PRS-950 Getting started with a Sony PRS 950

[ilovejedd]

Stop right now. Looks like you only have machine-specific authorization right now. Don't authorize Adobe Digital Editions with your wife's Adobe account just yet. Search for instructions on removing DRM first or you'll lose access to your purchased book.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Hi, Alleyoop. Sorry you are having difficulties. Let's get back to basics with a few questions to see if people can help you better.

1) Do you have a PC or Mac? What operating system are using? Windows 7? Do you know if it is 32-bit or 64-bit?

2) When you connect your 950 via USB to your computer do you see it as a drive in Windows Explorer or Mac Finder?

3) Did you try to install the Sony software? If so was it called Reader Library or just Reader for PC/Mac? I know there is no Australian Sony bookstore, but sometimes people in the UK and Australia have good luck registering their Sony by installing the Sony software and then selecting US as their country when initially prompted to set-up an account. If you set-up a new account, then make sure to use the same email address and password that your wife used to register your computer with ADE.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

If you set-up a new account, then make sure to use the same email address and password that your wife used to register your computer with ADE.

Looks like the OP already downloaded the borrowed and purchased ebooks while ADE wasn't authorized to an Adobe ID, though. Unfortunately, the only way to get those ebooks to the reader is by removing the DRM first. If OP authorizes the PC to an Adobe ID now, he loses access to the 2 DRM'ed ebooks he has now.

[Alleyoop]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Looks like the OP already downloaded the borrowed and purchased ebooks while ADE wasn't authorized to an Adobe ID, though.

Yes, that's true.

FYI, my PC is Windows XP 32 bit, the Sony does show up on the desktop.
I think the software was Sony Library and Australia was already selected as the location when I went through the process.

So, my next mission is to find out how to remove the DRM from my purchase.

[Alleyoop]

I'm out the door and off to work, just wanted to let you know that I got my book open on my (wife's Sony. Not sure how, but I'll look into it more when I'm back online.
Wanted to quickly update so as not to waste anyone's precious time.

[redbees]

Alleyoop,

As you may already be aware, to find the deDRM information to which ilovejedd refers, google Apprentice Alf.

Bookworm_girl and ilovejedd,

Whew! I'm so glad that you have arrived to lend your expertise. I was at a loss for answers about ADE. Thanks.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by Alleyoop

Later: I finally did what most everybody would expect I should, installed the Sony Reader software and then ADE recognized my device. I have an error while authorizing though.
Was it Winston Churchill who said 'one damn thing after another'?

Yeah, the Sony Reader is a bit fussy in that you have to install the Reader software in order for it to be recognized.

Do you know what the authorization error is?

Worse comes to worse, you could do a hard reset on your Reader -- that should set everything back to box settings: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=109668

[mrmls]

Originally Posted by Alleyoop

I've transferred the book from the PC to the Reader via Calibre, but when I attempt to open the book it says 'Protected by Digital Rights Management'.
I've removed the book and then re sent it but the message persists.
I haven't installed the Sony Library.

Regarding this message: 'Protected by Digital Rights Management':
1st you must authorize the device, use Sony's Library software, I think with this it is easier than ADE's.
2nd, you still can get that message when a device is authorized.
It is a bug in Sony's firmware. It was fixed for PRS-350 and PRS-650, but not for PRS-950. I don't expect that Sony will fix this as they have skipped 950 this spring when it released firmware update for rest of x50 family.

Once, I was able to read my DRMed book after re-authorizing the device. In this forum some other have succeeded in re-copying the book.

[Alleyoop]

There are a couple of posts in this thread that I want to address specifically when I have time, but for now I want to express my appreciation to all of you for helping me to get the 950 basically set up.
I can see in retrospect that I came to this from the wrong direction entirely. I thought Ereaders were like laptops, or pads, or tabs, and had browsers, and that one installed software in order to organise and read ebooks.
Then, along the way I made fundamental mistakes for various reasons, but, hey, that's what we do as humans isn't it? We make mistakes, solve problems, and depend on others to help bail us out!

