Mac Help

texag · 03-04-2007, 08:39 PM

Hi,

I'm ready to buy...however, I can't seem to get a feel for what a Mac user will need to do to not be frustrated with the Reader. (I don't plan on buying parallels and windows xp for my mac). I've searched the forums and I'm still confused.

Could we make this a thread dedicated to helping Mac users get started successfully?

Here's what would help me:
1. Does pdfrastafarian work on a mac? If not, are there other alternatives?
2. Can I easily download gutenberg texts onto a sd card and then put this successfully into the Reader?
3. How are other Mac users getting content for their reader (good, modern fiction) without using Parallels?

Many thanks!

acantha · 03-04-2007, 09:00 PM

i'm on a mac, and i've tried all the available transport methods, so heres my two cents.

1. parallels, which you've stated you'd rather not use, is a hassle but it works.
2. sd card. this is the easiest, right now. you just stick your files on the sd card, stick the sd card in the reader, and you're off to the races. only problem with this is that you're not making use of the readers own memory.
3. biblioskop. this is a third party application that (supposedly) can write to the reader. i've yet to have any success with biblioskop, but if you search the forum you'll find a thread all about it with plenty of other people saying they've had great success with it.
4. readerfs. this is a very nifty, but relatively technical solution, that lets you mount the reader and sd card in your mac. its in active development, which translates to imperfect, but is already functional for moving files to the reader and the sd card. As this gets more functionally complete, and less complicated to setup, this is going to be an increasingly popular solution.

hope that helps. i can't speak about pdfrastafarian, as i've not used it. all of these solutions are compatible with project gutenberg downloads, or any document you download for that matter.

Cogito · 03-05-2007, 12:08 AM

Texag,
The only way I know to get *modern* fiction onto the reader, except for some non-drm sites that seem to specialize in sci-fi, is the Sony connect online store. (one can argue about its price/selection) You don’t need to use parallels, just pick up a copy of XP from newegg.com for $90. Of course this only works on an intel mac. I only boot into XP when I want to buy a new book. Manybooks.net has books already formatted for the sony reader, but they’re in the public domain, so not *modern* and I use an SD card to get these into the reader.
Best of luck,

HarryT · 03-05-2007, 03:05 AM

If buying books from the "Connect" store is not an issue for you, then you can simply load content (TXT, RTF, PDF, etc) directly onto an SD card or Memory Stick. No need to use the "Connect" software at all in that case.

The only "downside" in that case would be that you'd need to charge the Reader using the mains charger, rather than via USB. USB charging only works if the correct device drivers are present on the machine. Most people find that the only need to charge their Reader every couple of weeks, so that's really no big deal.

ultim8fury · 03-05-2007, 04:41 AM

HarryT. That's not correct. I always charge my Reader from the USB port of my Mac. It has no drivers and works fine.

HarryT · 03-05-2007, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ultim8fury

HarryT. That's not correct. I always charge my Reader from the USB port of my Mac. It has no drivers and works fine.

Interesting. The Reader will not charge on a PC's USB port unless the "Connect" software is installed, and nor will it charge on my USB mains adaptor or car charger. I wonder what's different about the USB ports on a Mac?

SciFiReader · 03-05-2007, 09:54 AM

I have used the Biblioshop software from the German developer and I have been able to load books on to my Reader. I plug it into the keyboard USB port and it shows up in the Biblo software. Don't plug in the Reader until after you have launched the Sw, otherwise it won't see the Reader. Afterwards is loads just fine.
I have not yet tried it any other files other than Gutenberg free books.
The Biblishop is missing an instruction book/site that I have bee able to find, but it is easy to figure out.
Like another responder mentions, I use a PC I have for work to buy books from Connect for the Reader, otherwise I try to do as much as possible with the Mac. I can't wait for Sony to bring out a Mac version which I think will help to increase Reader usage since Mac users tend to be a little more open to new things.

HarryT · 03-05-2007, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SciFiReader

...since Mac users tend to be a little more open to new things.

I hope you have some evidence to back up that rather dubious statement

. A lot of us PC users might not take it too well, otherwise...

NatCh · 03-05-2007, 11:30 AM

Well, they were the first to buy 'puters that had no floppy drives and took only USB peripherals (at a time when there still were no USB peripherals), will that do?

texag · 03-05-2007, 12:10 PM

Thanks for all the insight! The inability to buy modern fiction is what has kept me from buying the Reader.

Harry--will you clarify for me? I can buy books from the connect site on my Mac, without the connect software, and then put them on an SD card? Thanks!

HarryT · 03-05-2007, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texag

Harry--will you clarify for me? I can buy books from the connect site on my Mac, without the connect software, and then put them on an SD card? Thanks!

No, I said that if you don't want to buy books from the Connect store, there's no issue with using a Mac. If you do want to buy them, you'll need some kind of access to Windows - either a Windows PC or running Windows on an Intel-based Mac with either "Parallels" or "Bootcamp".

