New software for PC! - Page 2

mutabor · 09-14-2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by graycyn

Anyone know how big the file for the new software is? I didn't see a filesize indicated.

Size: 40MB

Bookworm_Girl · 09-14-2011, 11:16 PM

Here are some system requirements from the help manual.

Quote:

Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit)
Windows 7 Starter
Windows 7 Home Basic
Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows 7 Professional
Windows 7 Ultimate
Microsoft Windows Vista (32-bit and 64-bit)
Windows Vista Home Basic with Service Pack 2 or later
Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 2 or later
Windows Vista Business with Service Pack 2 or later
Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 2 or later
Microsoft Windows XP (32-bit only)
Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 3 or later
Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 3 or later
Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004/2005 with Service Pack 3 or later
Apple Macintosh
Mac OS X version 10.6.6 or later (32-bit and 64-bit)
Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later (32-bit only)

CPU
1 GHz Intel processor or better

RAM
128 MB or more (Minimum 512 MB for Windows 7 and Windows Vista)

Hard Disk Space
250 MB or more
The required free space depends on the total volume of content.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-15-2011, 12:13 AM

The 950 supports wireless sync like the T1 will. I was able to successfully sync last page read, bookmarks, highlights and keyboard notes between Reader for Mac and my 950. I tested it both ways: from the Mac to the Reader and from the Reader to the Mac. Shocking!

I wish the new software had an easy sync button like other brands do. I had to sleep my 950 to get it to transmit the info to the cloud. For the Reader for Mac, I just exited the book back to the library view.

induna · 09-15-2011, 12:43 AM

Why is Sony totally unable to support touchpad gestures on the MAC? It makes the new software next to unusable.

melmac · 09-15-2011, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeluck

- software insists the user to connect to the store on startup.

Any Aussies tried the new software?
http://www.sony.com.au/support/product/prs-650/download
Just wondering how it deals with the above as we have no store

Bookworm_Girl · 09-15-2011, 01:27 AM

The font choice is just too big, and it's rather annoying. Some menus open and they are off screen because of the font size. I can't see the history list in the book viewer.

The first time you plug your reader in the default is to sync your entire library. Yikes! If you have a huge library and don't want to do that, then I suggest you only load one book into your library, then sync with your reader for the first time. After the first auto-sync of everything, then you can turn on only the items or collections that you want. It was a poor choice to default to everything. Also, they have indeed removed manual drag-and-drop to the reader. It is now syncing only.

My biggest disappointment is that collections can no longer be sorted by order sequence. It defaults to numbering by the order that you added the books to the collections.

On the other hand, you can mix content within a collection now. It doesn't have to be just books. Must be something new that the T1 can handle? When I transfer a non-book collection to my reader, it shows up empty on the device because it is looking for books only.

I wish Sony gave you the capability to delete books from your account library. I have lots of stuff from almost 5 years of purchases that I would like to permanently delete and now it clutters this new software. In the old software, you could choose what you wanted downloaded from your account.

My conclusion is that I like the old software better. The new Reader has removed some of the functionality that was important to me. Calibre seems like it might be a better option now. If you are already using calibre, then I don't see any reason to switch to the new Sony software.

I think it was important to reformat the software because there were a lot of complaints about the old software. However, it is clearly a first version. Hopefully updates are not few and far between.

Mark Nord · 09-15-2011, 02:17 AM

redundant

OakdaleMike · 09-15-2011, 08:57 AM

It appears that this new "Reader for PC" is separate and distinct from the "Reader Library". Not knowing about the new stuff, I downloaded and installed the Library on a new laptop last night. I just checked again, and if you go in the "Normal" way on SonyStyle.com, select "support" and your model number, you get vectored to the "Library" download.

It seems to me that these two programs have different functions: the Library software is for managing books in your collection and on your device, while the Reader software is more like Kindle for PC and Nook for PC and is meant for reading books on your computer. (Who does that????).

vxf · 09-15-2011, 09:28 AM

I tried using it a bit. Had multiple crashes so far - about 5 in 20 minutes or so.

The library synch'd with the library from the previous software (Reader Library). All my collections were duplicated, for some reason, but not the files.

But no notes/annotations transferred over. Has anyone had luck importing annotated documents into the new software? It synch'd my PDFs, but not the notes on them - any suggestions?

You can stop the initial synch and prevent it from copying over your entire library - then select which collections you want to synch. But can't drag-and-drop individual items.

