I need help understanding how to get library books on my Sony reader

daisybelle · 02-02-2009, 07:10 PM

At the advise of people on this forum, I am going to purchase a Sony PRS 505 tonight, and I want to download library books onto it from my public library.

The library uses a service called Overdrive, they have books with a .pdf extension, but the fiction I've been downloading has a ebx.edt extension -i download these books into adobe digital on my laptop.

Here's my question, do I need to have my Sony reader connected to my PC via usb when i download a book? Or will I be able to drag it from Adobe into my Sony reader later. Do I need to install Adobe Digital on my reader?

I read that .pdf files don't render well on the reader, but if the library is downloading in an .edt extension, how will they look on the Sony reader? Will they import more accurately than a .pdf file?

Also, If I download a .pdf file from the library, I can't take the .pdf library file and convert it with Calibre to put on the reader, is that correct? I thought once I put a library book into Adobe Digital I couldn't move it anywhere.

This is all so confusing, I just want to know what I'm doing so that I'm ready when my ereader comes later this week.

Thanks so much for the help.

lilac_jive · 02-02-2009, 07:16 PM

You can download Sony's software and give it a shot (don't need the Reader to get it). Just download it from ebookstore.sony.com. Then when you have it running, save the library book somewhere, then open the Sony Library, click "File" then "import File." That'll let you know if the file is right. You can also open it and take a look at the book from there (put it in full screen, you'll get a better idea of how it'll work on the Reader).

grooks · 02-02-2009, 09:00 PM

When borrowing books from your local library you will want .pdf format to read on the Sony.

You will need to have Adobe Digital Editions on your computer (not your reader) and it will need to be registered. Once you download the book from the library it will prompt you to save or open in a program. I always choose to open using Adobe DE. You can either have your reader connected to your computer before downloading or can connect it after. Assuming it is registered, Adobe should recognize the Reader as a attached device. From ADE you will be able to drag and drop the book into your Sony Reader. Close ADE then properly detach your Reader and you are ready to go.

You will not be able to format-shift these pdfs using Calibre as they are DRM'd. Reading pdfs on the Sony is not that bad, just has some quirks. Most people will probably need to change the font size to either M or L.

daisybelle · 02-02-2009, 09:38 PM

Thanks for all the help, I understand now, one more question, will I be still be able to access the library books i download on my pc and read them there also after i drag them into the Sony reader, or will I just be able to read them on the reader and no longer be able to access them from my PC as well?

lilac_jive · 02-02-2009, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisybelle

Thanks for all the help, I understand now, one more question, will I be still be able to access the library books i download on my pc and read them there also after i drag them into the Sony reader, or will I just be able to read them on the reader and no longer be able to access them from my PC as well?

Yes. Basically it works like iTunes, where when you drag a file to your Reader, it just duplicates the file.

daisybelle · 02-02-2009, 09:59 PM

great news, I think I'm going to buy this from B&H Electronics, online - the Sangria Red one, $268, free ship,no tax, that's the best price I've found.

RWood · 02-02-2009, 10:00 PM

Many of the books you get from a public library are DRM books. That is they have Digital Rights Management in them. The library loans them to you for a period and at the end of that period they expire on your PC. (Even if you have not finished them.) Since the library only buys a specific number of copies of each title they cannot allow people to keep them forever.

I would be surprised if you were able to convert the library PDF files to another format or even get them to open on your Sony Reader.

daisybelle · 02-02-2009, 10:36 PM

what do they do that's flaky in the reader - does the text render okay? does it put in extra lines or spaces? i can put up with some flaky for free :0)

rhewes · 02-02-2009, 11:03 PM

I've read a handful of books from the Library in PDF format on my Sony Reader, and it's fine. Not perfect, but definitely worth "free." In one book I read, they had 'call out' boxes in the middle of the 'regular' text...that freaked the reader out a bit, and I had to change the font size to compensate. But, that being said, the Library is my preferred method of getting books. You can't beat free!

RWood · 02-02-2009, 11:41 PM

The several library books I have loaded on the Sony 500 have failed to render at all. No strange actions or interaction with other parts of the Reader, just a failure to render. They all had a form of DRM in them that the Sony 500 could not activate.

I am glad to hear that rhewes has had success. The 505 had more advanced PDF rendering than the 500 has.

grooks · 02-02-2009, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daisybelle

what do they do that's flaky in the reader - does the text render okay? does it put in extra lines or spaces? i can put up with some flaky for free :0)

When you have a lot of conversations in quotes it can get difficult following who is saying what. It has to do with how Sony reflows the text. Sometimes they will put a line space in the middle of a sentence, but that is a extreme example. I put up with the reflow quirkiness as the library books are free.

dordale · 02-03-2009, 02:01 AM

Another common quirk I've found with reflowed pdf's is unexpected page breaks. In a pdf file, the page breaks are hard coded in, so when the document is "reflowed" it can sometimes have page breaks where you really wouldn't expect one.

Not the end of the world--especially when you don't have to pay for the book!

I'm hoping that more libraries will start to follow the Cleveland library's example and offer E-Pub files for download, as these work well on the Sony Reader!

dordale

MickeyC · 02-03-2009, 06:17 AM

I've downloaded and read several books from the Fairfax Library and they've been fine. And at the end of 21 days they disappear.

lilac_jive · 02-03-2009, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassidym

I've downloaded and read several books from the Fairfax Library and they've been fine. And at the end of 21 days they disappear.

