PRS-505 I have given up on Sony - Kindle 3 ordered

[matt314159]

Originally Posted by jswinden

I'm glad it worked on your 300. It looks like crap on my 300:

• Takes forever to boot up
• Takes at least 2 minutes to open an average ePub
• ePubs look more like a non-formatted text file than an ePub
• Does not display all the characters correctly making the text difficult to read
• It cannot find pre-loaded books

Their concept is nice and the feature set is great. But this software is not even close to being alpha, much less beta released. It needs a LOT of work and by competent programmers. I wouldn't waste time installing it yet.

That's weird I can't imagine that identical hardware running identical software would have such a different experience. I timed my unit and here's what I got:
From Boot Menu to main screen of ebookapps: 10 seconds
Opening an e-Book: 30 seconds. (until it's fully loaded and ready to turn a page, not until it first shows text on the screen)
ebook length: 127,000 words, 360 pages in paperback form

Now, to one complaint of yours that I'm starting to agree with more and more is the lack of formatting on an epub. I'm finding that even section headers are wrapped right along in with the text and not separated. Links are also broken, I like flashing back and forth between the superscripts and the chapter endnotes, but can't in ebookapps.

The reason it can't find preloaded books is they wanted to keep you out of the sony filesystem so that never the 'twain shall meet, if you will. At least that's the gist I got from reading their forum. To get around this, I just copy whatever book I want to read over into the "books" folder that's on the root of the drive, and then it sees it.

But what keeps me using it is
- the ability to read in "right handed" landscape mode, i.e. with the number row along the top instead of the bottom. I find the metal "spine" of the reader is a great thumb grip when reading in bed.
- the ability to change between three type faces, an "arial," "DejaVu Sans" and "DejaVu Serif" I'm really liking DejaVu Serif as my main reading font.
- 7 font sizes

Additionally, menu navigation and page turns seem to be faster than the sony, unless I keep the font at a really small size, then it actually takes longer.

I'd disagree with the "alpha" comment, to me it feels like a beta...has quirks, isn't ready for prime-time, but getting there.

Just curious, how much time did you "waste" installing it? I downloaded a zip file, extracted the folders, and copied the folders to my device....30 seconds, tops? I say give it a try and if you don't like it, switch back. It's so easy to "uninstall" you don't really have anything to lose by trying it out, and a lot to potentially gain.

MY main next feature request would be a simple text highlighting tool. Don't need to annotate, but highlight would be nice for my needs at the moment.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by matt314159

...
Opening an e-Book: 30 seconds. (until it's fully loaded and ready to turn a page, not until it first shows text on the screen)
ebook length: 127,000 words, 360 pages in paperback form

Is 30 seconds normal on the Sony, or is this just with the external firmware? Or are you opening at a very large cover image?

Opening into the middle of a 455 (paperback) page book on my Elonex takes 3 seconds (about 10 seconds if opening instead to the cover image on the first page), and it was about the same on my Cybook. It would be interesting to hear the timings for the Kindles.

Graham

[matt314159]

let me open the same book in the sony fw, I'll edit it in, in a moment. My impression is that the sony takes less than half that time.

Okay, in the sony fw, if I click to "continue reading" on that same book, it flashes to my previous spot in less than 4 seconds. If I load the same book up from scratch, to the cover image, it takes less than 3 seconds.

[SkyDream]

Originally Posted by ebookapps

Sony is laggish with firmware upgrades, so this is valid point to complain about, but check out our firmware http://www.ebookapplications.com.
It installs by just copying file to the device's memory and loads as a optional boot, so you can choose during the device boot to load original firmware or alternative firmware.
It supports lot more ebook formats than original and has dictionaries support as well as better support for PDFs, custom fonts, flexible page-view settings. So check it out before making final decision and criticizing Sony devices.

Hmmm...just tried on my PRS-505 with no success.
After copying the files and unplugged 505 scans and asks to choose between Sony and your firmware. When i choose ebookapp it takes a little time and then 505 scans again starting the loop. Before i can press any key it asks again which firmware. I tried Sony and turned the reader off after the scan using the settings (total power off). But this didn't help. I'm stuck in the firmware selection loop when choosing ebookapp.

After a few times i just removed the files and be back.

[Graham]

Originally Posted by matt314159

let me open the same book in the sony fw, I'll edit it in, in a moment. My impression is that the sony takes less than half that time.

Okay, in the sony fw, if I click to "continue reading" on that same book, it flashes to my previous spot in less than 4 seconds. If I load the same book up from scratch, to the cover image, it takes less than 3 seconds.

That's good, thanks for testing it.

Graham

[church mouse]

The OP was about Sony and its firmware and I tend to agree with the sentiment - the firmware is rather limited. That said, I do love my 300 (indeed even more than my old 505, much to my surprise, because I have found that in use I actually prefer the smaller screen) and will stick with it as it does a reliable job of what it can do (had I known that there was a UK vendor of the PB360 when I bought my 300, then Sony may have lost me at that time).

As for the ebookapplications software - I have tried each successive release with varying degrees of success. I love the idea, and it has great potential but I do not think it is there yet. Clearly some are having issues installing it. Also, already loaded books must be moved from the database/media/books Sony default location in order to be seen - there are reasons for this, but it is hardly a "keep it simple, stupid" installation for the wary. Two bigger issues may be: it currently does not work with Calibre (indeed they seem to be incompatible at present, but I see they are looking to fix this in a future release); it does not work with drm protected files (yes, people do buy drm books and will not or cannot remove the protection).