Seems very limited. The only advantage over the previous software is that the actual 'reading pane' is bigger, cleaner. Otherwise, it's the same as before, with bigger icons and no ability to transfer individual files.

Bah...

Will test some more...

vxf · 09-15-2011, 09:49 AM

I have tried copying some annotated PDFs to my PRS350 using the old Reader Library and then plugged the 350 in to synch with Reader for PC. Reader for PC crashed and my 350 went bricked. I tried resetting, but no luck - it turned on, but got stuck on 'loading'.

Frustrating...

vxf · 09-15-2011, 10:02 AM

One factory reset later... the PRS350 is alive again. But the software keeps freezing, crashing. The inability of transferring individual books is a deal-breaker for me. And, even worse, I still can't figure out how to transfer notes over. Giving up on this, will wait for an update.

ScalyFreak · 09-15-2011, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

My conclusion is that I like the old software better. The new Reader has removed some of the functionality that was important to me. Calibre seems like it might be a better option now. If you are already using calibre, then I don't see any reason to switch to the new Sony software.

Thank you for writing up such long and detailed posts about your impressions of the new software. I was very torn on whether I wanted to download and install it or not (very low on disk space), but based on what you posted I've decided to hold off. I will stick with Calibre for now.

ChrisR · 09-15-2011, 11:39 AM

Regarding the new Reader software for Mac and my problem of not being able to sign into the Store:

I discovered the problem was that my password contained special characters, or at least, & and -.

Using the old Reader software I was able to sign into my account, change the password (I had a hunch) to just alphanumeric characters, then login again with the new Reader for Mac software.

Success!

graycyn · 09-15-2011, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mutabor

Size: 40MB

Thank you. Do-able on slow dial-up, but painful. Given the reports, I'll pass for now, wait for updates. As is, I only use the Sony Reader Library software to buy the occasional book I have a Sony coupon for.

Bookworm_Girl · 09-15-2011, 02:13 PM

Thanks, vxf. Your experiences sound similar to mine. I didn't have any crashes, but everytime I switch into the Books category of the library it is very slow to refresh. I get a frustrating spinning circle for several seconds. I assume that's because my library was hundreds of books.

When I first installed Reader, it detected that I already has Reader Library and asked if I wanted to import. I said no since I was worried about creating duplicates of stuff and didn't want to risk anything that might corrupt the Reader Library software. So maybe starting clean is the way to go.

You can have both the old and new software installed. However I don't think that Sony will maintain the old one and soon any link to it will disappear from their website. My impression is that they have created the new software to reflect their shift to a more wireless ecosystem. Their table Reader app looks very similar to the new desktop software also from pictures.

Now I am kind of worried about transferring annotations. At least I still have them on my device and could wirelessly sync between my 950 and Mac. That's not an option if you have a 650 or other non-Wifi model. I wonder if you could copy annotation files from the application folders somehow?

09-15-2011, 12:13 AM	#18
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Syncing Works The 950 supports wireless sync like the T1 will. I was able to successfully sync last page read, bookmarks, highlights and keyboard notes between Reader for Mac and my 950. I tested it both ways: from the Mac to the Reader and from the Reader to the Mac. Shocking! I wish the new software had an easy sync button like other brands do. I had to sleep my 950 to get it to transmit the info to the cloud. For the Reader for Mac, I just exited the book back to the library view.

09-15-2011, 09:28 AM	#24
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	I tried using it a bit. Had multiple crashes so far - about 5 in 20 minutes or so. The library synch'd with the library from the previous software (Reader Library). All my collections were duplicated, for some reason, but not the files. But no notes/annotations transferred over. Has anyone had luck importing annotated documents into the new software? It synch'd my PDFs, but not the notes on them - any suggestions? You can stop the initial synch and prevent it from copying over your entire library - then select which collections you want to synch. But can't drag-and-drop individual items. Seems very limited. The only advantage over the previous software is that the actual 'reading pane' is bigger, cleaner. Otherwise, it's the same as before, with bigger icons and no ability to transfer individual files. Bah... Will test some more... Last edited by vxf; 09-15-2011 at 09:34 AM.

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09-15-2011, 12:43 AM	#19
induna Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica Device: Sony PRS-500, 505, 600, 350, T1 Amazon Kindle PW1, PW2, Voyage	Why is Sony totally unable to support touchpad gestures on the MAC? It makes the new software next to unusable.

