PRS-T1 Why are there no reviews for Sony PRS T1?

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by Jane12

I'm curious -- what happens when you try to download from BN to a TS1? Do you get anything, and will it open?

I think you mean T1?

The browser seems to think about trying to access the download link, and then decides not to do anything with it. It's the only store I've run into with this behavior. As the DRM isn't compatible either, I'm not terribly surprised.

Downloading a sample via a browser on my Mac gave me an empty ePub. No DRM, but no content. Downloading a purchased ePub gave me a "Protected by DRM" error on the device.

Put simply, it doesn't look like the T1 is any better at opening B&N DRM than any other reader. I'm starting to wonder how much of the "it will be available for other devices" is just garbage spouted by B&N. Multiple OEMs have not supported it for multiple generations. The odds that B&N over promised are about even with OEMs not wanting to support it. Hard to say what licensing terms it is even wrapped up in.

Hell, B&N is giving me a download link that downloads 600KB of nothing for samples. Really?

[Bookworm_Girl]

I have never had issues with B&N samples before. I download them on my Mac via the browser workaround, and they show up as DRM-free EPUBs. Then I sideload then to my Sony. It was a neat trick! Did you try a different book? I haven't tried to download anything since you don't need the workaround. I will have to try a test of a sample later and see what happens now.

[Kolenka]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

I have never had issues with B&N samples before. I download them on my Mac via the browser workaround, and they show up as DRM-free EPUBs. Then I sideload then to my Sony. It was a neat trick! Did you try a different book? I haven't tried to download anything since you don't need the workaround. I will have to try a test of a sample later and see what happens now.

So some show up empty, some work.

Looks like the problem with samples is that B&N's website isn't providing the epub in the right way, so the T1 browser doesn't recognize it as an epub and won't download it. Feedbooks and other sites that provide the epub directly work, so I have to assume that it is related to the Mimetype or similar information that B&N's servers is or isn't passing along to the device.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Interesting. Thanks! I will have to do some testing later.

[dynabook]

Bookworm_Girl: What is the browser workaround for your Mac?
--MH

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by dynabook

Bookworm_Girl: What is the browser workaround for your Mac?
--MH

See post #12. Although it sounds like we don't need it anymore.

[Jane12]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

I think you mean T1? ....

Put simply, it doesn't look like the T1 is any better at opening B&N DRM than any other reader. I'm starting to wonder how much of the "it will be available for other devices" is just garbage spouted by B&N. Multiple OEMs have not supported it for multiple generations. The odds that B&N over promised are about even with OEMs not wanting to support it. Hard to say what licensing terms it is even wrapped up in.

Yes, sorry! I did mean T1. And thanks for posting your results on what happens when you try to download a B&N ePub.

Incidentally, B&N DRM is a form of Adobe DRM, not some proprietary DRM that B&N cooked up by itself. It's a newer, alternative Adobe DRM that opens with a username + password instead of requiring ADE as a go-between.

ADE Preview 1.8 opens both this new form of Adobe DRM (that B&N uses) and the traditional Adobe DRM (that requires ADE as a go-between). Any other reader or app that uses the latest Adobe RMSDK software is also able to open B&N ebooks. I know Bluefire Reader (for iOS) and the new Etaco jetBook Lite use the latest Adobe RMSDK and can open B&N ebooks, and others on MobileRead have posted that the new Kobo Touch, Bebook Neo, and Onyx Boox can also open B&N ebooks.

If the T1 doesn't open B&N ebooks, that suggests Sony is still using old Adobe RMSDK, or they modified the latest Adobe RMSDK to block out the form of Adobe DRM that B&N uses, or they are otherwise limiting or not fully using Adobe RMSDK in some way. Whatever the case may be, I find that disappointing.

Here's Adobe's announcement about their collaboration with B&N: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/digitalp...noble_faq.html

See also: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=696

[Terisa de morgan]

Originally Posted by Jane12

I know Bluefire Reader (for iOS) and the new Etaco jetBook Lite use the latest Adobe RMSDK and can open B&N ebooks, and others on MobileRead have posted that the new Kobo Touch, Bebook Neo, and Onyx Boox can also open B&N ebooks.

