Thanks for the advice: Love my PRS-505

D1ffuse · 07-16-2008, 03:09 AM

Hi All,
I joined this forum in May with the idea of doing some research and buying an eBook reader. I am a compulsive reader who must ALWAYS have at least one book on the go, and not only was this addiction costing me thousands a year in books - I'm a hoarder so I was running out of space to keep them. And let's not talk about the increasing number of heavy boxes I'd have to lug each time I moved house.

So, like I said, I came to mobileread for some advice, and spent the obligatory week or two prevaricating between an iLiad (dream) and a Sony PRS-505 (reality). Reality - and a limited budget - won out. So the Sony became my first eReader.

I've been using it for two months now - I've read well over a dozen books on it, and have flicked tens of thousands of 'pages' and I love it. Doesn't half get comments too, on planes particularly.

Of course it's not perfect. Initially settling on a format for best reading took a little time (I favour RTF files at 14pt) and it does take a while to initially load a book when you select it, oh and Sony's proprietary PC software is crap (but Calibre is great) - but they're minor quibbles. I am extremely happy with my eBook reader - and I have mobileread users to thank.

So to anyone else out there doing what I did and thinking of taking the plunge, or wondering if the iLiad is worth three times the price of the Sony: go ahead, buy the Sony eReader. On bang for your buck it's great value.

And hey! You can always buy an iLiad as well some time down the track.

Patricia · 07-16-2008, 07:54 AM

Welcome to the forum D1ffuse.

MickeyC · 07-16-2008, 12:33 PM

Hi D1ffuse and welcome to the Forum. I got a 505 back in January and like it a lot.

astra · 07-17-2008, 06:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D1ffuse

Initially settling on a format for best reading took a little time (I favour RTF files at 14pt) and it does take a while to initially load a book when you select it

Try to load RTF files to your reader via eBook Library (Sony software that you hate

). If you do it this way, RTF files will open almost instantaneously on the reader.
Maybe you will hate the software bit less after that

DrMoze · 07-17-2008, 05:52 PM

Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?

astra · 07-17-2008, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrMoze

Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?

Frankly speaking I have no idea why people hate it. I don't understand what people expect from it. Make pies?

It does for me what I expect it should do so....different tastes? I don't even try to persuade the other camp

Taylor514ce · 07-17-2008, 06:01 PM

The problem is that the ebook software and the ebook store (HTML site) both have navigational widgets, and they aren't laid out properly, and the HTML is inconsistent as you move through the site.

So, navigating the "site" and/or "software" never becomes second-nature, because it isn't intuitive. Each session is an exercise in figuring out what to click, where. This is especially fun if you don't enable cookies, have strict security settings, or their site is lagging a bit, or if it fails 4 times in a row to recognize the Reader, and so on.

astra · 07-17-2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

The problem is that the ebook software and the ebook store (HTML site) both have navigational widgets, and they aren't laid out properly, and the HTML is inconsistent as you move through the site.

So, navigating the "site" and/or "software" never becomes second-nature, because it isn't intuitive. Each session is an exercise in figuring out what to click, where. This is especially fun if you don't enable cookies, have strict security settings, or their site is lagging a bit, or if it fails 4 times in a row to recognize the Reader, and so on.

I use it only to transfer books to the reader. It just works

Patricia · 07-17-2008, 07:26 PM

I agree with Astra that the Sony Ebook software is very functional and makes it simple to transfer things on and off the Reader with no problems.
But Taylor has a fair point when he says that the Sony Store is poorly laid out. I rarely use it, but they are not interested in European customers anyway. So even if I liked it, it would be inconvenient to get someone to buy gift vouchers for me.

jerryleejr · 07-18-2008, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrMoze

Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra

Frankly speaking I have no idea why people hate it. I don't understand what people expect from it. Make pies?

It does for me what I expect it should do so....different tastes? I don't even try to persuade the other camp

My only issue is that it is sluggish, Now this may be due to my internet connection but It just spins and spins and never completes the search.

JJ

stxopher · 07-18-2008, 09:18 AM

Basically the software is good. It does what it's supposed to and does it well. Using it really speeds up management and first time file reading. It's simple enough that even small children, busy luddites and some publishers can use it quickly and intuitively.