Whatever the future of ebookapplications, it is not a Sony product and so should not be relied upon by Sony to give life to e-readers stuck with natively limited firmware.

[sirmaru]

I'm going to keep my Sony PRS 900 and buy a new Kindle LG WiFi.

When I buy eBooks, I'll check both stores to see which is cheaper. So far Amazon beats Sony on price 9 out of 10 times.

[shanghaichica]

Originally Posted by sirmaru

I'm going to keep my Sony PRS 900 and buy a new Kindle LG WiFi.

When I buy eBooks, I'll check both stores to see which is cheaper. So far Amazon beats Sony on price 9 out of 10 times.

This what I will be doing. I imagine new purchases will be made on the kindle because the books seem to be cheaper in the kindle store. But I've still got hundreds of books in my to read list in ePub format so those will be read on my prs- 300.

[Keef]

I have not been in the forums for a while because I have really been enjoying my 900. I can't worry about the latest Kindle, my 900 does what I want it to. Everyone so impatient about a new Sony Reader. Just continue using your Sony reader and when they come out with their new Readers in the fall like they always do you can consider the upgrade. I am too busy reading with my 900 to worry about it. Kindle and other companies will always have a new and improved and Sony will do the same thing.

Like what other have said, I don't like the plastic on the Kindle and the keyboard which takes up to room. I decided to be committed to Sony. I just bought the 900 and next year they will have even a better reader coming out in the fall of 2011. It never ends. Enjoy what you have now. If the latest Sony this fall is much better than your old Sony by all means buy it. But since I have a 900, I will wait at least another year before I upgrade. I have no glare issues with my 900. If I stare at my iPhone I see a glare in it as well. If I dint focus on it, I don't see it.

[FangornUK]

I'll be doing the same as Duckbill when my PRS-505 (and the wife's) kick the bucket. Amazon look to have finally got the ebook market working well, finally good, cheap hardware (subsidised by ebook purchases - as it should be). Sony really dropped the ball just after the PRS-505, I just don't think they have a clue anymore. I still prefer the design of the PRS-500, the 505 is good but the case on the 505 is nonsense, we've broken two as the hinges are so delicate (the after sales support has been shambolic too).

The EPUB debacle on the Sony Reader Store and lack of a fix on the PRS-505 formatting was a disgrace. I still have to convert them back to LRF from EPUB to get any decent, clean formatting with readable fonts. Typically Sony; once a new product replaces old you'll never see any firmware support again! I just don't like the newer models, 300 too small, 600 too fuzzy, 900 wrong shape (DX is more like it). With the amount of money I've spent in the Sony ebook store I feel cheated, and won't be buying another Sony ebook device. If this is the way they want to treat their customers, then I won't be coming back and I'll be reluctant to buy their other electronic products (of which I have many).

It looks as though conversion between MOBI and EPUB is easy without losing formatting so ebooks shouldn't be a problem on the Kindle.

[jashsu]

Originally Posted by FangornUK

Typically Sony; once a new product replaces old you'll never see any firmware support again!

Not contesting that, but Amazon is no white knight either. Guess how much support they are providing to customers who purchased Adobe pdf ebooks from them before they did their wholesale conversion over to mobi.

Until Amazon gets on board with epub, the Kindle is a non-starter for me. Enjoy your ride though.

[trevgriff]

Originally Posted by Keef

I have not been in the forums for a while because I have really been enjoying my 900. I can't worry about the latest Kindle, my 900 does what I want it to. Everyone so impatient about a new Sony Reader. Just continue using your Sony reader and when they come out with their new Readers in the fall like they always do you can consider the upgrade. I am too busy reading with my 900 to worry about it. Kindle and other companies will always have a new and improved and Sony will do the same thing.

Like what other have said, I don't like the plastic on the Kindle and the keyboard which takes up to room. I decided to be committed to Sony. I just bought the 900 and next year they will have even a better reader coming out in the fall of 2011. It never ends. Enjoy what you have now. If the latest Sony this fall is much better than your old Sony by all means buy it. But since I have a 900, I will wait at least another year before I upgrade. I have no glare issues with my 900. If I stare at my iPhone I see a glare in it as well. If I dint focus on it, I don't see it.

I agree my 900 is the best built reader I've had (500,505, Nook) and has become after a few weeks a very easy reader to read on. I find it much easier to read on than the Nook which I used for 4 months before selling in on craigslist to but the 900.

[sirmaru]

I like my PRS 900 but I ordered the Kindle 3 LG WiFi as well. The latter can search a book much faster, has bibles with Direct Verse Find and has much better contrast.

In addition most eBooks are priced cheaper for the same titles on Amazon over Sony.

However, I'll use both. I do most of my reading on the PC and buy books from Sony, Amazon and B&N.

[ZenRunner]

I like my PRS-300 but have ordered a Kindle 3. I plan to hang onto my PRS-300 for the time being, but I suspect that I'll end up using the K3 most of the time. I've never bought a book from the Sony store but I expect that I'll buy plenty from Amazon since they make it so easy!

[gregcd]

Can we get a photo of a kindle 3 side by side to a sony 505 please?
I'm curious to compare.