Any alternative to Sony Reader software?

stevet · 02-23-2010, 12:36 PM

I bought a Sony PRS600 reader, and I really want to keep it and use it. BUT, Sony, after spending 4 hours with tech support level 1, tech support level 2, product specialist, and product engineering, cannot make the Sony Reader software work on my Windows 7 computer. I'm not exactly sure what functionality that software has (connect me to the store? help me load software onto the reader? convert formats? I don't know what all it does). Is there any other software I can use with the Sony reader? Or do I have to take it back and try a Kindle or Nook or something else?

Steve

Ben Thornton · 02-23-2010, 12:38 PM

Yes - use calibre.

Link

rcuadro · 02-23-2010, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

Yes - use calibre.

Link

SCION · 02-23-2010, 12:40 PM

Welcome stevet!

If you post in the Sony forum you'll get timelier responses:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=176

Many people have had similar issues and were able to resolve them. Try to search within the Sony forum for guidance until someone comes along to assist.

Ben Thornton · 02-23-2010, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

If you post in the Sony forum you'll get timelier responses

Give me a break, I took 2 minutes!

Also, note that Windows should see the reader as a drive (in fact several drives). You can copy content over in explorer into, IIRC, media/books.

Calibre makes this easier, but if you wanted to try it out, you could do that.

Bremen Cole · 02-23-2010, 12:45 PM

Welcome to the forum stevet. Be sure and check out all the free books here at mobileread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=126 that are ready to go for your Sony. You can also look a few forums down from that one and get many ePub books that will also work..... And here is a link to free ebooks from the Sony store http://ebooks.addall.com/sonyfree.html . Be sure to check back on the Sony link as the book content changes. Also Kobo is a great sight for buying books http://www.kobobooks.com/ and is often cheaper than the Sony site.

Also.... +1 for Calibre

And as Scion said, stop on by the Sony forum!

Again, congrats and have fun!

banjobama · 02-23-2010, 01:33 PM

I agree with the people who said use Calibre. You can make the books into Collections on the Reader by tagging them in Calibre. Whatever tags you use will show up as Collections on the device.

Teddman · 02-23-2010, 01:47 PM

I never even installed the Sony software... Calibre is a much better database/library organizer and their store is useless to me now that they quit selling lrf in favor of unjustified ePub.

SCION · 02-23-2010, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teddman

I never even installed the Sony software... Calibre is a much better database/library organizer and their store is useless to me now that they quit selling lrf in favor of unjustified ePub.

ePub is justified on the 900. Other Readers need a firmware update unfortunately.

Teddman · 02-23-2010, 02:11 PM

I just can't believe Sony would switch completely over to a format that most of their ereaders don't fully support, without at least keeping lrf as a buying option.

The fact that the 900 supports it correctly and other models don't makes the lack of a firmware update across the board even more curious--it seems like pure laziness. I love the hardware design of their readers, but this is a really boneheaded decision on their part.

Ben Thornton · 02-23-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teddman

I just can't believe Sony would switch completely over to a format that most of their ereaders don't fully support, without at least keeping lrf as a buying option.

The fact that the 900 supports it correctly and other models don't makes the lack of a firmware update across the board even more curious--it seems like pure laziness. I love the hardware design of their readers, but this is a really boneheaded decision on their part.

I agree; one can understand that the evil drones in Marketing might decide not to update the 505, thinking this this will promote sales, but not to support their chosen standard format properly on the 300/600 - especially when they've already done the work in the 900 firmware - seems bizarre.

Ouside the US, they don't sell the 900, so their standard format isn't properly supported on any of their current readers!

=X= · 02-23-2010, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevet

I bought a Sony PRS600 reader, and I really want to keep it and use it. BUT, Sony, after spending 4 hours with tech support level 1, tech support level 2, product specialist, and product engineering, cannot make the Sony Reader software work on my Windows 7 computer. I'm not exactly sure what functionality that software has (connect me to the store? help me load software onto the reader? convert formats? I don't know what all it does). Is there any other software I can use with the Sony reader? Or do I have to take it back and try a Kindle or Nook or something else?

Steve

Calibre is great for converting books, decent for maintaining books and creating collections. But you really don't need software to work with your SONY, just copy the file to the device via USB .

You do need the SONY software to buy books with Adobe ePUB/PDF DRM. Else you can try to install Adobe to see if that works for you.

With the Kindle/Nook you don't have to install software you can buy the books from the device and have them wireless downloaded to your device.

=X=

Bremen Cole · 02-23-2010, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

Calibre is great for converting books, decent for maintaining books and creating collections. But you really don't need software to work with your SONY, just copy the file to the device via USB .

You do need the SONY software to buy books with Adobe ePUB/PDF DRM. Else you can try to install Adobe to see if that works for you.

With the Kindle/Nook you don't have to install software you can buy the books from the device and have them wireless downloaded to your device.

=X=

Just to be clear... You DO NOT need the Sony software to buy books with Adobe ePub/PDF DRM. YouDO NEED Adobe Digital Editions, and have your computer authorized, as well as your reader, by ADE.

