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Old 04-09-2008, 04:42 PM   #1
macgeek21
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sony reader information

i am considering getting a sony reader but i am on the waiting list to get the kindle whenever amazon gets more in stock. i did a quick search through the sony book store and they don't seem to have much of a selection how many books exactly does sony offer? who is there source? do they offer bestsellers doing a search for harry potter i was unable to find any of the books. with amazon i know im getting thousands and thousands of books. also if anyone has a kindle how is it to use? how is it to use the sony reader?
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:00 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by macgeek21 View Post
i am considering getting a sony reader but i am on the waiting list to get the kindle whenever amazon gets more in stock. i did a quick search through the sony book store and they don't seem to have much of a selection how many books exactly does sony offer? who is there source? do they offer bestsellers doing a search for harry potter i was unable to find any of the books. with amazon i know im getting thousands and thousands of books. also if anyone has a kindle how is it to use? how is it to use the sony reader?
There are many more Kindle books available than Sony book store books. However, Sony is not the only place to get books for the Sony... nor is Amazon the only place to get books for the Kindle. See:

https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_stores

Harry Potter was never officially released to eBook format due to JK Rawling not wanting it to be fearing piracy.

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Old 04-09-2008, 05:05 PM   #3
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so all of these stores support the sony reader and the kindle? also does the sony reader support mobi?
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:31 PM   #4
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so all of these stores support the sony reader and the kindle? also does the sony reader support mobi?
You have to read what formats the stores sell. Some do have a format that the Sony supports like BBeB (.lrf), Text (.txt), Rich Text (.rtf), html... some don't. The Wiki lists the formats for most of the stores.

Keep in mind, even though Sony states it supports .PDF, you will usually need to convert a .PDF document to text or .rtf to enjoy it on the Sony. See the many threads there on PDF files on eBook reader.

Also, you can use the conversion tools (you can also find links to on the Wiki) to convert one format to another. So, some books may not be available in a format that the Sony supports such as MobiPocket (.mobi,.prc) or MS Reader (.lit) so you would need to convert it. Also, some stores sell DRM protected versions of these formats and can only be converted if the DRM is removed. Legality and morality of that option is left up to the reader.

I think there is also a tool/hack that allows you to read DRM protected MobiPocket files on the Kindle if you do decide to go that route.

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Old 04-09-2008, 05:38 PM   #5
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the kindle supports mobi. i just checked with amazon and i think i would be waiting a long time to get mine so i just cancelled the order and im going with the sony reader. its better designed than the kindle and really the only difference between the is the fact that the kindle has evdo. i can live without that feature for now.
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Old 04-09-2008, 05:41 PM   #6
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the kindle supports mobi. i just checked with amazon and i think i would be waiting a long time to get mine so i just cancelled the order and im going with the sony reader. its better designed than the kindle and really the only difference between the is the fact that the kindle has evdo. i can live without that feature for now.
Kindle support unprotected .mobi yes. Not protected which I think is .prc. But there is a hack somewhere to make it work.

You'll like the Sony. I'm pretty close to buying a second one, my son has hijacked my 500. Good excuse to get a 505 too.

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Old 04-09-2008, 05:42 PM   #7
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also does the sony reader support mobi?
No, you would have to convert it.

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Old 04-09-2008, 08:01 PM   #8
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There are python scripts to remove the DRM from Mobipocket format and you can use mobi2lrf to make an LRF out of it. Also there is MS Reader format (LIT) where you can remove the DRM with ConverLIT and use lit2lrf to convert to LRF. So basically, there are a LOT more eBooks you can deal with fairly easily if you don't mind converting.

Search the forum for mobidedrm for the Python script(s) and Google for ConvertLIT.
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Old 04-10-2008, 03:02 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macgeek21 View Post
the kindle supports mobi. i just checked with amazon and i think i would be waiting a long time to get mine so i just cancelled the order and im going with the sony reader. its better designed than the kindle and really the only difference between the is the fact that the kindle has evdo. i can live without that feature for now.
Have you considered the CyBook Gen3? Although somewhat more expensive than the Sony, it is (IMHO) worth the extra in terms of its support for the MobiPocket book format (very much a de facto industry standard), dictionary support, the ability to load any TrueType or OpenType font onto the machine, proper support for font families, user replaceable battery, etc, etc.
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Old 04-10-2008, 11:30 AM   #10
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Harry, I'm surprised it took until post #9 for you to pop in this thread and shill the Cybook. Also, note that the Cybook, like the Kindle, has limited availability (currently out of stock), which is an issue for the OP.

