PRS-350 Options for loading content onto PRS-350

[Jane12]

Hello All,

I'm considering purchasing a PRS-350 and am wondering if it's possible to simply drag and drop epubs from my Mac to the PRS-350 without using intermediary software (e.g., Sony Reader Library).

If intermediary software is necessary, can I use Calibre (for nonDRM content) and Adobe Digital Editions (for DRM content)? Or must I use Sony Reader Library?

Thank you for any help you can offer!

[ultramookie]

jane, the sony readers all show up as usb mass storage devices (ie. "usb mode") to computers. so, if you want to just drag and drop your non-drm epubs over to the reader, you can. there's no intermediary software required, and unlike the nook, you can drag it to anywhere on the reader (for instance, you can make your own folders).

if you want to use software, you can use calibre, ade or sony reader library. whichever you like better. the only reason to use the sony reader library is if you want to purchase books from the sony reader store or if you want to use the sync functionality in the software.

[Jabby]

Originally Posted by ultramookie

(for instance, you can make your own folders).

Does the Sony recognize the folders? Do folders equal collections? Do the Sony collections operate like the Kindle 3?

One of the things I like about the Jetbook Lite is the ability to organize in folders. i.e. Genre, author then title. This allows pretty quick access to any book.

Thanks - John

Originally Posted by Jabby

Does the Sony recognize the folders?

Reads the folders but doesn't view them as collections, the books will be placed with all books. You can manually move them to a collection on the reader tho.

Originally Posted by Jabby

Do folders equal collections?

No.

Originally Posted by Jabby

Do the Sony collections operate like the Kindle 3?

Very similar.

[Jabby]

Thanks Jack!

I suspected as much, but was hopeful.

I notice that you have a 350 and would like to ask a favor. I created a epub using Sigil and modified with Calibre that works well on my Jetbook but loses formatting when converted and read on my K3.

The formating changes were to decrease the line height allowing more lines per page and setting all the characters to "Bold". I was wondering if the formating sticks with the PRS-350 and was hoping I could talk you into putting it on your reader and check it out.

I asked on another thread but had no luck. Anyway here is the file.

Regards - John

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by Jabby

One of the things I like about the Jetbook Lite is the ability to organize in folders. i.e. Genre, author then title. This allows pretty quick access to any book.

That's pretty much how I have my Sony organized. First I have Collections by Genre. Then within each collection, I can sort the book list by Author name.

A bit more scrolling than having everything in drill-down folders, but va bene per me (it works for me).

Originally Posted by Jabby

Thanks Jack!

I suspected as much, but was hopeful.

I notice that you have a 350 and would like to ask a favor. I created a epub using Sigil and modified with Calibre that works well on my Jetbook but loses formatting when converted and read on my K3.

The formating changes were to decrease the line height allowing more lines per page and setting all the characters to "Bold". I was wondering if the formating sticks with the PRS-350 and was hoping I could talk you into putting it on your reader and check it out.

I asked on another thread but had no luck. Anyway here is the file.

Regards - John

Here is what it looks like, see attached photo. The text is definitely bold and the line spacing is much closer than normal ePubs on a 350, so it looks like your formatting worked.

BTW, there is a no-hack method for using your own fonts on Sony readers that is fairly easy to do. You basically create a font folder, place the fonts inside it, and customize the CSS for the ePub to use the fonts you desire. I have a document showing in detail how to do it if you are interested.

...

[Jabby]

Originally Posted by jswinden

BTW, there is a no-hack method for using your own fonts on Sony readers that is fairly easy to do. You basically create a font folder, place the fonts inside it, and customize the CSS for the ePub to use the fonts you desire. I have a document showing in detail how to do it if you are interested.

Further thanks are in order Jack! I think a 350 (or two) are soon to have a home at my place. The wife and I are ardent readers and having a truly portable ereader would be a boon.

And yes, I would be very interested in a way to use different fonts.

Regards - John

See attached.

[Jane12]

Thanks for all the input everyone! The PRS-350 is mighty tempting.

One thing that gave me pause, though (other than the price), was that when I was playing with the demo 350 at the store, I noticed that when I switched to Landscape Orientation, lines got cut in half at the bottom (you could only see the top half of the letters, the bottom half was cut off). This was especially a problem with larger font sizes. Is there a setting to prevent this, or is this a known bug?

Thx,

- Jane

Originally Posted by Jane12

Thanks for all the input everyone! The PRS-350 is mighty tempting.

One thing that gave me pause, though (other than the price), was that when I was playing with the demo 350 at the store, I noticed that when I switched to Landscape Orientation, lines got cut in half at the bottom (you could only see the top half of the letters, the bottom half was cut off). This was especially a problem with larger font sizes. Is there a setting to prevent this, or is this a known bug?

Thx,

- Jane

Sony didn't implement the landscape mode very well. If you play with it in landscape mode you will notice that there is typically a little bit of overlap of lines between what is shown at the top of a page, middle of a page, and bottom of a page. For small to medium size texts I notice at least a couple of lines of text that are repeated when you scroll down (page down). In portrait mode you never notice this, but landscape mode basically enlarges the text from the portrait page and splits it out over two or three sections. Fairly kluge if you ask me. My Kindle WiFi on the other hand doesn't do this. With the K3 there is no enlarging of text and no mutilple paging to see a single page. Amazon got it right and Sony screwed up on landscape mode.

BTW, the older Sony readers would grey out the repeated text which IMO was even worse. Sony wastes a lot of screen by repeating text lines while in landscape. It is also frustrating to get the text size set in portrait then have the reader enlarge it in landscape.

If you look at the first two attached photos, you can see the same page viewed on an older 300. The portrait view is merely enlarged in landscape and the landscape view shows the second half of the portrait page. Notice how the top line in landscape view is greyed out to indicate it was already seen in the first half of the page. The 350 does away with he greying and now allows full justification, but other than that they still made landscape mode kluge and ugly. In this example the text was small. Had it been large, then you might have seen partial lines of text between the first half and second half of the page.

By comparison, the last two images (screenshots) illustrate how the K3 handles landscape mode.

...

[Jabby]

Originally Posted by jswinden

See attached.

Grabbed the Sony font PDF. Looks like letting Calibre do it might be easiest. When I get a 350 I'll find out.

Regards - John

[Jane12]

Thanks Jack! So hard to choose between readers. I was leaning toward the PRS-350 because of the epub support and touch screen, but the poor landscape implementation would annoy me and overall, it seems the K3 is a better reader as far as actual readability goes. I notice you have both PRS-350 and K3 -- why both and which do you like better? And what do you think about the Nook? Thx!

[doreenjoy]

Originally Posted by Jane12

I notice you have both PRS-350 and K3

That's a PRS-300 in the pics, not a 350. the 350 screen is much better contrast -- though not as good of contrast as the black and white captures from the Kindle software.

Originally Posted by doreenjoy

That's a PRS-300 in the pics, not a 350. the 350 screen is much better contrast -- though not as good of contrast as the black and white captures from the Kindle software.

To quote myself from that post:

If you look at the first two attached photos, you can see the same page viewed on an older 300.

But to clarify beyond doubt, the 350 and the K3 have the same clear Pearl screen except the 350 is 5" diagonally and the K3 is 6".