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Old 07-16-2008, 02:09 AM   #1
D1ffuse
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Hi All,
I joined this forum in May with the idea of doing some research and buying an eBook reader. I am a compulsive reader who must ALWAYS have at least one book on the go, and not only was this addiction costing me thousands a year in books - I'm a hoarder so I was running out of space to keep them. And let's not talk about the increasing number of heavy boxes I'd have to lug each time I moved house.

So, like I said, I came to mobileread for some advice, and spent the obligatory week or two prevaricating between an iLiad (dream) and a Sony PRS-505 (reality). Reality - and a limited budget - won out. So the Sony became my first eReader.

I've been using it for two months now - I've read well over a dozen books on it, and have flicked tens of thousands of 'pages' and I love it. Doesn't half get comments too, on planes particularly.

Of course it's not perfect. Initially settling on a format for best reading took a little time (I favour RTF files at 14pt) and it does take a while to initially load a book when you select it, oh and Sony's proprietary PC software is crap (but Calibre is great) - but they're minor quibbles. I am extremely happy with my eBook reader - and I have mobileread users to thank.

So to anyone else out there doing what I did and thinking of taking the plunge, or wondering if the iLiad is worth three times the price of the Sony: go ahead, buy the Sony eReader. On bang for your buck it's great value.

And hey! You can always buy an iLiad as well some time down the track.
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Old 07-16-2008, 06:54 AM   #2
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Welcome to the forum D1ffuse.
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Old 07-16-2008, 11:33 AM   #3
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Hi D1ffuse and welcome to the Forum. I got a 505 back in January and like it a lot.
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Old 07-17-2008, 05:43 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by D1ffuse View Post
Initially settling on a format for best reading took a little time (I favour RTF files at 14pt) and it does take a while to initially load a book when you select it
Try to load RTF files to your reader via eBook Library (Sony software that you hate ). If you do it this way, RTF files will open almost instantaneously on the reader.
Maybe you will hate the software bit less after that
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Old 07-17-2008, 04:52 PM   #5
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Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?
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Old 07-17-2008, 04:58 PM   #6
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Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?
Frankly speaking I have no idea why people hate it. I don't understand what people expect from it. Make pies? It does for me what I expect it should do so....different tastes? I don't even try to persuade the other camp
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Old 07-17-2008, 05:01 PM   #7
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The problem is that the ebook software and the ebook store (HTML site) both have navigational widgets, and they aren't laid out properly, and the HTML is inconsistent as you move through the site.

So, navigating the "site" and/or "software" never becomes second-nature, because it isn't intuitive. Each session is an exercise in figuring out what to click, where. This is especially fun if you don't enable cookies, have strict security settings, or their site is lagging a bit, or if it fails 4 times in a row to recognize the Reader, and so on.
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Old 07-17-2008, 05:15 PM   #8
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Quote:
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The problem is that the ebook software and the ebook store (HTML site) both have navigational widgets, and they aren't laid out properly, and the HTML is inconsistent as you move through the site.

So, navigating the "site" and/or "software" never becomes second-nature, because it isn't intuitive. Each session is an exercise in figuring out what to click, where. This is especially fun if you don't enable cookies, have strict security settings, or their site is lagging a bit, or if it fails 4 times in a row to recognize the Reader, and so on.
I use it only to transfer books to the reader. It just works
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Old 07-17-2008, 06:26 PM   #9
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I agree with Astra that the Sony Ebook software is very functional and makes it simple to transfer things on and off the Reader with no problems.
But Taylor has a fair point when he says that the Sony Store is poorly laid out. I rarely use it, but they are not interested in European customers anyway. So even if I liked it, it would be inconvenient to get someone to buy gift vouchers for me.
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Old 07-18-2008, 12:14 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DrMoze View Post
Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?
Quote:
Originally Posted by astra View Post
Frankly speaking I have no idea why people hate it. I don't understand what people expect from it. Make pies? It does for me what I expect it should do so....different tastes? I don't even try to persuade the other camp
My only issue is that it is sluggish, Now this may be due to my internet connection but It just spins and spins and never completes the search.

JJ
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Old 07-18-2008, 08:18 AM   #11
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Basically the software is good. It does what it's supposed to and does it well. Using it really speeds up management and first time file reading. It's simple enough that even small children, busy luddites and some publishers can use it quickly and intuitively.

The Sony store is....not. It's slow, inconsistent and illogically setup by a first year web designer who got their certification from a pet college. A second rate pet college.

But since the software is used to get to the store (and in fact acts as the frontend for browsing, DLing and paying) we get lazy and just say "the software" when we generally mean "the slow, badly designed to the point of driving customers away Storefront".
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Old 07-18-2008, 10:10 AM   #12
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Maybe it's because I don't use it that often, but when I use the Sony store I usually know which book I want to buy and the shopping experience really isn't that bad. I always hear complaints here about how bad the shopping site is but I can't relate, as I research my books on other sites (using lists, reviews, etc.) and if the price is competitive on the Sony site I will just search, find it, and three clicks later I have my book.
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Old 07-18-2008, 10:52 AM   #13
gaianer
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Hello, everybody !..
I'm new here. Miro from Mainburg/Germany.
Have got PRS-505, but I need spcial-fonts (polish).
I've already got e new flash on the board
But have no idea - how can I get a convert-programm, for example Libris500 ?
For convert from DOC and RTF - to LRF ?.. Please ?..

Best regards.

P.S. PRS-505 is a wonderful thing !...
One friend from Poland bought it for me in USA, and helped me to replace the flash-memory. I have payed ca. 250 Euro.
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Old 07-18-2008, 10:56 AM   #14
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Gaianer,
Libprs500 is now renamed Calibre and can be found elsewhere on the forum.
Another free conversion tool is Book Designer.
Use the search option on the blue bar at the top of the page to find more information on the forum. Also search our wiki - there's a link at the very top of the page.
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Old 07-18-2008, 11:37 AM   #15
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"Another free conversion tool is Book Designer." Fine, but...

??.. I have got BookDesigner, but I don't know - whitch button is for LRF-format ?
I mean: I load a DOC or RTF - file with BookDesigner.
And what than ?
Wher in this BookDesigner can I find something to use for conversion to LRF ?....
Please...
Ther's to choice: REB1100-file, MS reader-file, Palm or Pocket PC-file, hiebook-file,
FiktionBook2-file, imp-file (GEB, REB), book-image (GEB REB, hiebook),
EBM-file, and Psion-file.
And I wanna have LRF-file ... Please ...
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