OP: Many (OK, most!) books are not available for either the Reader or the Kindle, like the Harry Potter books. There are a lot of options out there for books. The choice of resources depends on what you're looking for.

There's a sticky thread in the Reader Content forum called "Sony Reader book sources beyond CONNECT" that's worth checking out. I've found tons of free books online as well as buying many. Places like Baen free library (for sf), manybooks.net (with a mix of stuff), and silkpagoda.com (selling a $10 DVD with over 10,000 classic books--the 'Blackmask' collection--in Reader format, well worth the price!) are all out there. Plus you can load any rtf or Word/text doc on the Reader. The Reader Content forum here, with a ton of resources for converting ebook formats, is awesome.

Overall, I've found a ton of books to read on my Reader, including classics, some familiar authors, some new authors (including many espionage/political thriller books), and some new genres (the cyberfiction, much of which is available at manybooks--Cory Doctorow, Charles Stross, etc.).

My approach to reading isn't "I want this book by this specific author right now." If that's your approach to reading, an ebook device may not be for you because most books are simply not available in electronic form. Just like in a bookstore, I look at what's available and pick out books that seem interesting (and quickly get absorbed by them!). It's a bonus that so many of them happen to be free.
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Old 04-10-2008, 11:34 AM   #11
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Harry, I'm surprised it took until post #9 for you to pop in this thread and shill the Cybook. Also, note that the Cybook, like the Kindle, has limited availability (currently out of stock), which is an issue for the OP.
It's not THAT long a wait . You'd get one 1st week in May if you order now.
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Old 04-10-2008, 02:35 PM   #12
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It's not THAT long a wait . You'd get one 1st week in May if you order now.
I'm surprised. The website says they will be available to ship "no earlier" than May. I've seen that language before, and it usually means something like July or August if you're lucky. (Leatherman blew it with their Skeletool by slipping the release date from November to just last month--I lost interest in the interim.)
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Old 04-11-2008, 03:09 AM   #13
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Bookeen know their expected shipment dates in advance and - so far at least - they've been pretty much spot on in telling people when their systems will ship.
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Old 04-18-2008, 01:26 PM   #14
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i have purchased the sony reader and i am loving this thing. it seems like im reading much faster on this then i am a regular book. i read a 600 page book in 3 days! overall im loving the sony reader and im not really caring that it doesn't support more formats or that it doesn't have wireless support. my advice to anyone out there who is considering buying one is to get it definitely you will not be disappointed.
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Old 04-20-2008, 07:57 PM   #15
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Not only does ManyBooks.Net have lots of free ebooks for the Sony (and others like the Kindle), it also has books in languages other than English.

Thanks to my Sony-505, after more than 42 years since I finished my third year of French (in high school and college), I am now reading ebooks in French. I read the French version on my Sony and have the English version on the Connect software on my laptop for comparison, and am logged into a super French-English dictionary on the Internet to aid the process. ( http://www.wordreference.com/fren/ ) Check this free site out if you need a foreign language dictionary (they have other languages). It recognizes any verb regardless of the tense you enter in for the search. And whenever you look up a word, it gives a slew of uses in combination with other words - idiomatic expressions - and even links to their foreign language forum where people help each other with complex translations.

The first book (Jules Verne - Journey to the Center of the Earth) is a real challenge after so many years since my exposure to French, but it is coming back. If it hadn't been for the Sony, I never would have even attempted this.

The rationale for attempting to get back to using French is that my neighbors (5 months a winter) at my RV resort here in Florida are from Quebec and they are fluent in French and English, and I thought it would be great to be able to communicate with them in French. Plus they are a great resource, and it makes sense to make use of them. And I have a pen pal in France as well and we chat over Yahoo messenger a lot.

Just a side effect of the Sony reader and the Internet.

Bob
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