I don't know about the others, but Kobo Touch doesn't open B&N books (not with 1.9.9 at least, I'll have to check with 1.9.11 again).

[Kolenka]

I am well aware of the Adobe/B&N collaboration, but it is certainly B&N that pushed the new form of DRM and convinced Adobe to adopt it. It was the same style DRM B&N was already using for ereader books and didn't want to give up. But it also meant that by getting Adobe to adopt it, B&N would do less work getting the Nook out the door since they would have the DRM work done for them.

And the thing is, I don't believe support is automatic, or that you have to go out of your way to disable it. The SDK doesn't include UI. So to support B&N ePub, they'd have to add UI to be able to input that username and password. This is simple reality of SDKs.

The iOS reader apps are ironically written by one company and rebranded. The RMSDK writers will happily sell you their iOS/Android app with the SDK for you to tweak and rebrand. That is probably helping adoption when Adobe's partner is the one writing mobile apps for everyone.

But I still blame B&N for being stubborn enough to push this and then go quiet when it isn't adopted quickly by everyone because it requires work to adopt it. When companies are cutting core features, rewriting their reading apps and more just to be relevant, are they really gonna care about their competitor's choice of DRM? Yeah, Sony could adopt it, but what feature should have been cut, or set of bugs left in so they could do it? They already left out OTA delivery to make it out in time for holiday.

[Jane12]

I agree there are too many flavors of DRM, and the world did not need B&N to introduce yet another variety.

But I do appreciate the simplicity of B&N's version of Adobe DRM. I don't like having to authorize my devices with Adobe, and if you have multiple devices or have to re-authorize a device for some reason, you run the risk of the dreaded "too many activations/authorizations" error. And then you have to contact Adobe to reset your authorizations, blah blah blah. With B&N's Adobe DRM, all you need is your username+password and you can open your book on any device that reads B&N's Adobe DRM. I really like that.

Also, B&N lets you read books from Sony and Kobo on the Nook. While I can understand why Sony (and Kobo?) wouldn't reciprocate, I still find it disappointing that they don't.

Of course, the real problem is DRM, and the real solution would be to get rid of DRM in the first place :-)

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by Kolenka

Hell, when I owned I Nook, I mostly just downloaded samples, and bought from other places where I still had gift cards, sales, and so on.

I discovered a new option that works with the T1 to get sample downloads. Go on the browser to search.overdrive.com. Search for the book that you want and then see if it has a Sample available. If you click on the sample button, then it will download the EPUB to your T1. Cool!

[SeaBookGuy]

I'm familiar with Whispersync'ing with my folks' K3; is Overdrive-to-T1 roughly the same experience?

[beespeckled]

seabookguy- The t1 can transfer direct from your library overdrive account. very painless. The first time doing this: use the sony store icon and register, it will activate ADE, then touch the Public library icon, it brings up a search box for you to put your zip code, it will search for the closest library. Selecting your library will take you directly to your library overdrive section, sign in w/your library card as usual. The transfer of a book to the t1 is fast. My DD & I found it very user friendly.

The next time you use the Public Library Icon, you will see a link to your library listed very slick.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by SeaBookGuy

I'm familiar with Whispersync'ing with my folks' K3; is Overdrive-to-T1 roughly the same experience?

Well, it's not really syncing with anything, but it is sort of like the Whispernet wireless connectivity. There is a dedicated app on the home screen for the library which really just opens up the same mobile Overdrive interface like what's on my iPhone. You can save your library in the settings so that you can go direct there and don't have to find it every time. You can then access your bookshelf and download from it. You can also download samples as EPUB files. There is also a dedicated button to go straight to your Sony purchases and download them too. Syncing across all devices doesn't work yet on the T1, but it will be neat when it does. It works on my 950, and it's pretty smooth that I can transfer notes and bookmarks back to my computer and to an Android tablet without having to connect via USB.

[SeaBookGuy]

Sorry, I meant Whispernet, but thanks for your responses. Now ... if only this were available for (mp3) audiobooks ....