The Sony store is....not. It's slow, inconsistent and illogically setup by a first year web designer who got their certification from a pet college. A second rate pet college.

But since the software is used to get to the store (and in fact acts as the frontend for browsing, DLing and paying) we get lazy and just say "the software" when we generally mean "the slow, badly designed to the point of driving customers away Storefront".

astrodad · 07-18-2008, 11:10 AM

Maybe it's because I don't use it that often, but when I use the Sony store I usually know which book I want to buy and the shopping experience really isn't that bad. I always hear complaints here about how bad the shopping site is but I can't relate, as I research my books on other sites (using lists, reviews, etc.) and if the price is competitive on the Sony site I will just search, find it, and three clicks later I have my book.

gaianer · 07-18-2008, 11:52 AM

Hello, everybody !..
I'm new here. Miro from Mainburg/Germany.
Have got PRS-505, but I need spcial-fonts (polish).
I've already got e new flash on the board

But have no idea - how can I get a convert-programm, for example Libris500 ?
For convert from DOC and RTF - to LRF ?.. Please ?..

Best regards.

P.S. PRS-505 is a wonderful thing !...
One friend from Poland bought it for me in USA, and helped me to replace the flash-memory. I have payed ca. 250 Euro.

Patricia · 07-18-2008, 11:56 AM

Gaianer,
Libprs500 is now renamed Calibre and can be found elsewhere on the forum.
Another free conversion tool is Book Designer.
Use the search option on the blue bar at the top of the page to find more information on the forum. Also search our wiki - there's a link at the very top of the page.

gaianer · 07-18-2008, 12:37 PM

"Another free conversion tool is Book Designer." Fine, but...

??.. I have got BookDesigner, but I don't know - whitch button is for LRF-format ?
I mean: I load a DOC or RTF - file with BookDesigner.
And what than ?

Wher in this BookDesigner can I find something to use for conversion to LRF ?....
Please...

Ther's to choice: REB1100-file, MS reader-file, Palm or Pocket PC-file, hiebook-file,
FiktionBook2-file, imp-file (GEB, REB), book-image (GEB REB, hiebook),
EBM-file, and Psion-file.
And I wanna have LRF-file

... Please

...

07-16-2008, 03:09 AM	#1
D1ffuse Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505	Thanks for the advice: Love my PRS-505 Hi All, I joined this forum in May with the idea of doing some research and buying an eBook reader. I am a compulsive reader who must ALWAYS have at least one book on the go, and not only was this addiction costing me thousands a year in books - I'm a hoarder so I was running out of space to keep them. And let's not talk about the increasing number of heavy boxes I'd have to lug each time I moved house. So, like I said, I came to mobileread for some advice, and spent the obligatory week or two prevaricating between an iLiad (dream) and a Sony PRS-505 (reality). Reality - and a limited budget - won out. So the Sony became my first eReader. I've been using it for two months now - I've read well over a dozen books on it, and have flicked tens of thousands of 'pages' and I love it. Doesn't half get comments too, on planes particularly. Of course it's not perfect. Initially settling on a format for best reading took a little time (I favour RTF files at 14pt) and it does take a while to initially load a book when you select it, oh and Sony's proprietary PC software is crap (but Calibre is great) - but they're minor quibbles. I am extremely happy with my eBook reader - and I have mobileread users to thank. So to anyone else out there doing what I did and thinking of taking the plunge, or wondering if the iLiad is worth three times the price of the Sony: go ahead, buy the Sony eReader. On bang for your buck it's great value. And hey! You can always buy an iLiad as well some time down the track.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
PRS-505 How do I pull eBooks off PRS-505 and Newbie advice	FatDog	Sony Reader	3	05-15-2010 04:18 PM
Advice for getting PDF's to be formatted correctly on PRS-505?	wesker	Sony Reader	5	01-09-2010 02:32 PM
Sony Reader PRS 505; Advice	holguinero	Introduce Yourself	6	10-01-2009 10:40 PM
New Member - advice on PRS-505	chaznsc	Sony Reader	9	07-06-2009 06:31 PM
I'm thinking of buying the PRS-505, but could still use a little advice.	i, Podius	Which one should I buy?	32	12-17-2008 03:03 AM

07-16-2008, 07:54 AM	#2
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Welcome to the forum D1ffuse.

