PRS 650 backordered till March 2011

[merrygoblin]

Originally Posted by delphin

Perhaps you can cite an example of a popular series that IS available through Amazon, but NOT available from Sony, Borders, Kobo, or Google Books???

This question is 'on-topic' for this thread, because in considering the original topic "Is the Sony really that good?", I am sure that everyone will want to know about any books that just aren't available for the Sony, but which could be read on Kindle or another reader.

Sadly, the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan (and now Brandon Sanderson) is one example I found. I like the series but couldn't find the books in epub format anywhere (I can't download books for the reader from Google Books, that seems to be USA only so far, and I'm in the UK). They only seem to be available as paper books or in Kindle format from Amazon. I ended up getting the new one from Amazon and 'converting' it for use on my 650.

If anyone does know where I can find them in native epub format, I'd love to know for when the next one in the series is out (due out about July-August this year if the last one is any indication).

[mnfe]

Originally Posted by merrygoblin

Sadly, the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan (and now Brandon Sanderson) is one example I found. I like the series but couldn't find the books in epub format anywhere (I can't download books for the reader from Google Books, that seems to be USA only so far, and I'm in the UK). They only seem to be available as paper books or in Kindle format from Amazon. I ended up getting the new one from Amazon and 'converting' it for use on my 650.

If anyone does know where I can find them in native epub format, I'd love to know for when the next one in the series is out (due out about July-August this year if the last one is any indication).

I just did a quick search on Inkmesh and a UK store was included. Try here...

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndS...e&cat=%5cBooks

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

The Sony is my main ereader. It's where I do most of my reading. However, one of the reasons I bought a Kindle was access to books that aren't available in EPUB format. It is not that frequent that books are not available in both formats, but it was the case for some books that I really wanted to read too.

I use Kindle for PC for that -- mostly just for Kindle-only freebies --and then convert the books to EPUB.

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Also, more and more best-selling authors are signing exclusive deals with Amazon such that their books are only available in Kindle format or available for some time frame like a year before EPUB.

I hadn't heard of this practice. As an author I don't think I'd ever agree to have such limited distribution.

[grooks]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Also, more and more best-selling authors are signing exclusive deals with Amazon such that their books are only available in Kindle format or available for some time frame like a year before EPUB.

If that is the case then apparently those authors don't want my business.

I guess I will never understand the mindset of an author that wants to limit their potential audience/readership.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by merrygoblin

Sadly, the Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan (and now Brandon Sanderson) is one example I found. I like the series but couldn't find the books in epub format anywhere (I can't download books for the reader from Google Books, that seems to be USA only so far, and I'm in the UK). They only seem to be available as paper books or in Kindle format from Amazon. I ended up getting the new one from Amazon and 'converting' it for use on my 650.

If anyone does know where I can find them in native epub format, I'd love to know for when the next one in the series is out (due out about July-August this year if the last one is any indication).

Waterstones.

http://www.waterstones.com/waterston...ce=&age=&isbn=

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I say don't buy exclusive eBooks. Just let them rot.

The problem is, when I want a book, I want that book. Now that I can use Kindle for PC and convert them to epub I really don't need my Kindle. I suppose I could throw it on ebay, or just keep it as a back up. Eh.... I just made my bookshelf lighter by giving away 2 of my Sony's; perhaps in a few more months.

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by delphin

Oh, I see, you mean like the Harry Potter books.

Tragically this series is not available for the Sony -- but I can just waltz right over to the Kindle store, and ... Oh, crap not available for the Kindle either!!!

In fact I have NEVER run across a SINGLE example of a title that was actually of use to me that WAS available on Amazon's Kindle, but was not available for the PRS-650 by accessing the combined resources of my local library, the Sony Store, Borders, Kobo, and Google Books (3 million titles and counting).

My point was simply that it's kind of nice that I can get about 90% plus of my reading material FREE, and for the other 10% I can't imagine a case where Amazon was my only option.

Perhaps you can cite an example of a popular series that IS available through Amazon, but NOT available from Sony, Borders, Kobo, or Google Books???

This question is 'on-topic' for this thread, because in considering the original topic "Is the Sony really that good?", I am sure that everyone will want to know about any books that just aren't available for the Sony, but which could be read on Kindle or another reader.

