Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book Readers > Sony Reader

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 07-28-2006, 09:15 AM   #1
Alexander Turcic
Fully Converged
Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Alexander Turcic's Avatar
 
Posts: 18,163
Karma: 14021202
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Switzerland
Device: Too many to count here.
Sony Reader -- Ask your questions to the Sony team

There's quite a buzz about the new generation of E Ink devices coming to market. This is especially true for the Sony Reader PRS-500 which made its full debut at the CES show in Las Vegas earlier this year and was originally scheduled to be rolled-out in Borders and SonyStyle stores for spring. Being the geeks that we are, we continue to gather here at MobileRead looking for the latest information and rumors as the excitement grows.

Now is your chance to cut right past the rumors and speculation and get some straight answers from the Sony Reader team. They were particularly kind to contact us with an offer to answer questions from the MobileRead community.

This is your big chance to hear what you want to know, right from the source. To participate, please post your burning questions about the Sony Reader in this thread and we will route the best of them to the Sony folks next week.

PS: If you are looking for some base information about the reader, be sure to check out our Sony Reader forum.
Alexander Turcic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 09:39 AM   #2
TadW
Uebermensch
TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
TadW's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,583
Karma: 1094606
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Italy
Device: Kindle
Q: When will the Sony Reader become available in other countries? Europe? Asia?
TadW is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 07-28-2006, 09:41 AM   #3
rmeister0
Addict
rmeister0 has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.rmeister0 has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.rmeister0 has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.
 
Posts: 270
Karma: 298
Join Date: Mar 2005
I guess I'll start with the obvious question: has this thing gone through a beta test stage? A few minutes reading through the Iliad forum topics on this very web site demonstrates the importance of polishing the software.

Has Sony tested firmware updates, and how are they delivered to the end user?

Has Sony experienced any issues with 'ghosting'?

Has Sony stress-tested battery life under a variety of conditions?

Is the Sony Reader's battery user replacable?

Exactly which file formats are supported natively (ie, copy file to memory stick, insert memory stick, file works?) and which file formats require conversion?

If the Reader supports PDF natively, can it handle PDF files with lots of graphics? Can it zoom or rotate the page?

Will the Sony Reader or the Connect Store support subscription content (such as magazines and newspapers?)

What will the warranty cover? Can customers buy extra warranty coverage for things like cracked screens (as you can with laptops)?

If the Sony Reader breaks, what will it take to move DRMd content to a replacement machine? Or, what if Sony introduces a new improved Reader a few years later - same question!

What is Sony's exit strategy? If Sony decides to leave the eBook market or abandon the Reader, what options will customers have to retain access to the content they've paid for?

Will Sony provide software and support for customers using Mac OS X?
rmeister0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 09:50 AM   #4
Xenophon
curmudgeon
Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Xenophon ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Xenophon's Avatar
 
Posts: 1,481
Karma: 5748190
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Redwood City, CA USA
Device: Kobo Aura HD, (ex)nook, (ex)PRS-700, (ex)PRS-500
What about non-DRM content

For those of us who purchase exclusively content with NO DRM(!)... How will the Sony Reader support files with no DRM? For example, I purchase lots of e-books from Baen Books -- lots of formats, good prices, NEVER any DRM! How will I be able to use such content on the Sony Reader?

Secondly, will I be able to put non-DRM content on a flash memory card of some sort, and then use it on the Sony Reader?

I'd also like to second the question about Mac OS X support. Note that answers like "Windows only" or "just use BootCamp to run Windows on your Mac Hardware" would guarantee that I will never purchase your product, or any content for it.

Lastly, will Sony's online store support non-DRM content if that's what the publisher wants? There are certainly some publishers who take that position (Baen, O'Reilly, and the National Academies Press, among others). Will I be able to purchase such content through Sony?
Xenophon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 10:09 AM   #5
diabloNL
Gadget Force®
diabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with othersdiabloNL plays well with others
 
diabloNL's Avatar
 
Posts: 705
Karma: 2733
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: The Netherlands
Device: Sony PRS-300 + Cybook with funny screen :P
Man! you guys asked already the most questions that I wanted to ask. :P

What I want to know is when the Reader will be released for sure.
diabloNL is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 07-28-2006, 11:38 AM   #6
dugbug
Addict
dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.dugbug once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.
 
dugbug's Avatar
 
Posts: 206
Karma: 1723
Join Date: May 2006
Device: Kindle
Some general reading-related questions:

1) Can I listen to songs while reading?
2) Can I bookmark a location in a book and return to it later?
3) Can I "jump" forward/backward while reading by something other than 1 page (chapter, 10 page jumps, etc)?
4) What is the display's expected lifetime?
5) Can I create "folders" and generally configure/manage the organization of content? (ie: through the included PC software).
dugbug is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 12:10 PM   #7
lordvetinari2
Zealot
lordvetinari2 is on a distinguished road
 
Posts: 137
Karma: 61
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gijón, Spain
Device: Kindle 3G+WiFi & Galaxy Note
I second the question on native formats, and on release date (both for US and other areas -especially Europe).

I find it very positive for Sony to be willing to face the fans. It is something I really did not expect from such a large company.
lordvetinari2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 01:07 PM   #8
Alexander Turcic
Fully Converged
Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Alexander Turcic ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Alexander Turcic's Avatar
 
Posts: 18,163
Karma: 14021202
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Switzerland
Device: Too many to count here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lordvetinari2
It is something I really did not expect from such a large company.
Agreed. I think they are doing an excellent PR job here.
Alexander Turcic is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 01:18 PM   #9
davidrothman
Connoisseur
davidrothman began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 60
Karma: 32
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Alexandria, VA
Device: Paperwhite, $50 Fire, iPad Air 2, Nexus 6, Kobo Aura H2O
Do publishers really want Sony format--especially with Apple looming?

