Canadian Mac user needs help deciding... - Page 2

shighfield · 03-13-2009, 11:56 AM

Yep.

Been without my sony for 2 months now while they repair it so I decided to heck with it, when / if it ever comes back to me I'll just sell it. The EBW1150 works great, and I've already got my conversion method's in place from before.

This weekend I'll go through the three things above and you can convert my babbling into english for the wiki if you don't mind. <G>

nrapallo · 03-13-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shighfield

Yep.

Been without my sony for 2 months now while they repair it so I decided to heck with it, when / if it ever comes back to me I'll just sell it.

...to fictbot? I know he's looking for a replacement for his EBW1150 now that YOU bought it from him...

Quote:

The EBW1150 works great, and I've already got my conversion method's in place from before.

This weekend I'll go through the three things above and you can convert my babbling into english for the wiki if you don't mind. <G>

If you need any help/assistance, just holler; I may even hear you, from up here, in my corner of Toronto!

ficbot · 03-13-2009, 01:29 PM

Ficbot has a shiny new Sony Reader

And I am glad the eBookwise is going to a good home.

shighfield · 03-13-2009, 03:17 PM

Funny how we went full circle here. Andrea was against ebooks, I bought the first 1150 and she was still promoting paper. I got a Sony for christmas and she picked up the 1150 and became a convert. My sony has been in the depot for 2 months so I pick up another 1150 and I'm just going to stay with it.

Thanks for the destructions Nick.

Anyway I've installed the OS X software and will work on converting a PD book with it now for you Nick.

shighfield · 03-13-2009, 03:45 PM

Once you install the beta USB drivers for the mac and reboot your computer. When connecting the EBW1150 to the mac, when you select online bookstore it will take you to your online bookstore.

If you install impserve (Download the source version, un compress the archive and run "python ./impserve.py" from the directory. It will start immpserve. On your 1150 check "Use HTTP proxy (127.0.0.1) and HTTP Proxy port 9090.
Now when you go to the "online bookstore" it will be browsing the impserve collection.

I grabbed a free book called The little white bag from:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1197

I downloaded the RTF version of the book. I was able to convert this to both an EPUB and a IMP file using the "Book Designer" tools.

I then removed the IMP file and imported the EPUB file into Book designer and created a IMP from that. So to answer your question. Yes it also support's .epub conversions.

I have attached a ZIP file that shows the various conversions and has a screen shot included. (I'll attach screen separately)

nrapallo · 03-13-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shighfield

I have attached a ZIP file that shows the various conversions and has a screen shot included. (I'll attach screen separately)

Wow, that's great news!

It's lives..... .imp in the Mac world......

Can you upload a screenshot of "Book Designer" in action showing Build Target and Edition Info boxes... the more the merrier...

shighfield · 03-13-2009, 06:53 PM

Sure thing. It's a very simple program. You launch it, set the preferences and file > open the file to convert and it dumps the output file where you told it too.

nrapallo · 03-13-2009, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shighfield

Sure thing. It's a very simple program. You launch it, set the preferences and file > open the file to convert and it dumps the output file where you told it too.

It looks like the Windows Bulk Convert program. Can you select the just one input file?

The EBook Publisher program can build the .opf and add & re-order .html files. Does the Mac OS X tools allow you to do that?

Oh, btw, text files from Project Gutenberg, DON'T convert well at all. Best to use any .html files available.

shighfield · 03-13-2009, 09:15 PM

Yes I did the two examples one file at a time. There is the option to build an OPF. Do you have an example of multi HTML files that you want me to try?

I just grabbed anything from PG for the test.

I don't normally use .txt but figured it would show the best example of a quick none messed with conversion.

nrapallo · 03-13-2009, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shighfield

Yes I did the two examples one file at a time. There is the option to build an OPF. Do you have an example of multi HTML files that you want me to try?

The link to the REBTestDocSrc.zip provides you with a file that has both the .opf and it's component .html/images.

If you look at the screenshot in the EBook Publisher wiki, you'll notice how multiple .html files are organized (for that sample REBTestDocSrc.zip).

Quote:

I just grabbed anything from PG for the test.

I don't normally use .txt but figured it would show the best example of a quick none messed with conversion.

Good to hear it was just a test.... .html is the way to go!

shighfield · 03-14-2009, 09:46 AM

No that doesn't work at all. Just get the XML data in the IMP file. Also no option for multi HTML that I can find either. Having said that let's load calibre:
Add book, Select the zip file. Ask CAlibre to create epub, hit convert
Back into ebook builder > create imp > file > ludo.epub and....

Failure. (Can not create ebook)

Oh well.

pretty darn close though.

eljacob · 03-14-2009, 11:21 AM

Hi FicBot,

I've been using the PRS-700 with my Mac, and we Mac users have a few options:

1) we can simply copy the books to a memory card (SD or Memory Stick) and the reader will find then when you insert the card back
2) we can install the software provided by Sony using a Virtual Machine (I use VMWare) or using Boot Camp
3) we can use Calibre

With Calibre you can convert from some other formats, and you can also organize your books and create collections. It is a great software, and I am using it for everything except to transfer some books I bought from Sony store over the years.

