Sony has anounced PDF support at CES!

ste9hen · 01-06-2008, 07:37 PM

Sony has just anounced PDF support at CES!

Check out engadget for Sony CES conference.

vivaldirules · 01-06-2008, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ste9hen

Sony has just anounced PDF support at CES!

Check out engadget for Sony CES conference.

"And the PRS-505 -- announcing support for PDFs!" I hope the details turn out well for us. Like Adobe DE. And generally better support for A4 and letter formatted PDFs. And, of course, the same for the PRS-500. I can't wait to hear!

Nate the great · 01-06-2008, 08:02 PM

So does this mean they are finally admitting that current PDF support is abysmal?

MickeyC · 01-06-2008, 08:21 PM

What is the significance here? Am new to the e-reader world.Just got a 505 and have downloaded a couple of PDF documents which are readable although the font size is VERY small. These weren't e-books but rather normal documents.

Thanks

AnemicOak · 01-06-2008, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

What is the significance here? Am new to the e-reader world.Just got a 505 and have downloaded a couple of PDF documents which are readable although the font size is VERY small. These weren't e-books but rather normal documents.

Thanks

I guess the significance would be if this announcement meant the anticipated support of Digital Editions. This would allow DRM'd PDFs to be viewed on the Reader. PDF is one of the formats many libraries use for ebooks (Mobi being the other).

Nate the great · 01-06-2008, 08:32 PM

I'm still looking for more info, so I don't know exactly what they announced. My guess is that the 505 will support Adobe DE.

As for my snide remark, I had a PRS500. I thought the way it displayed PDFs was horrible.

vivaldirules · 01-06-2008, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

...have downloaded a couple of PDF documents which are readable although the font size is VERY small.

For most of us, I think, this is precisely the issue.

Nate the great · 01-06-2008, 09:16 PM

I've followed up with a couple emails and a message left on voice mail. Let's see what happens.

Kasracer · 01-06-2008, 10:59 PM

I don't understand why they were so vague. PDF Support? We already have that...

Anyway, I sent an e-mail to Engadget and Sony's CES folks so maybe we can get some answers.

vivaldirules · 01-07-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kasracer

I don't understand why they were so vague. PDF Support? We already have that...

Anyway, I sent an e-mail to Engadget and Sony's CES folks so maybe we can get some answers.

The Sony Readers are at best marginally useful for PDFs. I would say if they make it so that the Readers can be used to read typical A4- or letter-formatted PDFs without secondary conversions, then they would supporting PDFs. At the moment, they don't do that. Thanks for emailing them. I hope you hear good news!

HarryT · 01-07-2008, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

I would say if they make it so that the Readers can be used to read typical A4- or letter-formatted PDFs without secondary conversions, then they would supporting PDFs.

There's absolutely no way to do that, unless they implement some sort of "panning" mechanism, which would probably be rather too slow on an eInk screen.

vivaldirules · 01-07-2008, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

There's absolutely no way to do that, unless they implement some sort of "panning" mechanism, which would probably be rather too slow on an eInk screen.

I assume you are right, but the panning which works on the Readers for jpeg images works okay. It would be a clunky but useful fix.

Hadrien · 01-07-2008, 08:28 AM

Link ?

Edit: Found it... http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/l...ss-conference/

gmanacsa · 01-07-2008, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivaldirules

The Sony Readers are at best marginally useful for PDFs. I would say if they make it so that the Readers can be used to read typical A4- or letter-formatted PDFs without secondary conversions, then they would supporting PDFs. At the moment, they don't do that. Thanks for emailing them. I hope you hear good news!

If the Reader had a more controllable zoom mechanism, it would be possible to trim out blank page margins and fill the available screen real estate with text. For example, infinitely variable zoom (in conjunction with landscape orientation) makes the iPhone surprisingly usable for PDFs, even with its much smaller screen.

A flexible zoom would make the Reader's relatively huge screen usable in landscape mode with 99% of PDF ebooks without horizontal panning -- but I'm guessing that E-Ink's slow refresh makes iPhone-style, interactively adjustable zoom impossible while the Reader's clunky cursor control limits other options. Sony will have to rethink both the hardware controls and the software interface to make it happen, but it should be possible.

NatCh · 01-07-2008, 11:46 AM

Or if they've got a way to reflow the rascals.

Personally, I'm hoping that this is an ill-informed reference to DE.

01-06-2008, 07:37 PM	#1
ste9hen Member Posts: 13 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: sony mobile	Sony has anounced PDF support at CES! Sony has just anounced PDF support at CES! Check out engadget for Sony CES conference.

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01-06-2008, 08:02 PM	#3
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	So does this mean they are finally admitting that current PDF support is abysmal?

01-06-2008, 08:21 PM	#4
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	What is the significance here? Am new to the e-reader world.Just got a 505 and have downloaded a couple of PDF documents which are readable although the font size is VERY small. These weren't e-books but rather normal documents. Thanks

01-06-2008, 08:32 PM	#6
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I'm still looking for more info, so I don't know exactly what they announced. My guess is that the 505 will support Adobe DE. As for my snide remark, I had a PRS500. I thought the way it displayed PDFs was horrible.

01-06-2008, 09:16 PM	#8
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	I've followed up with a couple emails and a message left on voice mail. Let's see what happens.

01-06-2008, 10:59 PM	#9
Kasracer Junior Member Posts: 8 Karma: 25 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-505	I don't understand why they were so vague. PDF Support? We already have that... Anyway, I sent an e-mail to Engadget and Sony's CES folks so maybe we can get some answers.

01-07-2008, 08:28 AM	#13
Hadrien Feedbooks.com Co-Founder Posts: 2,263 Karma: 145123 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Paris, France Device: Sony PRS-t-1/350/300/500/505/600/700, Nexus S, iPad	Link ? Edit: Found it... http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/06/l...ss-conference/

01-07-2008, 11:46 AM	#15
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Or if they've got a way to reflow the rascals. Personally, I'm hoping that this is an ill-informed reference to DE.