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Sony e-reader

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245

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    #32
    rovert
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Oh yeah does the 100 free books offer apply in Ireland?


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    #33
    Four of a kind
    Registered Users Posts: 3,055 ✭✭✭Four of a kind


    am thinking of getting one of these tomorrow in xtravision....any reason why I should'nt :) ????


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    #34
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    rovert wrote: »
    Is it compatable with the Amazon Kindle books?

    No, it isn't. The Amazon Kindle books have DRM applied to only work with the Kindle, kinda of the main selling point for that device.
    rovert wrote: »
    Oh yeah does the 100 free books offer apply in Ireland?

    You get a CD in the package with a number of classics and public domain books - nothing you couldn't find on your own really. If the offer for the 100 books is for commercial books, no, there's nothing like that. Waterstones gives you 500 points for their store with the purchase but that only works out as around €8 which is hardly going to get you one book...
    Four of a kind wrote: »
    am thinking of getting one of these tomorrow in xtravision....any reason why I should'nt ????

    The screen refresh (screen flashes black for a second while the page turns) annoys some people while others find the screen size too small. If you have never seen one in the flesh, maybe go into a Waterstones to take a look at a demo unit (I doubt Xtravision has them on display), then decide if you want one or not and buy it from Xtravision (don't know if Waterstones is still out of stock).


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    #35
    talkingclock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭talkingclock


    got mine on saturday evening from Xtravision. they had a unit to play with on display.

    i really like it. although i thought i'm oldfashioned in relation to books (have the book in my hand, turn the page, smell the paper etc) that device is really stunning. the display is just awesome. it looks like real paper!


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    #36
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    talkingclock wrote: »
    that device is really stunning. the display is just awesome. it looks like real paper!

    Playing with a display unit is well worth it - I kept reading reviews about the screen refresh effect and even saw a couple of YouTube videos and thought it would be a deal-breaker for me. When I got to play with the display unit I found it didn't really annoy me and now that I've had the unit for a few weeks, I hardly even notice it :).


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    #37
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,329 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    Any of you guys try to read some technial pdf's on it? I'm debating whether to go for this or get the new iRex REader 1000 with its 10" screen instead.


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    #38
    RubyXI
    Registered Users Posts: 1,596 ✭✭✭RubyXI


    Sorry for my ignorance :o but how can you download books to this. I believe it comes with 100 popular books, or this is something available. But if there is a specific book you want to get on it, how do you do it? Or is your choice limited?


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    #39
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    jimmycrackcorm wrote: »
    Any of you guys try to read some technial pdf's on it? I'm debating whether to go for this or get the new iRex REader 1000 with its 10" screen instead.

    All I'm reading on it are technical books - programming, Mac OS X stuff, etc. For the most part it handles the PDFs quite well, even with a lot of diagrams in them, etc - the zoom feature works well. I've only had one book so far that looks wonky in PDF, but still perfectly legible. The new Illiad is much bigger though (but fugly!) so it will be better suited to some books - very expensive unit for my needs though.
    phi3 wrote: »
    Sorry for my ignorance :o but how can you download books to this. I believe it comes with 100 popular books, or this is something available. But if there is a specific book you want to get on it, how do you do it? Or is your choice limited?

    Well if you want to buy books for it, yes, the choice is more limited than the Amazon Kindle - there are a few sites you can buy from, including Waterstones obviously and others - there are posts in some threads in this forum that mention a number of online bookstores you can use with the Reader. There is also plenty of content online DRM-free, from classics like what you find on Project Gutenberg to newer stuff on various sites - take a look at this post by Bedlam:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=57314113&postcount=5


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    #40
    Giggler
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Giggler


    Hi All, I am looking for some advice please!!
    I stumbled upon the sony e-reader recently, having given up on having something like this, as Amazon Kindle was not available here. I have been doing some research, and am having trouble deciding between the sony e-reader, and the the iLiad Book Edition any help would be apprecited.

    Cost wise the iliad is twice that of the sony, but i have had a bad experience with a sony product before, an mp3 player, and am reluctant to go there again unless i have to. I would be willing to purchase either, but just want the right product for me.

    In terms of reading it would be for "normal" rather than "technical" products.

    Also wondering about the costs and availability of books for each type of reader,

    Thanks in advance
    Giggler


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    #41
    deadl0ck
    Registered Users Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭deadl0ck


    Thinking of getting one of these myself.
    There a lot of places to get the books from - one of the better websites for SciFi and Fantasy books I've come across is eBooks.com.
    They have most of their books available in Adobe (Digital Editions) which is directly supported on the 505 with the latest firmware (some details here).
    Also the eBooks site has a lot of books for around the $6.99 mark. I've just bought The Sword Of Shannara Trioligy for $9.99 to see if I could buy from this site, and I'll read it when I eventually settle on a reader.
    I've VERY tempted by the Sony- have seen it in the Sony Shop in Blanchardstown and I'm very impressed.....


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    #42
    ElNino
    Registered Users Posts: 1,503 ✭✭✭ElNino


    Giggler I would agree with what Bedlam said. I have a Sony 505 since before Xmas and I would highly recommend it for novels in non-PDF formats. If you are going to be viewing a lot of PDFs (particularly technical ones) then go for the bigger screen.

    There are other ways of sourcing books if you do some googling. Obviously we can't talk about them here.