The DRM is by Adobe, not Sony.

=X= · 02-23-2010, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bremen Cole

Just to be clear... You DO NOT need the Sony software to buy books with Adobe ePub/PDF DRM. YouDO NEED Adobe Digital Editions, and have your computer authorized, as well as your reader, by ADE.

The DRM is by Adobe, not Sony.

Actually this is not entirely true DO NOT need Adobe digital editions installed on you machine if you have Sony Reader(TM) 3.1 (It was one of the features they added to 3.0). But yes one can also have ADE installed w/o the Sony Reader and buy ADE DRM'ed books.

I did not make the latter point clear thanks for the clarifying that.

=X=

Marcy · 02-23-2010, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by =X=

Calibre is great for converting books, decent for maintaining books and creating collections. But you really don't need software to work with your SONY, just copy the file to the device via USB .

You do need the SONY software to buy books with Adobe ePUB/PDF DRM. Else you can try to install Adobe to see if that works for you.

With the Kindle/Nook you don't have to install software you can buy the books from the device and have them wireless downloaded to your device.

=X=

No, you don't need the Sony Crap, um, software, to install epub/pdf with DRM. You only need Adobe Digital Editions.

The only thing you need the Sony software for it to buy books from the Sony store or download the free books from the Sony store. If I didn't have a $50 gift card to the store that came with my reader I would have deleted their useless excuse for software off my computer. Once that card is gone, so is the software.

Word of caution -- install Adobe Digital Editions *after* installing the Sony software. The software steals file associations and makes ADE not work with your acsm files. It took me a couple of days and a lot of stress to figure that out.

Calibre does everything the Sony software is supposed to do and much more. And best of all it doesn't constantly crash, or screw up things on the reader. I highly recommend it and if you don't plan on buying books from the Sony store don't even bother to install their software. It is so poor that I almost returned my PRS-600 when I first got it. I loved the reader but the software was just unusable. Some googling found MobileRead and that led to Calibre and my reader and I have been happy together ever since.

-Marcy

02-23-2010, 12:36 PM	#1
stevet Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Sony PRS600 Touch	Any alternative to Sony Reader software? I bought a Sony PRS600 reader, and I really want to keep it and use it. BUT, Sony, after spending 4 hours with tech support level 1, tech support level 2, product specialist, and product engineering, cannot make the Sony Reader software work on my Windows 7 computer. I'm not exactly sure what functionality that software has (connect me to the store? help me load software onto the reader? convert formats? I don't know what all it does). Is there any other software I can use with the Sony reader? Or do I have to take it back and try a Kindle or Nook or something else? Steve

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02-23-2010, 12:38 PM	#2
Ben Thornton Guru Posts: 900 Karma: 779635 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: UK Device: Kindle 3, iPad 2 (but not for e-books)	Yes - use calibre. Link

02-23-2010, 12:40 PM	#4
SCION Séduisant Posts: 4,706 Karma: 2107018 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Texas, USA Device: Boox Note Air2+; Kobo Libra2; Kindle Scribe, Oasis3; iPad Mini6	Welcome stevet! If you post in the Sony forum you'll get timelier responses: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=176 Many people have had similar issues and were able to resolve them. Try to search within the Sony forum for guidance until someone comes along to assist.

02-23-2010, 12:45 PM	#6
Bremen Cole Wizard Posts: 1,115 Karma: 2718 Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Texas Device: iPad	Welcome to the forum stevet. Be sure and check out all the free books here at mobileread https://www.mobileread.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=126 that are ready to go for your Sony. You can also look a few forums down from that one and get many ePub books that will also work..... And here is a link to free ebooks from the Sony store http://ebooks.addall.com/sonyfree.html . Be sure to check back on the Sony link as the book content changes. Also Kobo is a great sight for buying books http://www.kobobooks.com/ and is often cheaper than the Sony site. Also.... +1 for Calibre And as Scion said, stop on by the Sony forum! Again, congrats and have fun!

02-23-2010, 01:33 PM	#7
banjobama Busy Read'n Posts: 980 Karma: 5039283 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Auburn, WA Device: Pocketbook Touch Lux 5	I agree with the people who said use Calibre. You can make the books into Collections on the Reader by tagging them in Calibre. Whatever tags you use will show up as Collections on the device.

02-23-2010, 01:47 PM	#8
Teddman Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 695 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	I never even installed the Sony software... Calibre is a much better database/library organizer and their store is useless to me now that they quit selling lrf in favor of unjustified ePub.

02-23-2010, 02:11 PM	#10
Teddman Addict Posts: 242 Karma: 695 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	I just can't believe Sony would switch completely over to a format that most of their ereaders don't fully support, without at least keeping lrf as a buying option. The fact that the 900 supports it correctly and other models don't makes the lack of a firmware update across the board even more curious--it seems like pure laziness. I love the hardware design of their readers, but this is a really boneheaded decision on their part.

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