PRS-700 disassembly

[thibaulthalpern]

Originally Posted by gokalp

Well, if anybody wants to repeat the removal process, be careful.

I had a couple dust specs in between the digitizer and the screen, and I peeled off the top bezel. All was fine, except that I was not peeling of the touchscreen, but instead splitting it in half. **The digitizer module is actually much thicker than the usual, e.g. compared PDAs and tablet PCs**

The digitizer looks like a resistive digitizer, and it has a thin sheet of metal frame just below the front bezel. On the top side of the reader there are 4 connections from this frame to the lower half of the digitizer, and it looks like these are thermally fused. So, when you pry it off, it peels the connections permanently. I tried shorting the layers using some aluminum foil, but it did not work. Finally, I tried the drastic measure, the Indium-gallium eutectic which is a wettable, liquid metal. Even that did not work. (Plus it is pretty hard to clean, so no recommendation there)

Anyways, I spoke to Sony, and ordered a replacement digitizer together with LEDs. It costs $69 FYI.

Looking at the digitizer, I do not think it is easy to split the LEDs and the digitizer. When I will replace it, I can post some photos if anybody wants me to.

PS: PRS 700 cannot be operated without the touchscreen, and as an engineer, I'd say that is not good a design. It should costs practically nothing to put a simple D-pad, but it gives redundancy in case of a touch screen failure.

Well....I don't know about that. What about devices such as the iPod Touch and iPhone? They're touchscreen devices with no way to navigate if the touchscreen goes kaput.

[deadringer]

What is the chance of you writing a small program to let us change fonts on the PRS700, like 500 owners can now?? Please!

John

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by deadringer

What is the chance of you writing a small program to let us change fonts on the PRS700, like 500 owners can now?? Please!

John

while you are waiting, take a look at this thread on how to add custom fonts in epub books for the 700. it's just a few lines of code that you can add to your conversion default in calibre, and you put the font files in the main memory of the 700. that is what i am doing and it is really a pleasure to read my books in a beautiful font with true italics, bold, small caps...

[gokalp]

Originally Posted by thibaulthalpern

Well....I don't know about that. What about devices such as the iPod Touch and iPhone? They're touchscreen devices with no way to navigate if the touchscreen goes kaput.

Thats correct. However, Iphone and/or Ipod touch has been advertised to be a buttonless device (actually a single button device) and some people consider this a part of their "charm".

PRS-700, on the other hand, already have a bunch of buttons, even including a left button and a right button. Already having these, the up and down buttons should not be difficult to add...

[deadringer]

Hello Zelda

I'm an idiot when it comes to programming. I looked at the thread you mentioned and it might as well be in martian. It seems very hard for a non-programmer. How do I get something into the 700 memory to start with?

John

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by deadringer

Hello Zelda

I'm an idiot when it comes to programming. I looked at the thread you mentioned and it might as well be in martian. It seems very hard for a non-programmer. How do I get something into the 700 memory to start with?

John

it might look complicated at first glance but it's really not. the info you really need is in post number 9. here is a step-by-step guide :

1. install calibre.
2. choose the font you want to use for your files. i use "Fontin" family (it has a regular, a bold, an italic, and a small-caps version).
3. create a new folder at the top level of your 700 called "fonts" (case is important : it can be called "Fonts", but you'll have to name it that way everywhere you refer to it).
4. put your chosen font files into that folder (there should be more than one, since usually there will be regular, italic, bold, and maybe some others. also, some font families come with serif and sans serif versions).
5. launch calibre, click on the little arrow next to "convert ebooks", then "set defaults for conversion".
6. on the left side of the dialogue box, click on "look & feel".
7. in the "override css" box in the bottom right quarter of the dialogue box, paste the script from the other thread, making sure to follow the renaming instructions. since i'm using Fontin, the script for me looks like this :

@font-face {
  font-family: "Fontin";
  font-weight: normal;
  font-style: normal;
  src: url(res:///Data/fonts/Fontin-Regular.ttf);
}