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    #43
    deadl0ck
    Registered Users Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭deadl0ck


    Giggler - have alook at this YouTube review - about half way through he shows the PDF capabilities of the sony:



    Edit : seems that youtube tag isn't working - here's the link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdqHDaWaEA


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    #44
    Eoin
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 21,238 CMod ✭✭✭✭Eoin


    deadl0ck wrote: »

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdqHDaWaEA


    Edit : seems that youtube tag isn't working

    You just need the ID of the video, like this:

    [noparse]
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdqHDaWaEA

    [/noparse]


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    #45
    deadl0ck
    Registered Users Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭deadl0ck


    Thanks for the heads up Eoin :)


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    #46
    J-blk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,906 ✭✭✭J-blk


    For what it's worth, though I do agree with Bedlam and ElNino that the bigger screen on the iLiad is better suited for PDF, I've been very pleasantly surprised with the Sony Reader. I only have PDFs on it right now, mostly technical books, programming, etc and the zooming on them works great. On the "Medium" setting, most documents are very comfortable to read, diagrams look fine and only one book so far has had some formatting issues, though remains perfectly legible without conversion. Still, it's very hard to get a feel for if it'll be satisfactory for you or not, until you've used one.


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    #47
    deadl0ck
    Registered Users Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭deadl0ck


    Just bought one this evening and have put 2 books on it. I'm off to bed now, and I'm gonna give it it's first trial.
    I'm off all this week and am planning top get thorugh a few books - I'll report back at the start of next week :)


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    #48
    Giggler
    Registered Users Posts: 24 ✭Giggler


    Thanks for all the replies guys!!!

    I was in London for a few days and had a few opportunities to give it a trial run.

    Unfortunately i have to say that while being impressed with the overall size and the reader and the text on the page, i was not impressed with the look of the page itself, prob more used to a computer screen, but that could be overcome.

    The thing that i was most disapointed with was the refresh rate of the screen, i am a very fast reader and i think that this would bug me after a while, especially as it is not a smooth change.

    I also thought that the quality of the print on the screen wasnt that great, it reminded me of a poor photocopy.

    i had been doing a bit of a search over the last few days for the books for the authors that i would read most often, not to off the wall, but not always main stream!! and i found their availability severely limited.

    Deadl0ck, i cant wait to hear how you get on with your book.

    I will i think revisit it again, but for now i think i will be reading the old fashioned way!!!


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    #49
    rovert
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Can people in Ireland download Ebooks from this site or is it region blocked:
    http://ebookstore.sony.com/


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    #50
    ElNino
    Registered Users Posts: 1,503 ✭✭✭ElNino


    rovert wrote: »
    Can people in Ireland download Ebooks from this site or is it region blocked:
    http://ebookstore.sony.com/

    It's not region blocked but it only accepts US issued credit cards for payments. So unless you get someone with an American credit card to put money into your account you are out of luck.

    Are you aware that Waterstones are selling Sony LRF formatted books on their website www.waterstones.com ?


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    #51
    rovert
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    ElNino wrote: »
    Are you aware that Waterstones are selling Sony LRF formatted books on their website www.waterstones.com ?

    I am Im afraid :(, thats the reason why Im asking about the Sony site. :p


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    #52
    ElNino
    Registered Users Posts: 1,503 ✭✭✭ElNino


    There are 2 alternative (and probably cheaper) sites to Sony ans Waterstones worth considering which accept international orders as follows:

    http://www.fictionwise.com
    http://www.booksonboard.com

    Get the books in Microsoft Reader (i.e LIT) format. It is very easy to upload LIT books to your Sony Reader using Calibre and they convert perfectly.


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    #53
    rovert
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23,089 ✭✭✭✭rovert


    Sorry lads which of these three formats can I download to my Sony Ereader with or without conversion:

    Secure Ereader
    Secure Mobipocket
    Secure Microsoft Reader

    Thanks


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    #54
    20goto10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭20goto10


    Here is a Guide on optimizing pdfs for the Sony reader. It'ss based on the PRS-500 but I'm sure the same applies for later models.


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    #55
    lifian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭lifian


    does anyone know where i could actually buy a sony reader tomorrow?south dublin area.thanks


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    #56
    ElNino
    Registered Users Posts: 1,503 ✭✭✭ElNino


    lifian wrote: »
    does anyone know where i could actually buy a sony reader tomorrow?south dublin area.thanks

    Waterstones, Xtravision and Sony Stores are selling them. I am not sure if all branches have them.


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    #57
    lifian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭lifian


    Thanks.Got one in Stillorgan Xtravision today.Won't see it in use until christmas as it is present for my daughter!Already can't wait to use it myself!


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    #58
    lifian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭lifian


    Just wondering are there any accessories that I should or need to get for it? Thanks


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    #59
    ElNino
    Registered Users Posts: 1,503 ✭✭✭ElNino


    lifian wrote: »
    Just wondering are there any accessories that I should or need to get for it? Thanks


    I got a light for my one:
    http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=6337798

    Other than that there aren't really too many accessories available.


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    #60
    filo87
    Registered Users Posts: 272 ✭✭filo87


    ElNino, is the light worth getting?Does it fit on neatly?Was going to wait for the PRS-700 as it has a built in light but if the add-on light is decent I'll probably just buy the 505 model.


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    #61
    lifian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 35 ✭lifian


    ElNino wrote: »
    I got a light for my one:
    http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=6337798

    Thanks.Read the reviews from the above site - a mixed lot.Think I'll leave the light for the moment and see how it goes!


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