My very best Christmas Wishes to you all, and may you and your families enjoy a safe, healthy, exciting, rewarding, fulfilling and happy 2012.

[Harmon]

I, too, have a 950, and while I prefer my T1, there are circumstances in which the 950 is nice to read on.

But I just wanted to comment on my reaction to this thread, because it illustrates one of the big reasons why Amazon's inferior EBRs will continue to outsell anything Sony makes. It's not just the Kindle Store.

With the Kindles, your EBR operates "out of the box." Amazon even sets up the connection to your Amazon account. It only takes a few minutes to figure out how to buy books & get them on your EBR. You don't need to have access to a computer to start using a Kindle.

But with the Sonys, there's a song & dance involved, and things can easily get messed up.

So when my friends ask me about what EBR to buy, I generally tell them that the Sonys are, to me, nicer to read on, but require more care & feeding, which most people are not prepared to be doing. Of course, the tradeoff is that the Kindle is less open than the Kindle, and once you figure out how to work things on the Sonys, they provide a nicer reading experience, in my view.

But a product which requires an intelligent person to seek assistance in setting up is going to lose out in the long run.

[petercreasey]

Originally Posted by Harmon

I, too, have a 950, and while I prefer my T1, there are circumstances in which the 950 is nice to read on.

Harmon, I can't imagine my 950 being any better than it is.

What is there about the T1 that makes you prefer it over the 950?

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

Harmon, I can't imagine my 950 being any better than it is.

What is there about the T1 that makes you prefer it over the 950?

It's lighter, has a better screen contrast, is more portable, and seems to have a faster response time. And while the screen is smaller, it doesn't seem to be proportionately smaller, since it occupies more of the surface area of the device.

One advantage the 950 has over the T1 is with pdfs, but I read those on other devices. Another advantage is in reading newspapers, but again, I do that on other devices. So these two items have no use for me.

An advantage of the 950 is that you can get more text on the page at the same font size, but the faster screen refresh of the T1 partially offsets that. In addition, you can get the same amount of text on each screen, but in a larger font on the 950 (which is why I have it for bedtime reading, when my eyes are tired) but that is partially offset by the better screen of the T1.

But note how that can be phrased the other way around. "An advantage of the T1 is that you have a faster screen refresh, but the larger screen on the 950 partially offsets that. In addition, the screen resolution on the T1 makes it easier to read, but that is partially offset by the larger font sizes which the 950 gives you for the same quantity of text."

So for me, the main issue comes down to portablity. If portability were not an issue, I would not trade one for the other.

But if portability were not an issue, and I were making an initial purchase (and if I could get either at the same price) I'd take the T1 because of what I'd call the Jobs Factor. If you were to look at all the E-Ink based EBRs out there, and were told that one of them was a Steve Jobs influenced product (not that I'd believe it), I would select the T1 as that product.

(I said E-Ink devices because if LCD devices were included, I'd say that the Color Nook was the most Jobs-like device.)

[petercreasey]

Harmon, thanks! Thankfully the attributes making you prefer the T1 are not important to me; thus, the 950 retains its high standing in my mind.

[Harmon]

Originally Posted by petercreasey

Harmon, thanks! Thankfully the attributes making you prefer the T1 are not important to me; thus, the 950 retains its high standing in my mind.

Yep - with EBRs, as with most things, truth is contextural.

[Alleyoop]

Interesting information. I appreciate the words of encouragement about the 950.
I began looking at the Kindle, but as my wife mostly reads books from the library, I turned to the Sony. I purchased the 950 in a bit of a panic, Christmas looming etc., and it hadn't even been delivered when I had a terrible attack of buyers remorse, after finding out more details about the T1. I could have spent way less for a start, but I resigned myself to what's done is done and, now that the lovely red leather case (which matches her purse and handbag ) has arrived, and it's all set up ready to turn to page 1 of Rules Of Civility, I think She Who Matters Most is gonna love it!

Slightly off topic, is it possible to add other fonts to the 950?