I've never read any of the Harry Potter books nor do I intend to, so their availability is not something that I'm concerned with.

My point was about the availability of books I like to read from my public library as opposed from Amazon for Kindle, not in regards to every other ebook store out there. I don't see the point in me knocking Amazon's book availability when it provides me with access to more books than my library system does. I didn't claim that only Amazon carries certain books, only that they carry books I tend to read; I said nothing at all about other ebook stores not carrying them - that is you paraphrasing my remarks incorrectly.

Nor was I discussing "books that aren't available for a Sony but which could be read on a Kindle or any other reader". As we both well know, any book that can't be read natively on a Sony can usually be done so via converting the format it through Calibre, and if it is a Kindle book it's just a matter of breaking the DRM before converting it.

I happen to like Amazon's site. I think that it is well-designed and easy to maneuver through. I've been a customer for so long that I can play that site like a piano. I find Sony's site to be awkward, Borders site to be a very slow loader, and Kobo's to be higher-priced. I haven't checked out Google Books much so I have very little experience with it. The B&N site is pretty good and I have bought ebooks from them; they are usually the one I compare Amazon's book/ebook prices to when deciding where to make the purchase. I don't read a lot of the books that are out of copyright so the fact that they are available free on various sites is not really important to me, since my needs were what I was discussing.

My go-to site tends to be Amazon; I have never said it was the only option open to me. I like the site, I've had good dealings with their customer service, my non-data orders are error-free and arrive promptly. My ebook and MP3 downloads occur immediately and without glitches. I can find what I want, and with the way their site is designed, I usually find new things that I've never considered before. I don't feel that I am doing something evil by giving them my business, nor do I feel that I should apologize for using them.

The Sony reader is a very good reader - that's why I bought one of them. But I'm not going to say the Kindle is a bad reader or knock Kindle books or Kindle users just because I have a Sony.

[delphin]

Originally Posted by tm3

1) is entering a string of numbers on a ereader a common thing? why?

2) since the 650 does not have wifi, how do you browse an online book site?

thanks

1) The Entering numbers thing came up right off the bat when we tried to set up the Kindle because the ONLY way we could get it to work with older WEP WiFi routers was to shift over to using a raw HEX style WEP KEY. The "HEX" of course refers to the fact that these keys are Hexadecimal, using the numbers 0-9 plus the letters A-F. A WEP HEX Key is 26 digits long, and it took about four attempts to get it entered correctly on the Kindle.

2) Obviously, the 650 doesn't have web access at all. So I use either my Desktop, Laptop, or Netbook, whichever is closest at hand. Even when traveling, I will usually have at least my tiny Gateway Netbook on hand. Buying commercial ebook titles, does take a minute or two longer this way, but it's worth it to me to have more flexibility, in using my ereader.

I know that others might have other priorities, but direct wireless web access is not such a big deal that I would want to give up the touch screen, and other advantages of my PRS-650, just so I can buy a book while running between gates at the airport.

From my perspective, what matters is the READING experience, not the shopping experience, and for me that's where the Sony PRS-650 stands out.

You spend many hours with the device READING, and only a few minutes at most shopping and downloading the books with USB.

I personally find that my Netbook gives me a better book shopping experience, because I like the options it provides.

Others may think otherwise, and prefer the one click simplicity of shopping through a single source.

Originally Posted by SolRaven

The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson and the reason I bought a Kindle last year.

. . . I'm not sure what happened btwn your first post and this one, but I went from agreeing with you to being embarrassed that we have the same reader. Did something bad happen to you after that post??

Sorry if you were offended.

Have you ever noticed that when something doesn't live up to someones expectations, that their opinion will be harsher than normal, because it will be colored by the gap between what they expected, and what was delivered?

Knowing this, I should have used more care in moderating my tone, but after my own really poor "out of box experience" with the Kindle, it's a little hard to be objective.

I humbly stand corrected - The book you listed does indeed seem to be currently only available on Kindle or Nook

Borders doesn't seem to have an epub electronic version yet, but they do sell the standard paper version, so I wouldn't be surprised to see a Sony compatible EPUB Ebook available there soon. I know that the availability in one format doesn't always follow the other, but this Mark Sissons guy doesn't impress me as someone who likes to walk away and leave cash on the table.

