PRS-900 PRS 900 SHIPPED FED EX: ARRIVAL 12/23/09

[rainsux]

Simaru,

May I ask a favor?

I author (PDF) ebooks for pilots. Would you be willing to download one of the "large"
ones and tell me how long the PRS-900 requires to open/format/display the document?

The PRS-600 in the Sony Style store required 4.5 minutes ... that is unacceptable.
I'm hoping that the -900 production units are better in this regard.

Here a link to one of my "large" documents:

http://www.NACOmatic.com/approach/iap-ne.pdf

-doug

[Faenad]

we need a review of this one

[JanieGirl]

I was interested in the new sony reader until I compared prices, Sony is several dollars higher in some cases. Twilight saga collection for example, $33 for Nook/Kindle, $39 for Sony!! I looked at other prices too. The bookstore isn't as big as I thought but the price factor is the deciding factor.

I'm happy for those of you who get one but it won't be me

[sirmaru]

I just noticed a MAJOR PRS 900 improvement over the PRS 505.

Whenever I changed font sizes with the PRS 505, the total pages in the book changed as well as my current page number.

With the PRS 900 no matter what font size I use, the total page numbers stay the same and the current page number stays the same as well.

In fact it matches the Sony PC Desktop Reader's page numbers which also stays the same no matter what font size I use.

Thus, if I am reading using the PC or the PRS 900 I can always advance the other to the same page number. Those page numbers are always constant and stay the same with both PC and eReader.

For me this is the most valuable advance of all since I mostly read on my PC with supplemental reading on the eReader and keeping them in sync had been the most difficult of my chores.

One other minor improvement is the new Zoom function of the PRS 900. That is especially valuable for reading PDF documents. With the PRS 505 many of those documents had fonts too small to be read no matter what font size I used since font sizing did not change the size for those PDF's. The PRS 900 has a supplemental Zoom function which can enlarge any PDF fonts. That is also a big help for me since I download Bible Study documents from the Internet in PDF and could not use them at all on the PRS 505. The only drawback of the Zoom function is that occasionally, after using it and then reading a normal ePub book, my PRS 900 would freeze. However, just pressing Options and then "Go to Page," would unfroze the device.

[Citation4444]

I tried to do this, but there's not enough memory for me to load this document on my PRS-900. I've already put several books on it and I'd need to buy a memory card in order to try this. I might be able to do it later today when my son arrives with his digital camera (and some memory).

Bob

Originally Posted by rainsux

Simaru,

May I ask a favor?

I author (PDF) ebooks for pilots. Would you be willing to download one of the "large"
ones and tell me how long the PRS-900 requires to open/format/display the document?

The PRS-600 in the Sony Style store required 4.5 minutes ... that is unacceptable.
I'm hoping that the -900 production units are better in this regard.

Here a link to one of my "large" documents:

http://www.NACOmatic.com/approach/iap-ne.pdf

-doug

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by JanieGirl

I was interested in the new sony reader until I compared prices, Sony is several dollars higher in some cases. Twilight saga collection for example, $33 for Nook/Kindle, $39 for Sony!! I looked at other prices too. The bookstore isn't as big as I thought but the price factor is the deciding factor.

I'm happy for those of you who get one but it won't be me

I use PC book reading applications from Amazon, Barnes&Noble and Sony. I always price shop after selecting the title. Then I buy from the cheapest source.

I usually read two books at one time and keep at least one of the two as a Sony purchase to use their eReaders. Sony has lower or similar prices on 60% of the titles so I have plenty of flexibility. Most of my reading is on the PC in any event and only supplemented by the eReader.

[Citation4444]

Originally Posted by JanieGirl

I was interested in the new sony reader until I compared prices, Sony is several dollars higher in some cases. Twilight saga collection for example, $33 for Nook/Kindle, $39 for Sony!! I looked at other prices too. The bookstore isn't as big as I thought but the price factor is the deciding factor.

I'm happy for those of you who get one but it won't be me

Yes, some of the titles are more expensive, but IMO this is more than offset by the feature of getting books from your local library system. For example, I just checked the READS (Regional eBook & Audiobook Download System) and they have Books 1-4 of the Twilight saga available for download (checkout). How many books are there in the saga?

To me, the ability to download from a library system and the ability to get public domain titles for free are the features that made me select this reader over the Kindle or Nook.

Bob

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Whenever I changed font sizes with the PRS 505, the total pages in the book changed as well as my current page number.

With the PRS 900 no matter what font size I use, the total page numbers stay the same and the current page number stays the same as well.

In fact it matches the Sony PC Desktop Reader's page numbers which also stays the same no matter what font size I use.

This is ePub vs LRF, rather than anything specific to the PRS-900.

The 505 with the ePub firmware update will have the same behavior when reading ePub.

EDIT: One thing I've noticed about the 900 that is an improvement over the 505/600 when reading ePub... no more page numbers in the margins!

[cashthedog]

I guess there are still some things I don't get about the Sony PRS 900. Maybe you guys can enlighten me?

1. You can only download directly (WIFI) from the sony internet book store to the PRS 900 (i.e. sony.books.com) Correct?

2. Everything else like Libraries, Google Books and so on goes FIRST to your computer and THEN you download it onto the PRS 900. Correct?

I think that the Sony bookstore is very lacking in titles if you stack it against Barnes and Nobles and Amazon. At least for the books i'm interested in. So if Sony Books doesn't have the book title I want I have to go somewhere else and therefore complete 2 steps (downloading it to the computer, then to the Sony reader) instead of one step if I use the Kindle or the Nook as their bookstore have pretty much everything. Correct?
I would love to get the Sony Ereader but I'm not sure if the Nook or the Kindle are the better choices. Thanks for your help!

[JanieGirl]

Originally Posted by Citation4444

Yes, some of the titles are more expensive, but IMO this is more than offset by the feature of getting books from your local library system. For example, I just checked the READS (Regional eBook & Audiobook Download System) and they have Books 1-4 of the Twilight saga available for download (checkout). How many books are there in the saga?

To me, the ability to download from a library system and the ability to get public domain titles for free are the features that made me select this reader over the Kindle or Nook.

Bob

The library feature is useless to me. I never had a library card from my local library and don't plan on getting one.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

This is ePub vs LRF, rather than anything specific to the PRS-900.

The 505 with the ePub firmware update will have the same behavior when reading ePub.

You are correct. I synchroinzied my 505 and it now has all ePub books and works the same with page numbers as the Sony 3.1 Desktop Reader and the 900.

[Citation4444]

Originally Posted by JanieGirl

The library feature is useless to me. I never had a library card from my local library and don't plan on getting one.

Can't imagine your thinking in not getting a free library card, but that puts all logical arguments off the table. Maybe you have some reason that I don't understand.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by JanieGirl

The library feature is useless to me. I never had a library card from my local library and don't plan on getting one.

Out of curiosity, may I ask why?

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

Out of curiosity, may I ask why?

I searched via Sony all the library books in the two states near me and found not one book I'd like. I hear that books don't get on the library shelves for 2 to 3 years after publication.

I have no problem paying for books I like but simply search the big three (B&N, Amazon and Sony) for the cheapest price after I select the title.

In addition the library feature makes the book file go dead in 3 weeks and renewals are not allowed. I read two books at once and it usually takes me 2 to 3 months to finish one of them.

[JanieGirl]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

Out of curiosity, may I ask why?

The local library is a distance from me and I never thought of getting one. Not everyone is a library person. I use the INTERNET to read etc. I could care less about the library to be honest so that's why that feature doesn't hold interest for me.