04-30-2010, 08:30 AM | #1 |
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How Come There Are No More Firmware Updates to the 505?
The last firmware update to the PRS-505 was nearly two years ago. I wonder why Sony do not add new functionality to it?
Are the newer readers updated? I reckon the PRS-505 could be made a lot better with updated firmware (though I still love it as it is!) |
04-30-2010, 10:12 AM | #2 |
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It is not in Sony's interest to prolong the life of PRS-505.
If any update is forthcoming, I would expect a lockdown on custom hacks in it :-( |
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04-30-2010, 10:14 AM | #3 |
Wizard
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And if you want improved functionality then look in Sony Reader Dev corner especially PRS+
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04-30-2010, 10:57 AM | #4 |
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04-30-2010, 11:01 AM | #5 |
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You can revert, but I guess you wouldn't want to once you've used the hacks. PRS+ brings some games, browsing folders (so you can organise your books like the files on your pc), clock display while reading, take screenshots to just mention the important ones. Maybe I missed some. It's really great.
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04-30-2010, 11:51 AM | #6 |
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OK, thanks.
Does it include a better battery indicator? That is what I am missing the most actually. I would like to see a percentage of battery left, instead of the bars, which are quite inaccurate. |
04-30-2010, 12:06 PM | #7 |
Connoisseur
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Yeah I recently switched to PRS+ (once my extended warranty coverage lapsed) and I have to tell you I'm quite impressed with it.
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04-30-2010, 12:29 PM | #8 |
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Do any of the mods add functionality to reading (change margins, line spacing, full jsutification for epub, ...)?
Last edited by John F; 04-30-2010 at 12:32 PM. |
04-30-2010, 02:00 PM | #9 |
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They really need to do one last update to add full justification for ePub. I still can't believe they switched the Sony store over entirely to ePub when only one Reader of theirs (PRS-900) supports it correctly.
And you think it would be in their interest to update all their models; many people don't bother buying books from the Sony store for that reason. |
04-30-2010, 02:03 PM | #10 |
Curmudgeon
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Why isn't Sony updating the 505? The same reason they're not selling it: They want us all to dispose of our perfectly good 505's and buy new 600's or 900's that we don't want. They don't make any money off us being happy with our Readers; they make money off us being forced to buy new ones. So whatever they can do to keep us from using our 505's, including not producing updates, refusing support, even taking every last little case off their online store, they're going to do. They (like all too many companies today) want us to keep paying them for what we already have.
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04-30-2010, 02:48 PM | #11 |
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The battery meter is the same as before. PRS+ doesn't do text modifications from what I know when I last wrote the user manual in English and German. But check out http://code.google.com/p/prs-plus/ for newer information. Maybe they added something.
There's an installer now that makes installing (supposedly) as easy as a regular FW update. By the time I installed it, I had to move this file here, that over there and so on. But even if it doesn't improve on text layout or battery meter, it still comes with quite a handful useful stuff (limit zoom sizes to only M&L as a new one I didn't know of). |
05-02-2010, 10:12 PM | #12 | |
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Quote:
The two items (beside the font change) that I like the best are the auto indent of paragraphs and limiting the max-width of an image to 100% of the screen width, this ensures the image doesn't run off of the page. Spoiler:
There are also instructions on how to change the internal font used for LRF to the font of your choice. Last edited by DoctorOhh; 05-02-2010 at 10:17 PM. |
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05-03-2010, 02:57 AM | #13 |
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That was one of the feature requests, but unfortunately, device API reports battery levels as integer numbers 0-4, which do not offer better precision.
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05-03-2010, 07:41 PM | #14 | |
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Well, you sure are a happy fellow! Don |
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05-05-2010, 11:50 AM | #15 | |
Wizard
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Quote:
As for wanting you to get rid of your "perfectly good" reader, I'm not being sarcastic but, if it is perfectly good, why consider getting rid of it? Doesn't it still do the job you initially bought it for? If you find that it no longer meets your needs, it's not the device's fault, it is your changing needs and requirements. |
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