@font-face {
  font-family: "Fontin";
  font-weight: bold;
  font-style: normal;
  src: url(res:///Data/fonts/Fontin-Bold.ttf);
}

@font-face {
  font-family: "Fontin";
  font-weight: normal;
  font-style: italic;
  src: url(res:///Data/fonts/Fontin-Italic.ttf);
}

body {
  font-family: "Fontin", serif;
}

notice i named the "font-family" Fontin for clarity, and in the "source" line (src) i specified the exact name of each file, inside the "fonts" folder i created on my 700.

click ok to save these defaults.

all books you convert with calibre should now use the font of your choice.

[deadringer]

Thank you so much. I'll try this right now and let you know if can get it done.

Thanks again,
John

[deadringer]

How do I create a folder on my 700? In the calibre directory?
John

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by deadringer

How do I create a folder on my 700? In the calibre directory?
John

connect your 700 to your computer using the usb cable. wait for it to be recognized. if you are using a pc, you should get a prompt asking you what you want windows to do with this new disk ; ask to view it in explorer (or something like that ; i'm translating from french, from memory here. but in windows XP, the icon for the choice you want is an open folder). you'll see a new file explorer window, with some folders already in it. i believe you should have "database" "digital editions" etc. on the side of that window, you'll have options, including "create new folder". click on that, and rename the folder "fonts".

[deadringer]

Thank you again Zelda. I have it working with the same font you use. It looks so much better!

John

[zelda_pinwheel]

glad to help. it does look nice doesn't ?

[AndrewMT]

Does anyone know what the digitizer on the PRS-700 is capable of? For instance, could it have the same capabilities as the digitizer on the Nintendo DS or a Palm device? Is it sensitive enough to allow writing and scribbling with the stylus?

The Onyx reader, just presented at CEbit, allows for writing and scribbling with the stylus.

I just bought my PRS-700 (and am new to this awesome forum), and am pretty happy with it, but I know Sony could and should do a lot more with this wonderful device via updates.

[maxlawbr]

I fixed mine PRS700.

What I did?

I removed the back screws, and the top screws, then I put the top and right frame upwards, used a small screwdriver to turn the sony on (then the inner switch goes a little to the right), put a little of glue in the switch to it stay in place and attach the external switch in the internal one.

And now, my sony works very well.

I`m little afraid that it can disconnect again, as I broked the external switch, and like to know where I can find a replace.

Thats it,

Max

[peaceridge]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

src: url(res:///Data/fonts/Fontin-Regular.ttf);

I followed the directions, but do not see a change. I made sure the Fontin naming is exactly what you have. Question: in the above url, it looks like the fonts folder is in a Data folder. There is no Data folder on the 700 that I can find - is "Data" a keyword for the 700?

Also, when it comes up on my xp, I get 2 external disks showing - I assume one is for the 700 and the other is for the memory card. I put a fonts folder on both, but still no joy.

What am I doing wrong?

Lynn

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by peaceridge

I followed the directions, but do not see a change. I made sure the Fontin naming is exactly what you have. Question: in the above url, it looks like the fonts folder is in a Data folder. There is no Data folder on the 700 that I can find - is "Data" a keyword for the 700?

Also, when it comes up on my xp, I get 2 external disks showing - I assume one is for the 700 and the other is for the memory card. I put a fonts folder on both, but still no joy.

What am I doing wrong?

Lynn

hm. i'm not sure. the '"data" folder is apparently the name the prs gives its internal memory, so you won't see it. the fonts folder should be at the root of the internal memory (at the first level, before you click to get into any other folder).

in order for this to work, you also need to add the css to your books telling them *where* to find the font, and tell them to *use* the font. you do this by adding the css rules to the "css override" window in calibre, and exporting an epub.

can you try it again, taking all the steps from the beginning, and let us know if it works ? i may add a few screen shots to the original thread to make it a little clearer for people who are not used to working with css etc.