09-15-2011, 01:27 AM	#21
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	The font choice is just too big, and it's rather annoying. Some menus open and they are off screen because of the font size. I can't see the history list in the book viewer. The first time you plug your reader in the default is to sync your entire library. Yikes! If you have a huge library and don't want to do that, then I suggest you only load one book into your library, then sync with your reader for the first time. After the first auto-sync of everything, then you can turn on only the items or collections that you want. It was a poor choice to default to everything. Also, they have indeed removed manual drag-and-drop to the reader. It is now syncing only. My biggest disappointment is that collections can no longer be sorted by order sequence. It defaults to numbering by the order that you added the books to the collections. On the other hand, you can mix content within a collection now. It doesn't have to be just books. Must be something new that the T1 can handle? When I transfer a non-book collection to my reader, it shows up empty on the device because it is looking for books only. I wish Sony gave you the capability to delete books from your account library. I have lots of stuff from almost 5 years of purchases that I would like to permanently delete and now it clutters this new software. In the old software, you could choose what you wanted downloaded from your account. My conclusion is that I like the old software better. The new Reader has removed some of the functionality that was important to me. Calibre seems like it might be a better option now. If you are already using calibre, then I don't see any reason to switch to the new Sony software. I think it was important to reformat the software because there were a lot of complaints about the old software. However, it is clearly a first version. Hopefully updates are not few and far between.

09-15-2011, 02:17 AM	#22
Mark Nord 2B \|\| !2B Posts: 854 Karma: 327896 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Austria Device: Sony PRS505/650/T1/tolino vision 5	redundant

09-15-2011, 08:57 AM	#23
OakdaleMike Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 110 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oakdale, CA Device: PRS-900, rooted Nook Color	It appears that this new "Reader for PC" is separate and distinct from the "Reader Library". Not knowing about the new stuff, I downloaded and installed the Library on a new laptop last night. I just checked again, and if you go in the "Normal" way on SonyStyle.com, select "support" and your model number, you get vectored to the "Library" download. It seems to me that these two programs have different functions: the Library software is for managing books in your collection and on your device, while the Reader software is more like Kindle for PC and Nook for PC and is meant for reading books on your computer. (Who does that????).

09-15-2011, 09:49 AM	#25
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	I have tried copying some annotated PDFs to my PRS350 using the old Reader Library and then plugged the 350 in to synch with Reader for PC. Reader for PC crashed and my 350 went bricked. I tried resetting, but no luck - it turned on, but got stuck on 'loading'. Frustrating...

09-15-2011, 10:02 AM	#26
vxf Guru Posts: 944 Karma: 1490348 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Norman, OK Device: Sony PRS 350, 900, 950; Kindles (ALL of them!); Kobo Aura One	One factory reset later... the PRS350 is alive again. But the software keeps freezing, crashing. The inability of transferring individual books is a deal-breaker for me. And, even worse, I still can't figure out how to transfer notes over. Giving up on this, will wait for an update.

09-15-2011, 11:39 AM	#28
ChrisR Junior Member Posts: 6 Karma: 3686 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: none	Regarding the new Reader software for Mac and my problem of not being able to sign into the Store: I discovered the problem was that my password contained special characters, or at least, & and -. Using the old Reader software I was able to sign into my account, change the password (I had a hunch) to just alphanumeric characters, then login again with the new Reader for Mac software. Success!

09-15-2011, 02:13 PM	#30
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,873 Karma: 36536965 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Thanks, vxf. Your experiences sound similar to mine. I didn't have any crashes, but everytime I switch into the Books category of the library it is very slow to refresh. I get a frustrating spinning circle for several seconds. I assume that's because my library was hundreds of books. When I first installed Reader, it detected that I already has Reader Library and asked if I wanted to import. I said no since I was worried about creating duplicates of stuff and didn't want to risk anything that might corrupt the Reader Library software. So maybe starting clean is the way to go. You can have both the old and new software installed. However I don't think that Sony will maintain the old one and soon any link to it will disappear from their website. My impression is that they have created the new software to reflect their shift to a more wireless ecosystem. Their table Reader app looks very similar to the new desktop software also from pictures. Now I am kind of worried about transferring annotations. At least I still have them on my device and could wirelessly sync between my 950 and Mac. That's not an option if you have a 650 or other non-Wifi model. I wonder if you could copy annotation files from the application folders somehow?