Do they disappear from the Reader without it connecting to the computer?

MickeyC · 02-03-2009, 09:09 AM

Yeah, they just don't open anymore. I seem to recall the title stays on your reader but the book won't open. I haven't read one of these in several months but that's what I remember

02-02-2009, 07:10 PM	#1
daisybelle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: sony 700	I need help understanding how to get library books on my Sony reader At the advise of people on this forum, I am going to purchase a Sony PRS 505 tonight, and I want to download library books onto it from my public library. The library uses a service called Overdrive, they have books with a .pdf extension, but the fiction I've been downloading has a ebx.edt extension -i download these books into adobe digital on my laptop. Here's my question, do I need to have my Sony reader connected to my PC via usb when i download a book? Or will I be able to drag it from Adobe into my Sony reader later. Do I need to install Adobe Digital on my reader? I read that .pdf files don't render well on the reader, but if the library is downloading in an .edt extension, how will they look on the Sony reader? Will they import more accurately than a .pdf file? Also, If I download a .pdf file from the library, I can't take the .pdf library file and convert it with Calibre to put on the reader, is that correct? I thought once I put a library book into Adobe Digital I couldn't move it anywhere. This is all so confusing, I just want to know what I'm doing so that I'm ready when my ereader comes later this week. Thanks so much for the help. Last edited by daisybelle; 02-02-2009 at 07:17 PM.

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02-02-2009, 07:16 PM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	You can download Sony's software and give it a shot (don't need the Reader to get it). Just download it from ebookstore.sony.com. Then when you have it running, save the library book somewhere, then open the Sony Library, click "File" then "import File." That'll let you know if the file is right. You can also open it and take a look at the book from there (put it in full screen, you'll get a better idea of how it'll work on the Reader).

02-02-2009, 09:00 PM	#3
grooks Wizard Posts: 1,326 Karma: 30250 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fort Myers, FL Device: Pocketbook Era, Kobo Forma	When borrowing books from your local library you will want .pdf format to read on the Sony. You will need to have Adobe Digital Editions on your computer (not your reader) and it will need to be registered. Once you download the book from the library it will prompt you to save or open in a program. I always choose to open using Adobe DE. You can either have your reader connected to your computer before downloading or can connect it after. Assuming it is registered, Adobe should recognize the Reader as a attached device. From ADE you will be able to drag and drop the book into your Sony Reader. Close ADE then properly detach your Reader and you are ready to go. You will not be able to format-shift these pdfs using Calibre as they are DRM'd. Reading pdfs on the Sony is not that bad, just has some quirks. Most people will probably need to change the font size to either M or L.

02-02-2009, 09:38 PM	#4
daisybelle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: sony 700	Thanks for all the help, I understand now, one more question, will I be still be able to access the library books i download on my pc and read them there also after i drag them into the Sony reader, or will I just be able to read them on the reader and no longer be able to access them from my PC as well?

02-02-2009, 09:59 PM	#6
daisybelle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: sony 700	great news, I think I'm going to buy this from B&H Electronics, online - the Sangria Red one, $268, free ship,no tax, that's the best price I've found.

02-02-2009, 10:00 PM	#7
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	Many of the books you get from a public library are DRM books. That is they have Digital Rights Management in them. The library loans them to you for a period and at the end of that period they expire on your PC. (Even if you have not finished them.) Since the library only buys a specific number of copies of each title they cannot allow people to keep them forever. I would be surprised if you were able to convert the library PDF files to another format or even get them to open on your Sony Reader.

02-02-2009, 10:36 PM	#8
daisybelle Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: sony 700	what do they do that's flaky in the reader - does the text render okay? does it put in extra lines or spaces? i can put up with some flaky for free :0)

02-02-2009, 11:03 PM	#9
rhewes Member Posts: 12 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: Sony Reader 505	I've read a handful of books from the Library in PDF format on my Sony Reader, and it's fine. Not perfect, but definitely worth "free." In one book I read, they had 'call out' boxes in the middle of the 'regular' text...that freaked the reader out a bit, and I had to change the font size to compensate. But, that being said, the Library is my preferred method of getting books. You can't beat free!

02-02-2009, 11:41 PM	#10
RWood Technogeezer Posts: 7,233 Karma: 1601464 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Virginia, USA Device: Sony PRS-500	The several library books I have loaded on the Sony 500 have failed to render at all. No strange actions or interaction with other parts of the Reader, just a failure to render. They all had a form of DRM in them that the Sony 500 could not activate. I am glad to hear that rhewes has had success. The 505 had more advanced PDF rendering than the 500 has.

02-03-2009, 02:01 AM	#12
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	Another common quirk I've found with reflowed pdf's is unexpected page breaks. In a pdf file, the page breaks are hard coded in, so when the document is "reflowed" it can sometimes have page breaks where you really wouldn't expect one. Not the end of the world--especially when you don't have to pay for the book! I'm hoping that more libraries will start to follow the Cleveland library's example and offer E-Pub files for download, as these work well on the Sony Reader! dordale

02-03-2009, 06:17 AM	#13
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	I've downloaded and read several books from the Fairfax Library and they've been fine. And at the end of 21 days they disappear.

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02-03-2009, 09:09 AM	#15
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Yeah, they just don't open anymore. I seem to recall the title stays on your reader but the book won't open. I haven't read one of these in several months but that's what I remember