07-16-2008, 12:33 PM	#3
MickeyC Grand Sorcerer Posts: 16,731 Karma: 12185114 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Florida Device: iPhone 6 plus, Sony T1, iPad 3	Hi D1ffuse and welcome to the Forum. I got a 505 back in January and like it a lot.

07-17-2008, 05:52 PM	#5
DrMoze Booknut Posts: 858 Karma: 2852 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Palm Beach, Florida! Device: Sony Reader 500/505/300/350, Nook Glowlight Plus (6")	Really. Why do people claim to hate the Sony s/w? It's not particularly fancy, but it does the job of buying, loading, and deleting books just fine. Plus, as astra noted, it loads books properly formatted onto your Reader. Why the hate?

07-17-2008, 06:01 PM	#7
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	The problem is that the ebook software and the ebook store (HTML site) both have navigational widgets, and they aren't laid out properly, and the HTML is inconsistent as you move through the site. So, navigating the "site" and/or "software" never becomes second-nature, because it isn't intuitive. Each session is an exercise in figuring out what to click, where. This is especially fun if you don't enable cookies, have strict security settings, or their site is lagging a bit, or if it fails 4 times in a row to recognize the Reader, and so on.

07-17-2008, 07:26 PM	#9
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	I agree with Astra that the Sony Ebook software is very functional and makes it simple to transfer things on and off the Reader with no problems. But Taylor has a fair point when he says that the Sony Store is poorly laid out. I rarely use it, but they are not interested in European customers anyway. So even if I liked it, it would be inconvenient to get someone to buy gift vouchers for me.

07-18-2008, 09:18 AM	#11
stxopher Nameless Being	Basically the software is good. It does what it's supposed to and does it well. Using it really speeds up management and first time file reading. It's simple enough that even small children, busy luddites and some publishers can use it quickly and intuitively. The Sony store is....not. It's slow, inconsistent and illogically setup by a first year web designer who got their certification from a pet college. A second rate pet college. But since the software is used to get to the store (and in fact acts as the frontend for browsing, DLing and paying) we get lazy and just say "the software" when we generally mean "the slow, badly designed to the point of driving customers away Storefront".

07-18-2008, 11:10 AM	#12
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	Maybe it's because I don't use it that often, but when I use the Sony store I usually know which book I want to buy and the shopping experience really isn't that bad. I always hear complaints here about how bad the shopping site is but I can't relate, as I research my books on other sites (using lists, reviews, etc.) and if the price is competitive on the Sony site I will just search, find it, and three clicks later I have my book.

07-18-2008, 11:52 AM	#13
gaianer Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS-505	Hello, everybody !.. I'm new here. Miro from Mainburg/Germany. Have got PRS-505, but I need spcial-fonts (polish). I've already got e new flash on the board But have no idea - how can I get a convert-programm, for example Libris500 ? For convert from DOC and RTF - to LRF ?.. Please ?.. Best regards. P.S. PRS-505 is a wonderful thing !... One friend from Poland bought it for me in USA, and helped me to replace the flash-memory. I have payed ca. 250 Euro.

07-18-2008, 11:56 AM	#14
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	Gaianer, Libprs500 is now renamed Calibre and can be found elsewhere on the forum. Another free conversion tool is Book Designer. Use the search option on the blue bar at the top of the page to find more information on the forum. Also search our wiki - there's a link at the very top of the page.

07-18-2008, 12:37 PM	#15
gaianer Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: PRS-505	"Another free conversion tool is Book Designer." Fine, but... ??.. I have got BookDesigner, but I don't know - whitch button is for LRF-format ? I mean: I load a DOC or RTF - file with BookDesigner. And what than ? Wher in this BookDesigner can I find something to use for conversion to LRF ?.... Please... Ther's to choice: REB1100-file, MS reader-file, Palm or Pocket PC-file, hiebook-file, FiktionBook2-file, imp-file (GEB, REB), book-image (GEB REB, hiebook), EBM-file, and Psion-file. And I wanna have LRF-file ... Please ...

Advert

Advert