New Sony eBook Store Launched

[RandallFlagg]

I'm also underwhelmed by this release. I thought I read that the library software was going to be updated, not the bookstore. The user experience with the ebook library is sorely lacking. You are unable to do the most basic tasks that most organizing software allows. They can do whatever they wish to the bookstore and I probably will only go there for free stuff. I would possibly purchase a few books if the library was more like itunes, as I would be using the software daily instead of every few weeks. Calibre [libprs500] rules for now. Kovid Goyal

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

It seems that advanced searching no longer works. You can't search on description any longer.

Dale

Yes, and they've also changed the categories. For example, they now have an Art and Architecture category which used to be buried under other categories. As it is, I cannot tell yet if there are any new books beyond what they had yesterday. The total number of books listed under Fiction and Literature is 11,893 compared to 9,697 one week ago. One possibility is that they've added a few thousand more books. Another possibility is that they now list books that used to only be listed under things like Romance and Horror (that's two categories, not one :smileything also under Fiction and Literature. That is, it's likely there are more books listed under multiple categories. I will have to look at this more.

[lostatsea]

Originally Posted by Seabound

I still keep getting the blue spinning circle of death, like before. Oh well. In the new format, I don't like it that the information column for a book is now hidden--I now have to click on the "Add'l Info" tab to get to that information. The previous information format was much more convenient and better formatted.

Same here. You shouldn't be able to search and buy from amazon.com in the time it takes for the Sony ebook store to load on your PC. I am convinced that they don't actually want me to buy from them.

[Seabound]

Originally Posted by lostatsea

I am convinced that they don't actually want me to buy from them.

Yes, that's it! LOL!

[Alfy]

I assume it's still US only? No changes there?

[lostatsea]

Originally Posted by Alfy

I assume it's still US only? No changes there?

US and Canada. No change there at all.

[chrissy]

Wow, books from the Sony store really are more expensive than Amazon's!

[obanta]

Originally Posted by chrissy

Wow, books from the Sony store really are more expensive than Amazon's!

No kidding.

I have a Sony PRS-500 and a PRS-505 on the way and recently got a Kindle. The Sony store experience is utterly disappointing compared to Amazon. I was hoping this would be a major improvement. I feel fortunate I live in the US and the Kindle is an option for me.

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by lostatsea

You shouldn't be able to search and buy from amazon.com in the time it takes for the Sony ebook store to load on your PC.

You counting shipping time in there too?

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by NatCh

Now turning to the look via Sony's eBook Library software. The look there is ... pretty much identical to the browser look. The drawback to that is that the Library navigator pane shows up on the left, which shoves the Book Store part off my standard ratio screen, requiring a scroll bar to see the whole thing. I imagine that it'd be fine on one of the newer, wide-format screens however -- I'll have to wait 'till I'm on the other computer to check that.

Just to follow up on this point: for what it's worth, this does look fine on the wide-screen monitor. I guess now we know what kind of monitors they use in whatever shop developed the new bookstore, huh?

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by tekchic

I just get the spinny icon.

Edit: finally came up just took quite awhile. Really hate the side scrolling. Right now I'm on my netbook which is 1024x600 resolution. If they would allow you to totally collapse the left side panel, I'd be able to browse w/o side scrolling.

Oh well, guess I'll use the 24" monitors just to browse the store lol.

I hate it when a site dictates the size of the display. It is terrible when 1024 pixels isn't even enough to display the screen.

Dale

[Shadowplay]

Originally Posted by DaleDe

I hate it when a site dictates the size of the display.

Yep I completely agree. I can't help but point out Amazon.com's website for comparison here. Why on Earth in 2008 would a major company go with a fixed width layout?! I mean come on people - this isn't rocket surgery here!

For those at lower resolutions you're stuck scrolling and for anyone using widescreens you get what feels like cramped content with tons of wasted space outside that fixed width. I'm sure most of you know exactly what I'm talking about, but in case I didn't describe this well here's a couple screenshots comparing http://www.amazon.com/ and http://ebookstore.sony.com/ on a 22" widescreen monitor at the native 1650x1080 resolution.

[pitcher23]

Originally Posted by chrissy

Wow, books from the Sony store really are more expensive than Amazon's!

I know. I just purchased a book for my wife for her PRS 500 at $17 and change. The same book cost me $9.99 on my Kindle.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by pitcher23

I know. I just purchased a book for my wife for her PRS 500 at $17 and change. The same book cost me $9.99 on my Kindle.

You know if you can buy Kindle books you can dedrm then and convert them to Sony.

BOb

[Lilly]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

You know if you can buy Kindle books you can dedrm then and convert them to Sony.

BOb

I was thinking the same thing. Since now that I have both, I just buy a Kindle book and dedrm it so I can load it to my Sony. The Sony is still my #1 preference for reading since I love to buy bundles, I love how the Sony calculates by page numbers where you are in the book.