Sony Digital Paper DPT-S1 Owner's Thread

Avenger · 08-29-2014, 04:55 PM

There doesn't seem to be much talk about Sony's Digital Paper. I thought I'd create a thread to discuss the various aspects of it. Probably the reason no one is writing about it is the price. I finished selling off some older gadgets and photo gear and bought one. I just received it today. I haven't been wowed by a gadget to this extent in a long time. The lightness of it, the screen size, and the feeling of writing on paper is supreme. I think this is what the developers where thinking about when e-ink was created. I'm going to play around with Calibre and convert some of my e-books to PDF format and give it a go. I'm assuming a Calibre page size setting of "letter paper" would be appropriate for the conversion. I am also going to try to use WebDav to access to cloud storage.

Please share your experiences and any tips or tips for using the device.

lovewisdom · 08-29-2014, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avenger

There doesn't seem to be much talk about Sony's Digital Paper. I thought I'd create a thread to discuss the various aspects of it. Probably the reason no one is writing about it is the price. I finished selling off some older gadgets and photo gear and bought one. I just received it today. I haven't been wowed by a gadget to this extent in a long time. The lightness of it, the screen size, and the feeling of writing on paper is supreme. I think this is what the developers where thinking about when e-ink was created. I'm going to play around with Calibre and convert some of my e-books to PDF format and give it a go. I'm assuming a Calibre page size setting of "letter paper" would be appropriate for the conversion. I am also going to try to use WebDav to access to cloud storage.

Please share your experiences and any tips or tips for using the device.

I ordered one at $1107 included tax. Get 5% discount. I asked for 10% student discount Sony offers on its site. But this item is excluded. I chatted online with customer service, finally got 5% discount. Hope this works for you guys who want to buy it. Its on back ordered. I don't know when my order will be shipped out.

Avenger · 08-29-2014, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovewisdom

I ordered one at $1107 included tax. Get 5% discount. I asked for 10% student discount Sony offers on its site. But this item is excluded. I chatted online with customer service, finally got 5% discount. Hope this works for you guys who want to buy it. Its on back ordered. I don't know when my order will be shipped out.

I don't know about the possibility of a student discount but I called in the order on Wednesday and received it today. It's just been publicized that they are selling it on their website. When I called on Wednesday, I was expecting to answer questions about my profession and what I would use it for. But they just took my money. It seems I got to them just went they took away the requirements for buying one.

lovewisdom · 08-29-2014, 07:57 PM

Sony is very strange. This Ereader at first was only sold to professionals, but now to all people. I don't know what happened to Sony let it change its policy. But the price isn't changed, still very expensive. I don't know why an Ereader producer just keeps its products far away from readers by setting its price way above normal.

lovewisdom · 08-29-2014, 07:59 PM

I see this item originally targets at college students and staff, but I don't know why the price is never for students. It seems like Sony just made a joke to students with this Ereader.

Avenger · 08-29-2014, 09:55 PM

I converted a few epub e-books over to PDF format and they seem to display well on the device. Note that you cannot change the font size; only zoom in/out but you really shouldn't need to do it much with a screen this size. I also set up a "box" cloud account since they provide webdav access for free. It seems to work. Only thing that is strange is when I completely replaced a file on my PC with an earlier version, it didn't sync onto the Sony device. It synced to box but not to the device. I have to look into it further.

rkomar · 08-29-2014, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lovewisdom

I see this item originally targets at college students and staff, but I don't know why the price is never for students. It seems like Sony just made a joke to students with this Ereader.

My guess is that, to be able to annotate PDFs, Sony had to license something like the full Acrobat version rather than the cheap reader application. Sony also did at least some of the research on the new plastic substrate for the display, so they'll want to recoup costs on that. They also produced some back-end server software for distributing documents within an organization, and they'll want to pay for that effort, too. There is a lot more to this device than just a bigger screen for their consumer ereaders.

carpetmojo · 08-30-2014, 02:20 PM

I have a strange feeling that Sony may be on their way to shooting themselves in the foot ..... again.

The seemingly muddled marketing strategy is remarkedly like the last (excellent) version of Reader - like them saying you can order and pay for one if you live outside US, but it won't be shipped, what's all that about ! - the high price, which is likely to put it out of the reach of most "students", one of the stated markets, and the varied reports from users.
This does all smack of the last days of Sony's sad demise in the ereader category.

Now this may well prove to be the answer to someone's prayers - but they don't seem to have figured out who exactly.

It sometimes seems Sony comes up with great gear, but then kind of expects it to find it's own market - not a brilliant strategy in this hi-tech climate, frankly.

rkomar · 08-30-2014, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

The seemingly muddled marketing strategy is remarkedly like the last (excellent) version of Reader - like them saying you can order and pay for one if you live outside US, but it won't be shipped, what's all that about !

That probably has to do with new regulations in the US about shipping items internationally with batteries installed.

Avenger · 08-30-2014, 07:20 PM

Anyone know a Webdav server for dropbox that is still free? I would like to try dropbox with the Sony Digital Paper but all the ones that were free at one point seem to cost money.

Ghitulescu · 09-02-2014, 03:50 AM

I would say it's a huge price for something able only to display PDF files.
I understand this is a premium product, linked to a designer object, but this is probably not enough to become a mass product. I am not sure that Sony wants this either

aggressively promoting a product as an elitist totem keeps the price (and revenues) high - unless this concept would be copied by the archenemies.