And the reading experience on a reading device like the Sony Reader is much better than on an IPod - larger screen, better battery life, better contrast, etc...

As for the dictionary, I tried many different solutions over the years, and never found a perfect built in dictionary. Even for other readers that do support a built in dictionary I always found it very slow and distracting to select the word, move to the dictionary, and move back to the book I was reading - so I've been using a separate Franklin multi-language dictionary device (I use the MWD-1490).

You do have to carry another device with you, and you have to type the word you are looking for, but the device is very small and light, and I found that it is faster to retype the words in an external device than to do the full cycle inside a reader - at least with the ones I have tested so far.

Finally the PRS-700 screen is not as sharp and anti-glare as the PRS-505 (I had a PRS-505 and was very disappointed as many other forum members at first). But the built in light of the PRS-700 is great to read in the dark and low light conditions like a plane.

nrapallo · 03-14-2009, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shighfield

No that doesn't work at all. Just get the XML data in the IMP file. Also no option for multi HTML that I can find either. Having said that let's load calibre:
Add book, Select the zip file. Ask CAlibre to create epub, hit convert
Back into ebook builder > create imp > file > ludo.epub and....

Failure. (Can not create ebook)

Oh well.

pretty darn close though.

Try with this attachment, as the original .zip contained a windows executable htm2sb.exe that may have caused it to fail.

I converted the revised .zip below to .epub, so try it again if you want to try to use Calibre .epub for future conversions.

shighfield · 03-14-2009, 05:53 PM

No go Nick.

I'll keep playing with it though.

03-13-2009, 06:53 PM	#22
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	Sure thing. It's a very simple program. You launch it, set the preferences and file > open the file to convert and it dumps the output file where you told it too. Attached Thumbnails

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03-13-2009, 11:56 AM	#16
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	Yep. Been without my sony for 2 months now while they repair it so I decided to heck with it, when / if it ever comes back to me I'll just sell it. The EBW1150 works great, and I've already got my conversion method's in place from before. This weekend I'll go through the three things above and you can convert my babbling into english for the wiki if you don't mind. <G>

03-13-2009, 01:29 PM	#18
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Ficbot has a shiny new Sony Reader And I am glad the eBookwise is going to a good home.

03-13-2009, 03:17 PM	#19
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	Funny how we went full circle here. Andrea was against ebooks, I bought the first 1150 and she was still promoting paper. I got a Sony for christmas and she picked up the 1150 and became a convert. My sony has been in the depot for 2 months so I pick up another 1150 and I'm just going to stay with it. Thanks for the destructions Nick. Anyway I've installed the OS X software and will work on converting a PD book with it now for you Nick.

03-13-2009, 09:15 PM	#24
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	Yes I did the two examples one file at a time. There is the option to build an OPF. Do you have an example of multi HTML files that you want me to try? I just grabbed anything from PG for the test. I don't normally use .txt but figured it would show the best example of a quick none messed with conversion.

03-14-2009, 09:46 AM	#26
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	No that doesn't work at all. Just get the XML data in the IMP file. Also no option for multi HTML that I can find either. Having said that let's load calibre: Add book, Select the zip file. Ask CAlibre to create epub, hit convert Back into ebook builder > create imp > file > ludo.epub and.... Failure. (Can not create ebook) Oh well. pretty darn close though.

03-14-2009, 11:21 AM	#27
eljacob Member Posts: 10 Karma: 14 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: PRS-700	Hi FicBot, I've been using the PRS-700 with my Mac, and we Mac users have a few options: 1) we can simply copy the books to a memory card (SD or Memory Stick) and the reader will find then when you insert the card back 2) we can install the software provided by Sony using a Virtual Machine (I use VMWare) or using Boot Camp 3) we can use Calibre With Calibre you can convert from some other formats, and you can also organize your books and create collections. It is a great software, and I am using it for everything except to transfer some books I bought from Sony store over the years. And the reading experience on a reading device like the Sony Reader is much better than on an IPod - larger screen, better battery life, better contrast, etc... As for the dictionary, I tried many different solutions over the years, and never found a perfect built in dictionary. Even for other readers that do support a built in dictionary I always found it very slow and distracting to select the word, move to the dictionary, and move back to the book I was reading - so I've been using a separate Franklin multi-language dictionary device (I use the MWD-1490). You do have to carry another device with you, and you have to type the word you are looking for, but the device is very small and light, and I found that it is faster to retype the words in an external device than to do the full cycle inside a reader - at least with the ones I have tested so far. Finally the PRS-700 screen is not as sharp and anti-glare as the PRS-505 (I had a PRS-505 and was very disappointed as many other forum members at first). But the built in light of the PRS-700 is great to read in the dark and low light conditions like a plane.

03-14-2009, 05:53 PM	#29
shighfield Groupie!? GROUPIE!?!? Posts: 319 Karma: 649 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: The Dirty Shwa Device: EBW 1150, Libra Color	No go Nick. I'll keep playing with it though.

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