.