In my opinion, this would be another item in the Sony's Museum of Unfortunate Inventions (along with MicroMV, MS, Digital8 and the like).

Canuck_in_Japan · 09-02-2014, 04:00 AM

You forgot the MD (actually awesome but another failed product).

Ghitulescu · 09-02-2014, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkomar

That probably has to do with new regulations in the US about shipping items internationally with batteries installed.

And since iPhones (and other iProducts) are made in China, how come the amis still got them?

rkomar · 09-02-2014, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghitulescu

And since iPhones (and other iProducts) are made in China, how come the amis still got them?

Because they ship them in containers rather than fly them in individual Fedex packages?

Avenger · 09-02-2014, 06:15 PM

I've read gone through a short textbook. I'm noticing a bit of slow down when I highlight a passage with the pen if it is a couple of lines. It takes like a second or two for the full highlight to take effect. Also the search feature is a bit slow. It can take a few seconds while it searches for the next occurrence of a word you are looking for.

08-29-2014, 04:55 PM	#1
Avenger Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 71518 Join Date: May 2009 Device: iREX DR 1000S	Sony Digital Paper DPT-S1 Owner's Thread There doesn't seem to be much talk about Sony's Digital Paper. I thought I'd create a thread to discuss the various aspects of it. Probably the reason no one is writing about it is the price. I finished selling off some older gadgets and photo gear and bought one. I just received it today. I haven't been wowed by a gadget to this extent in a long time. The lightness of it, the screen size, and the feeling of writing on paper is supreme. I think this is what the developers where thinking about when e-ink was created. I'm going to play around with Calibre and convert some of my e-books to PDF format and give it a go. I'm assuming a Calibre page size setting of "letter paper" would be appropriate for the conversion. I am also going to try to use WebDav to access to cloud storage. Please share your experiences and any tips or tips for using the device.

08-30-2014, 02:20 PM	#8
carpetmojo Wizard Posts: 3,117 Karma: 9269999 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: UK Device: Sony- T3, PRS650, 350, T1/2/3, Paperwhite, Fire 8.9,Samsung Tab S 10.5	Muddled thinking again ? I have a strange feeling that Sony may be on their way to shooting themselves in the foot ..... again. The seemingly muddled marketing strategy is remarkedly like the last (excellent) version of Reader - like them saying you can order and pay for one if you live outside US, but it won't be shipped, what's all that about ! - the high price, which is likely to put it out of the reach of most "students", one of the stated markets, and the varied reports from users. This does all smack of the last days of Sony's sad demise in the ereader category. Now this may well prove to be the answer to someone's prayers - but they don't seem to have figured out who exactly. It sometimes seems Sony comes up with great gear, but then kind of expects it to find it's own market - not a brilliant strategy in this hi-tech climate, frankly.

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08-29-2014, 07:57 PM	#4
lovewisdom Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 1010 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kindle DX, Kindle Touch, Sony DPTS1	Sony is very strange. This Ereader at first was only sold to professionals, but now to all people. I don't know what happened to Sony let it change its policy. But the price isn't changed, still very expensive. I don't know why an Ereader producer just keeps its products far away from readers by setting its price way above normal.

08-29-2014, 07:59 PM	#5
lovewisdom Enthusiast Posts: 27 Karma: 1010 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: Kindle DX, Kindle Touch, Sony DPTS1	I see this item originally targets at college students and staff, but I don't know why the price is never for students. It seems like Sony just made a joke to students with this Ereader.

08-29-2014, 09:55 PM	#6
Avenger Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 71518 Join Date: May 2009 Device: iREX DR 1000S	I converted a few epub e-books over to PDF format and they seem to display well on the device. Note that you cannot change the font size; only zoom in/out but you really shouldn't need to do it much with a screen this size. I also set up a "box" cloud account since they provide webdav access for free. It seems to work. Only thing that is strange is when I completely replaced a file on my PC with an earlier version, it didn't sync onto the Sony device. It synced to box but not to the device. I have to look into it further.

08-30-2014, 07:20 PM	#10
Avenger Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 71518 Join Date: May 2009 Device: iREX DR 1000S	Anyone know a Webdav server for dropbox that is still free? I would like to try dropbox with the Sony Digital Paper but all the ones that were free at one point seem to cost money.

09-02-2014, 03:50 AM	#11
Ghitulescu Fanatic Posts: 563 Karma: 403106 Join Date: Aug 2014 Device: PRS-T1	I would say it's a huge price for something able only to display PDF files. I understand this is a premium product, linked to a designer object, but this is probably not enough to become a mass product. I am not sure that Sony wants this either aggressively promoting a product as an elitist totem keeps the price (and revenues) high - unless this concept would be copied by the archenemies. In my opinion, this would be another item in the Sony's Museum of Unfortunate Inventions (along with MicroMV, MS, Digital8 and the like).

09-02-2014, 04:00 AM	#12
Canuck_in_Japan Wizard Posts: 1,476 Karma: 14328611 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Tokyo, Japan Device: Aura, Aura H2O, Kindle PW3	You forgot the MD (actually awesome but another failed product).

09-02-2014, 06:15 PM	#15
Avenger Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 71518 Join Date: May 2009 Device: iREX DR 1000S	I've read gone through a short textbook. I'm noticing a bit of slow down when I highlight a passage with the pen if it is a couple of lines. It takes like a second or two for the full highlight to take effect. Also the search feature is a bit slow. It can take a few seconds while it searches for the next occurrence of a word you are looking for.

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