Kobo Firmware for Sony Ereaders

[Ricky D'Angelo]

I purchased many ebooks on the sony bookstore (forgot the name) before it closed and my account got merged with kobo. Purchasing ebooks on the kobo store from my Sony PRS T-1 is extremely difficult and I usally resort to purchasing the book from my desktop. With all the sony ereaders out there I feel Kobo lost an opportunity to improve it's firmware for Sony ereaders to encourage more people to buy books from the company. My guess is that very few kobo ebooks (if any) are purchased via Sony Ereaders due to it's poor user interface.
*edit*
add question mark.

[Hemmi]

I've never been a fan of buying books right from my ereader. I never even turn on the Wifi on any of them. I like downloading to my computer and then sideloading onto my device. That way I've got one backup of my book already.

[Ricky D'Angelo]

Well, with the firmware on the Sony PRS T-1 it's almost impossible (for me) to purchase a book via wi-fi from the kobo store. This is the description of the last firmware update for the PRS T-1

What Does This Do?
This utility updates the PRS-T1 firmware to version 1.0.07.05070 which addresses the following issues:
The Reader™ Store icon and link is replaced with the Kobo Store icon and link to enable direct access to the Kobo eBook Store via Wi-Fi® connection.
Improvements provided by previous software versions and included in version 1.0.07.05070:

Unable to login to the Reader Store
Removal of Google Books™ (dependent on Country / Region setting) as it is no longer supported via the Reader Store
Resolves an issue where using a very short page flick to turn a page may accidentally select words and start the dictionary lookup
Improves touch panel functionality
Improves stability when searching the dictionary
Improves Internet connectivity
Improves Digital Rights Management (DRM) contents compatibility
Resolves an issue where the Reader is unable to download some e-book files
https://esupport.sony.com/US/p/swu-d...&os_group_id=6

This is all water under the bridge, but I feel kobo lost an opportunity to have it's ebooks easily available for purchase on select Sony ereaders.

[JSWolf]

You are best to buy a Kobo Reader. I went frrom a T1 to an H2O and it's s much nicer to read with than the T1.

[rcentros]

Originally Posted by Ricky D'Angelo

This is all water under the bridge, but I feel kobo lost an opportunity to have it's ebooks easily available for purchase on select Sony ereaders.

I agree with you. Although I've never had much luck with the Kobo Market anyhow. My bank always wanted to reject the payment – I guess because it was from a Canadian "foreign" company. It's so much easier just to buy books on Amazon, convert them with Calibre and read them on whatever device you want.

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by Ricky D'Angelo

I feel Kobo lost an opportunity to improve it's firmware for Sony ereaders to encourage more people to buy books from the company.

I'm not sure what you think Kobo could have done about it. The Sony firmware is proprietary to Sony and could only be enhanced by Sony. They decided to do the bare minimum, presumably because they had minimal interest in further development once they decided to exit the ereader game.

I'm not aware that 'giving away' their code for free was part of any deal they had with Kobo.

In addition to all that the Sony firmware on the PRS-Tx range is Android and the Kobo firmware is not. Do you think Kobo should have hired an extra Android team to sell those extra books to Sony owners?

[Ricky D'Angelo]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

. . In addition to all that the Sony firmware on the PRS-Tx range is Android and the Kobo firmware is not. Do you think Kobo should have hired an extra Android team to sell those extra books to Sony owners?

I was thinking more along the lines of Kobo making an effort to continue a limited production of improved Sony ereaders (Sony PRS-T3 w/light?)with access to kobo store. The firmware on the older PRS readers could've been improved or replaced entirely with kobo software to help boost sales.

[Ricky D'Angelo]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You are best to buy a Kobo Reader. I went frrom a T1 to an H2O and it's s much nicer to read with than the T1.

I think I'm headed that way. . . I recently bought a "wireless" kobo ereader (it's a non touch/non lit ereader with a weird d-pad) for $9.00 @shopgoodwill. Maybe once Kobo starts selling it's ereaders at Walmart I'll upgrade.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ricky D'Angelo

I was thinking more along the lines of Kobo making an effort to continue a limited production of improved Sony ereaders (Sony PRS-T3 w/light?)with access to kobo store. The firmware on the older PRS readers could've been improved or replaced entirely with kobo software to help boost sales.

Why when Kobo has better hardware? The T3 is Android and not Linux. So the Kobo firmware would need z complete rewrite. Not worth it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Ricky D'Angelo

I think I'm headed that way. . . I recently bought a "wireless" kobo ereader (it's a non touch/non lit ereader with a weird d-pad) for $9.00 @shopgoodwill. Maybe once Kobo starts selling it's ereaders at Walmart I'll upgrade.

Once you go H2O, Sony won't matter any more.

[latepaul]

Originally Posted by Ricky D'Angelo

I was thinking more along the lines of Kobo making an effort to continue a limited production of improved Sony ereaders (Sony PRS-T3 w/light?)with access to kobo store. The firmware on the older PRS readers could've been improved or replaced entirely with kobo software to help boost sales.

Kobo didn't inherit the hardware side of the business just the Reader Store customers and their ebooks. I very much doubt they have access to the Sony firmware either. More likely that Sony engineers had access to an API for the Kobo store and used it to write the final version of the firmware with the Kobo store access.

[Ricky D'Angelo]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Kobo didn't inherit the hardware side of the business just the Reader Store customers and their ebooks. I very much doubt they have access to the Sony firmware either. More likely that Sony engineers had access to an API for the Kobo store and used it to write the final version of the firmware with the Kobo store access.

I agree. It's a shame Kobo didn't take a greater advange of negotiating with Sony whether to improve firmware,replace firmware or take over hardware production for Sony ereaders. Now, Kobo is looking to expand it's market by partnering with Walmart. Sony could jump back into the ereader business by partnering with Kobo to produce a cheap version of DPT-S1 with access to Kobo books.