Of course, there are sources of books other than Connect; eg, if you like SF and Fantasy, there's Baen, who publish in open formats at sensible prices.

tsgreer · 03-05-2007, 12:36 PM

Hi, I'm a Mac user and I've been very satisfied with my Reader so far. My mac is an older G4, running OS 10.4.8.

The SD card method works fine and that's what I use for .pdfs (formatted for the Reader) and .rtf files--just drag and drop.

I have had a lot of success using Biblioskop to write to my Reader directly. There is also a nifty program called "Libriate" which is a Mac OS X GUI for "Makelrf." This creates .lrf files that can have the cover of your book included and the text nicely formatted. I try to run all of my books through this program because I like the formatting and having the cover graphic, then I add them to the reader directly using Biblioskop.

I probably spend WAY too much time finding cover artwork for my books (using amazon, google image search, etc.), but I like having the cover artwork because it makes it more like a "book experience." I'm in the USA and sometimes I like the alternative cover art better and this is one of the cool things about ebooks. I can sort of pick and choose how I want the book to look without too much effort.

At this time, Biblioskop can't transfer .rtf files over to the Reader directly, but I'm assuming (hoping) they will fix that issue in future upgrades. So any .rtf files that I use, I just copy directly to the SD card and read directly from that.

There are other more technical solutions that are mentioned in the forums, but I'm not really bright enough to figure out how to get them to work with my Mac so far.

Once they go to GUI, I'm sure I will be using them a lot since the people writing them are very very good at knowing what they are doing. The guys in these forums rock!

Since I read mostly .lrf files and .rtf files, I don't really have a lot of experience with .pdf. There is a nifty program called PDFLab that I use for images and comics, but I'm not sure it's as powerful as pdfrastafarian (which is Windows only).

The only thing that I have found irritating so far is that I didn't get my $50 credit (since I can't use Connect) and I still haven't been able to delete the free pre-loaded book excerpts and photos that came with the Reader. Biblioskop can delete the files that you have added yourself, but it doesn't read/find the files that were loaded with other programs.

Other than using the $50 credit at the Connect store, I'm not sure how many books I would buy from there anyway. Some people have mentioned formatting issues, so I don't miss using the store. Of course, until they make a Mac version of the software, I can't really judge it.

Good luck!

HarryT · 03-05-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NatCh

Well, they were the first to buy 'puters that had no floppy drives and took only USB peripherals (at a time when there still were no USB peripherals), will that do?

Nah - that's just plain wierd

.

NatCh · 03-05-2007, 01:11 PM

Yeah ... but my point was it was "new things" weirdness.

micro · 03-05-2007, 10:29 PM

I havent tried this directly as I don't own a sony reader, but I did spot this and hope it may help some fellow maccers out.

Use Sony Reader on a mac

Quote:

The Sony Portable Reader -- the PRS500 -- has no official Mac support. But with the help of the libprs500 library, I was able to get a modest but very useful level of functionality without resorting to SD cards.

Good luck,

micro

03-04-2007, 08:39 PM	#1
texag Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2007	Mac Help Hi, I'm ready to buy...however, I can't seem to get a feel for what a Mac user will need to do to not be frustrated with the Reader. (I don't plan on buying parallels and windows xp for my mac). I've searched the forums and I'm still confused. Could we make this a thread dedicated to helping Mac users get started successfully? Here's what would help me: 1. Does pdfrastafarian work on a mac? If not, are there other alternatives? 2. Can I easily download gutenberg texts onto a sd card and then put this successfully into the Reader? 3. How are other Mac users getting content for their reader (good, modern fiction) without using Parallels? Many thanks!

03-05-2007, 09:54 AM	#7
SciFiReader GadgetReader Posts: 33 Karma: 66686 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: Sony Reader	Used Biblioshop on Mac I have used the Biblioshop software from the German developer and I have been able to load books on to my Reader. I plug it into the keyboard USB port and it shows up in the Biblo software. Don't plug in the Reader until after you have launched the Sw, otherwise it won't see the Reader. Afterwards is loads just fine. I have not yet tried it any other files other than Gutenberg free books. The Biblishop is missing an instruction book/site that I have bee able to find, but it is easy to figure out. Like another responder mentions, I use a PC I have for work to buy books from Connect for the Reader, otherwise I try to do as much as possible with the Mac. I can't wait for Sony to bring out a Mac version which I think will help to increase Reader usage since Mac users tend to be a little more open to new things.