Many thanks for answering people's questions. I'm curious if Sony's fully considering the publishers' side. Someone with a huge publishing conglomerate tells me that there are already too many formats to support for the amount of resources this giant company has available. Now, think about the smaller publishers. And of course the rumored Apple machine might just add to the Tower of eBabel. What's more, an Adobe executive has said that BBeB will not be eternal. Meanwhile, as you can tell from other questions, format/DRM issues are very important to readers. Even now it would appear that the Sony Reader can't even handle DRMed PDF, the kind that big publishers prefer, especially for best-sellers.

Bottom line: Could it be that Sony would be better off going for a common format rather than paying--yes, paying--for books to be converted to the BBeB format? Can you really keep paying forever? And mightn't a common format might be one way to distinguish yourself from Apple, which probably will go for a proprietary approach? What do you think? Many thanks, and good luck with the Reader.

- David Rothman (wearing his OpenReader hat).
davidrothman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 02:51 PM   #10
leandroide
Zealot
leandroide has learned how to buy an e-book online
 
leandroide's Avatar
 
Posts: 144
Karma: 92
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Vigo, Spain
Device: Papyre 6.1 (Hanlin V3)
In other devices you can use a dictionary selecting text with the stylus on the screen... is there any similar functionality in the Sony Reader?

Cheers,

L.
leandroide is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2006, 03:39 PM   #11
Kosst Amojan
Addict
Kosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to beholdKosst Amojan is a splendid one to behold
 
Kosst Amojan's Avatar
 
Posts: 207
Karma: 19597
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Northern Virginia
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
What is the maximum sized flash card that the Reader can handle?

Are access and screen refresh rates slower on media that is saved on a flash card then on the device?

Can the Reader read archived .Jpeg’s such as in .Zip or .Rar files?

Is there any planned support for Microsoft’s .Lit format?

How does audio file navigation work when you’re reading a book? (can you change a track without having to exit the book you’re reading to go to another menu?)

Do PDF’s need to be formatted in some way to make sure the text flows properly on the Readers screen?
Kosst Amojan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2006, 06:02 AM   #12
TadW
Uebermensch
TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
TadW's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,583
Karma: 1094606
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Italy
Device: Kindle
Here is one that I think a few of us would like to know:

Is Sony already working on a successor of the Sony Reader? E Ink technology is already a step ahead with 1024x768 display kits as used for the iRex iLiad. I would want to see the Reader with this bigger resolution (and diagonal).

Also, does Sony have any guidelines from E Ink when we can expect the first E Ink devices with color displays?
TadW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2006, 08:35 AM   #13
yvanleterrible
Reborn Paper User
yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.yvanleterrible ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
yvanleterrible's Avatar
 
Posts: 8,616
Karma: 15446734
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Que Nada
Device: iPhone8, iPad Air
With and to all of the above I would add:

Can we have numerous books open at the same time ie. dictionnaries of different languages with the current book read.

Can we transfer notes as in post-its and attach them to the page read.

If the document read is PDF is Acrobat installed on board.

Does one have to reformat existing books that one previously owns.

Is it still possible to change the refresh "flashto black" before redisplay to a "flash to white ".

Is the ghosting effect that is corrected by refreshing due to the little colored cells not being quite correctly at the right optimal vertical position. If this is so could it be corrected by a longer grid charge.

Can a magnet applied to the e-ink sceen modify the display.

Would it be possible to arrange for the connection of a small foldable keyboard like the ones on PDAs.


I'd like to thank Alexander for giving us the opportunity to have a say at Sony's ear, and Sony Itself for listening.
yvanleterrible is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2006, 01:07 PM   #14
rjnagle
Zealot
rjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it is
 
Posts: 126
Karma: 2167
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, Texas
Device: ipad 1, Nook Simple Touch, Kindle 3, ebookwise 1150
keeping rss content on the reader?

If I download an RSS feed, can I keep the content on the reader? Or will it be automatically deleted after a certain period of time?

Does it have a maximum size or number of posts for each individual RSS feed?

Obviously, I'd like the power to decide how long a particular feed stays on my machine, and how big it is allowed to get.
rjnagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2006, 01:10 PM   #15
rjnagle
Zealot
rjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it isrjnagle knows what time it is
 
Posts: 126
Karma: 2167
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, Texas
Device: ipad 1, Nook Simple Touch, Kindle 3, ebookwise 1150
conversion tools?

Will you sell server-side conversion tools?

If yes, how much will they cost?

How much will the ebook creation tool cost? Or is it free?
rjnagle is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Sony Reader team on Mobileread? thibaulthalpern Sony Reader 5 04-19-2009 12:09 PM
Questions on the Sony e-reader fleaaaaaa Which one should I buy? 16 09-08-2008 03:13 PM
Sony Reader questions answered by Sony Reader Team Alexander Turcic Sony Reader 107 10-25-2007 11:21 AM
Visit the Sony Reader team at UCLA on April 28-29, 2007 Bob Russell Sony Reader 18 05-03-2007 06:46 AM
A few questions about the Sony Reader... WilliamG Sony Reader 9 09-27-2006 05:27 PM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:01 PM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.