In the mean time, a Sony ereader Owner can -

Buy the book at Amazon, and . . .

Free KindlePC app -> unswindle -> Calibre Conversion -> Sony Compatible EPUB

or

Buy the book at Barns & Noble, and . . .

B&N Free NOOK-PC app -> IgNoble -> DRM Free Sony Compatible EPUB

Though I respect your desire to play by the rules and not dabble in the dark arts so to speak; I feel that removing the DRM to allow a book you purchased to be read on another reader that you own is perfectly ethical.

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by delphin

I should have used more care in moderating my tone, but after my own really poor "out of box experience" with the Kindle, it's a little hard to be objective.

I can completely understand your passion, that's what made me buy 4 readers in 4 months. Granted, one was to replace the blue 505 that my beau cracked, but I didn't "need" my 505 when I still had the 700 & a new 600. I just wanted it because I had a little obsession with them, at the time, plus I saw it in Sangria Red and just had to have it. I have since, sorta, reeled in my ereader shopping, mostly because I ran out of Sony's that I'm interested in.

Originally Posted by delphin

Though I respect your desire to play by the rules and not dabble in the dark arts so to speak; I feel that removing the DRM to allow a book you purchased to be read on another reader that you own is perfectly ethical.

There you go getting me mixed up with someone else. I only learned about the Calibre plug-ins in Nov, so last April, when I bought the Kindle 2, I was still trying to figure out python scripts to get the DRM off of my books. It was too much of a PIA so at 4am I told myself that if I found a Kindle 2 on ebay for a good price I would stop resisting and just buy one. Once I was used to using an ereader, I'd rather buy another reader than have to go back to a big heavy book. Even if the Kindle isn't your favorite, it's still better than using a big heavy book.

Now I'm hemming and hawing about keeping the Kindle 2. I don't use it and now with the plug ins I don't need it. I'll probably keep it as a back up, at least until Sony comes out with the PRS-750, which I think might be this year. My 700 could use an upgrade.

[merrygoblin]

Originally Posted by mnfe

I just did a quick search on Inkmesh and a UK store was included. Try here...

http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndS...e&cat=%5cBooks

Thanks (and thank you to JSWolf also).

I know the Wheel of Time books are being converted to ebooks one per month, but the epubs seem to be lagging behind the Kindle formats for the series - neither the WHSmith or Waterstones site has the latest books in the series as epubs yet, though the early ones in the series are there. When I checked before (I did check those sites), I seem to recall none of them were available as epubs, so it's good to know the epubs are at least slowly catching up for the series.

Anyway, I'm probably marginally off topic, so back to your regularly scheduled discussion...

[tm3]

Originally Posted by delphin

1) A WEP HEX Key is 26 digits long, and it took about four attempts to get it entered correctly on the Kindle.

From my perspective, what matters is the READING experience

i see what you mean about the router. i would have to do that for my verizon mifi (if i decided to connect to it), but to me since it is a one time thing no big wup.

i concur about the reading experience. to me, 3g, wifi, mp3, typing, games, and making toast are all secondary and relatively minor considerations.

[Ploni Almoni]

I consider myself an avid reader and am very happy with my 650 (my 2nd, 1st being a 300).

I torrent most of my books, and I just recently read Towers of Midnight and the Gathering Storm by Jordan (I think the Towers of Midnight especially was a very very good read, kept me up like some books used to when I was young and used a flashlight to read under the blankets so my parents wouldn't notice).

[SeaBookGuy]

Welcome to the site, P A!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

The problem is, when I want a book, I want that book. Now that I can use Kindle for PC and convert them to epub I really don't need my Kindle. I suppose I could throw it on ebay, or just keep it as a back up. Eh.... I just made my bookshelf lighter by giving away 2 of my Sony's; perhaps in a few more months.

But if you buy an exclusive eBook from Amazon, you are only legitimizing Amazon making exclusive deals. This is not good for eBooks in general as no one eBook store should have exclusive rights.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by delphin

Oh, I see, you mean like the Harry Potter books.

Tragically this series is not available for the Sony -- but I can just waltz right over to the Kindle store, and ... Oh, crap not available for the Kindle either!!!

They aren't available legally for any reader, because J. K. Rowling refused to license ebook rights. I've seen hints she might be coming around, and authorized editions might appear.
______
Dennis