Alternative software for Sony eReaders!

[blufkin]

I tried it on my PRS-300 and get as far as the screen wanting you to choose between the eBook App and Sony. I get nothing when pressing the eBook button. I was patient for 1 minute the first time and 30 minutes the second time and still no go. Now to me where the instructions say copy the folder to the devices root directory is vague . Any help please ?

[netseeker]

Originally Posted by pepak

1) I am so glad someone finally managed to write their own firmware for Sony. That gives a great hope for more future software.

2) I think the ability to run alongside a standard firmware (even PRS Plus-ed one) is a major success and a major feature, since it allows to easily switch between the two firmwares as needed.

Originally Posted by pepak

3) I was rather horrified by the "speed" of the menu system, though. Subjectively, it seems much slower than the Sony firmware.

I can't confirm that this firmware is much slower than Sony's. The "speed" seems to be comparable to me.

Originally Posted by pepak

- HTML: rendering is atrocious. I intentionally tried a formatting-heavy e-book and was disappointed that no formatting made it through - no chapter headings, no emphasis, no CSS, no fonts, no intra-document links... If I had to guess, I would say the HTML was converted to plaintext and then displayed. This is a major problem for me.

The HTML+CSS renderer really needs a lot of additional work imho. Almost all css-styles are ignored.

Originally Posted by pepak

6) All in all, as it is now, I consider eA a proof of concept, not a usable firmware. But I will definitely follow its development with interest, because it has a great potential.

Another suggestion: Custom fonts. It's a major drawback that one can't change/select the default font used in the reading application. The used default font is a very bad choice for e-ink imho. There are many, many better alternatives.

[netseeker]

The PDF-reading application offers more display options than Sony's but it's buggy as hell. It does regularly freeze the device when changing the zoom options and turning pages!

[HarryT]

Can you elaborate on what formats you mean when you say "PDB" and "PRC" support? As you know, both these files are simply "containers", and can contain data in any format whatsoever.

I'm guessing PDB=eReader and PRC=MobiPocket?

[netseeker]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I'm guessing PDB=eReader and PRC=MobiPocket?

Mobipocket PRC doesn't seem to work. I tried it two times with your Dr. Thorndyke Omnibus Vol. 1 from MobileRead's PRC-Upload-Section. First time i got a error message and second time the firmware crashed (freeze).

[fanoI]

Have you tried if it can read cbz/cbr files?

Thanks...

[netseeker]

Originally Posted by fanoI

Have you tried if it can read cbz/cbr files?

Thanks...

Yes i tried it and it doesn't work! Neither CBZ nor CBR can be opened directly. Renaming a cbz to zip works because the software can open zip archives and list all contained files...

[fanoI]

So you see all the pictures but can you see one after the other or after one is seen you have to choose the next manually (that is reader return to the file browers and you file to select the file manually)?

How is the image quality? It is better or worse of a cbz converted in epub/pdf/etc format by for example Calibre?

Maybe can be worse Calibre cut the borders, do the color conversion (probably in better quality) and adapt the image on the screen size, now is done by the reader on the fly

[netseeker]

Originally Posted by fanoI

So you see all the pictures but can you see one after the other or after one is seen you have to choose the next manually (that is reader return to the file browers and you file to select the file manually)?

No, you can "turn pages". You open the renamed cbz file and the software shows you the contained images as list of files. Then you can open the first one in the image viewer and use the page turn buttons to view the next/pervious image in the zip-file.

Originally Posted by fanoI

How is the image quality? It is better or worse of a cbz converted in epub/pdf/etc format by for example Calibre?

Maybe can be worse Calibre cut the borders, do the color conversion (probably in better quality) and adapt the image on the screen size, now is done by the reader on the fly

Hard to say. I guess it depends on the quality of the original images within a CBZ/CBR. I used b/w comics where the software just had to reduce the image dimensions and they looked good. Do you know where i can find some free coloured samples?

[fanoI]

Originally Posted by netseeker

No, you can "turn pages". You open the renamed cbz file and the software shows you the contained images as list of files. Then you can open the first one in the image viewer and use the page turn buttons to view the next/pervious image in the zip-file.

Great! So it so not so bad... only a problem of renaming!