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03-04-2007, 09:00 PM	#2
acantha Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 11 Join Date: Feb 2007	i'm on a mac, and i've tried all the available transport methods, so heres my two cents. 1. parallels, which you've stated you'd rather not use, is a hassle but it works. 2. sd card. this is the easiest, right now. you just stick your files on the sd card, stick the sd card in the reader, and you're off to the races. only problem with this is that you're not making use of the readers own memory. 3. biblioskop. this is a third party application that (supposedly) can write to the reader. i've yet to have any success with biblioskop, but if you search the forum you'll find a thread all about it with plenty of other people saying they've had great success with it. 4. readerfs. this is a very nifty, but relatively technical solution, that lets you mount the reader and sd card in your mac. its in active development, which translates to imperfect, but is already functional for moving files to the reader and the sd card. As this gets more functionally complete, and less complicated to setup, this is going to be an increasingly popular solution. hope that helps. i can't speak about pdfrastafarian, as i've not used it. all of these solutions are compatible with project gutenberg downloads, or any document you download for that matter.

03-05-2007, 12:08 AM	#3
Cogito Reader Posts: 25 Karma: 34 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles, CA Device: Sony 505, 500	Texag, The only way I know to get modern fiction onto the reader, except for some non-drm sites that seem to specialize in sci-fi, is the Sony connect online store. (one can argue about its price/selection) You don’t need to use parallels, just pick up a copy of XP from newegg.com for $90. Of course this only works on an intel mac. I only boot into XP when I want to buy a new book. Manybooks.net has books already formatted for the sony reader, but they’re in the public domain, so not modern and I use an SD card to get these into the reader. Best of luck,

03-05-2007, 03:05 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	If buying books from the "Connect" store is not an issue for you, then you can simply load content (TXT, RTF, PDF, etc) directly onto an SD card or Memory Stick. No need to use the "Connect" software at all in that case. The only "downside" in that case would be that you'd need to charge the Reader using the mains charger, rather than via USB. USB charging only works if the correct device drivers are present on the machine. Most people find that the only need to charge their Reader every couple of weeks, so that's really no big deal.

03-05-2007, 04:41 AM	#5
ultim8fury Addict Posts: 219 Karma: 368 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK Device: PRS500, Looking at 700	HarryT. That's not correct. I always charge my Reader from the USB port of my Mac. It has no drivers and works fine.

03-05-2007, 11:30 AM	#9
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Well, they were the first to buy 'puters that had no floppy drives and took only USB peripherals (at a time when there still were no USB peripherals), will that do?

03-05-2007, 12:10 PM	#10
texag Member Posts: 19 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2007	Thanks for all the insight! The inability to buy modern fiction is what has kept me from buying the Reader. Harry--will you clarify for me? I can buy books from the connect site on my Mac, without the connect software, and then put them on an SD card? Thanks!

03-05-2007, 12:36 PM	#12
tsgreer Lovin' the e-book life... Posts: 633 Karma: 2509 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Colorado Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)	Hi, I'm a Mac user and I've been very satisfied with my Reader so far. My mac is an older G4, running OS 10.4.8. The SD card method works fine and that's what I use for .pdfs (formatted for the Reader) and .rtf files--just drag and drop. I have had a lot of success using Biblioskop to write to my Reader directly. There is also a nifty program called "Libriate" which is a Mac OS X GUI for "Makelrf." This creates .lrf files that can have the cover of your book included and the text nicely formatted. I try to run all of my books through this program because I like the formatting and having the cover graphic, then I add them to the reader directly using Biblioskop. I probably spend WAY too much time finding cover artwork for my books (using amazon, google image search, etc.), but I like having the cover artwork because it makes it more like a "book experience." I'm in the USA and sometimes I like the alternative cover art better and this is one of the cool things about ebooks. I can sort of pick and choose how I want the book to look without too much effort. At this time, Biblioskop can't transfer .rtf files over to the Reader directly, but I'm assuming (hoping) they will fix that issue in future upgrades. So any .rtf files that I use, I just copy directly to the SD card and read directly from that. There are other more technical solutions that are mentioned in the forums, but I'm not really bright enough to figure out how to get them to work with my Mac so far. Once they go to GUI, I'm sure I will be using them a lot since the people writing them are very very good at knowing what they are doing. The guys in these forums rock! Since I read mostly .lrf files and .rtf files, I don't really have a lot of experience with .pdf. There is a nifty program called PDFLab that I use for images and comics, but I'm not sure it's as powerful as pdfrastafarian (which is Windows only). The only thing that I have found irritating so far is that I didn't get my $50 credit (since I can't use Connect) and I still haven't been able to delete the free pre-loaded book excerpts and photos that came with the Reader. Biblioskop can delete the files that you have added yourself, but it doesn't read/find the files that were loaded with other programs. Other than using the $50 credit at the Connect store, I'm not sure how many books I would buy from there anyway. Some people have mentioned formatting issues, so I don't miss using the store. Of course, until they make a Mac version of the software, I can't really judge it. Good luck!

03-05-2007, 01:11 PM	#14
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Yeah ... but my point was it was "new things" weirdness.

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