Originally Posted by netseeker

Hard to say. I guess it depends on the quality of the original images within a CBZ/CBR. I used b/w comics where the software just had to reduce the image dimensions and they looked good. Do you know where i can find some free coloured samples?

Try this:
http://www.uniquescomic.com/download...01-digital.cbz

Is very colorued and it seem very good resolution seeing in the PC, let's see how is rendered direcly by the 300

[lordvetinari2]

I tried version 1.6.1.0. It's very good for an early version, as fast as Sony's for me and stable enough. Good job!

If you add the following (in no particular order), I'd replace Sony's firmware for your own as my first option:

1. Full history, not just a list with the latest ebook(s). This means history as in the last 10 pages at least. Very useful when you somehow lose your page after a mispress or after letting a friend try your ereader. Also very useful if you follow links (when enabled).

2. Enabling links (at least in ePUB and PDF), with navigation UP/DOWN or LEFT/RIGHT according to the user settings. I haven't tested CHM, but I hope links work there, otherwise there's no point in using CHM.

3. Set the default Books folder to be the folder where books are copied by Calibre (and I'm guessing Sony software), in the same format (author\title). If not set by default, at least allow to navigate there easily.

4. Public release of any open source code you have used / remixed. I have no problem in supporting commercial projects over open source ones (specially if those open source ones do not support my PRS-300), but it's not cool to "steal" (not offering attribution) from open projects.

If you add the following, I'd ditch the Sony firmware completely (consider this a wishlist):

1. HTML rendering with full CSS. I'm not sure how CSS(2/3???) compatibility is these days, but let's say as good as Firefox / Chrome.

2. Dictionary support, hopefully in Stardict format, hopefully using the right-hand buttons as T9 input or similar.

If you need help with Spanish translation, just let me know. The Spanish in your firmware is decent sometimes, but sometimes it was terrible, too. Thanks for giving the 18n resources in editable format, so users can tweak them at leasure.

[netseeker]

Originally Posted by fanoI

Try this:
http://www.uniquescomic.com/download...01-digital.cbz

Is very colorued and it seem very good resolution seeing in the PC, let's see how is rendered direcly by the 300

It's not worth the trouble to take photos. It doesn't look good. The font within the images isn't readable at all and even the graphics look very dark. The dithering isn't able to deal well with coloured images. Unfortunately it's not possible to split the images when using landscape mode! In landscape mode the full image is shown downscaled, the software doesn't split the images automatically. Not useable for such comics at the moment imho...

[fanoI]

Well I fear that: the color to b&w conversion is a bit tricky...

I don't know if with some specialized reader software something best can be obtained...

1. For fisrt cbz and cbr as to be recognized as"Comic" format non a simple image archive
2. The first image must be opened automatically
3. The top and bottom bords must be cropped
4. ...and finally if it's colored must be downscaled to black&white (with a better algorithm that that actually used)

A lot of operation and I fear the CPU is not so powerful to do this on the fly

[MikeB1972]

Well, I've been playing.
The Good
Justified Text (No Option to Flip between Justified and left align though)
Folder Support
Page turn Speed - Christopher Anvil's Interstellar Patrol II From Baen won't open with open inkpot and takes ages to turn pages on the default 300 firmware - works fine here
More font size choices
Using the home key as a next page key - Much better position for 1 handed operation although as there is no way to change this it probably classes as bad as well.
Those bloody ADE page numbers covering the text are gone

The Bad
Limited formatting support no page breaks on new chapters, links etc

The Indifferent
It's got a clock
If you shut it down completely the default firmware has to open first before you can select the ebook applications one
Slightly slower opening a book than the default firmware.
The Book View settings are not accessible from inside the book

Anyway, I like it and am going to keep using it as the combination of Justification and folder support far outweights the limited formatting support for my reading enjoyment

[booknut]

[QUOTE=ebookapps;966900]We are pleased to announce general availability of free alternative firmware for Sony eReader devices (for models PRS-505 and Pocket Edition PRS–300)


I have a PRS 500 that has been upgrade by Sony to read Epub etc. and I was hoping that this software would work but it does not load at all, just sits at the boot menu display. What a pity, I had heard that the upgraded 500s now run a firmware similar to the 505s and had hoped to be able to read fb2 books...