Could this be a future Data PADD?

Jen · December 05, 2007, 07:32:02 PM

This is gadget is so cool. I heard that technicians use it to flip through tech manuals while they're working. If they weren't so expensive, I'd buy one for myself...but they need to put more books out as e-books before I do, no matter what the price is. :-\

I'll wait until the price comes down, it becomes compatible with Macs and more Star Wars, Star Trek and general Sci-fi/ fantacy novels are made into e-books.

Check it out:
http://products.sel.sony.com/pa/prs/index.html

PepperDude · December 05, 2007, 10:03:21 PM

I bought this machine earlier in the year. Yes, I paid that much money. I'd planned to use it to help me with school by transferring the PDF textbooks onto the Reader. However, it turns out that the PDF files have to be specially formatted to be readable on the screen (usually, the text is too small to read comfortably). So I don't use it as much because as you also mentioned, the library is somewhat limited. I was going to sell it on ebay last month but decided not too after I found out that people have put out some programs that properly format PDF files so they're readable on the Reader. I'm going to test some of these and if I find one that works, I'm going to keep it. I'm also going to see if some of the utilities can reliably format HTML, txt, and other ebook files to the Sony Reader's BBeB LRF format. Hopefully, I'll at least be able to convert books on Project Gutenberg.

Other than the format issues, I really like the little machine; reading from the screen is like reading from a page on a book. It's quite amazing. There's a new version out the PRS 505 (I have the PRS 500) which is better so maybe the older model is cheaper now.

iceman · December 06, 2007, 03:17:59 AM

Very cool

billybob476 · December 06, 2007, 06:13:14 AM

Actually whenever I watch Enterprise I always say "Archer put you iPhone down!" I think that is the PADD of the future, smart phones, PDAs and the like. I was tempted to get the sony reader but I am definitely waiting based on what I've read here.

Jen · December 06, 2007, 09:07:33 AM

I look at the ST PADD as a mini laptop.

space_invader64 · December 10, 2007, 10:27:04 AM

That's exactily what it made me think of. Amazon.com has a simular product that updates via the Sprint network. So you just pick it up and today's newspaper is there!

What bothers me about it is that if you buy a book or a newspaper, you can pass it along when you are done with it. With an ebook, you are bound to copy protection. Grrrr. I hate copy protection. We would never put up with rules like, we reserve the right to take your book back if you are loaning it to other people to read. Book readers would go crazy!

Ktrek · January 05, 2008, 04:20:23 PM

Quote from: space_invader64 on December 10, 2007, 10:27:04 AM
What bothers me about it is that if you buy a book or a newspaper, you can pass it along when you are done with it. With an ebook, you are bound to copy protection. Grrrr. I hate copy protection. We would never put up with rules like, we reserve the right to take your book back if you are loaning it to other people to read. Book readers would go crazy!

You know I never lend my books out so maybe this would be a viable option for me? I have seriously been thinking of buying one so I can read the Star Trek ebooks that are not/will not be available in paper editions. It seems a little pricey but my wife is amenable to me getting one. I have also looked at the Amazon.com Kindle and it has some cool features but I like the bigger screen of the Sony.

As for PDF files etc. I have been in contact with a member at TrekBBS about the Sony Reader and he tells me there is a fairly simple process to convert the Adobe files to read on the Reader.

The Kindle advantage is the ability to buy and download a book from anywhere anytime you want to. It also has a built in dictionary function. It weighs about an once more but that's really insignificant.

Oh I wish I could make up my mind while my wife is willing to buy me one!

Kevin

Blackride · January 05, 2008, 04:27:28 PM

I have to admit I am ole school and I love the feel and smell of books. I am not sure I can get over it , I know it sounds silly :)

space_invader64 · January 05, 2008, 04:35:52 PM

No it doesn't sound silly at all. I like the pulp smell too.

I just hate the idea of buying a book and after I read it I can't loan or give it way. And no one can loan or give me a book they are finished with. I can't buy or sell it for a quarter at a garage sale or ebay. Sounds like such a huge downgrade.

Jen · January 06, 2008, 02:04:18 PM

I don't think I'd ever stop buying books, I like them too much. I'm addicted to them. I love covers, in fact I'm a bit of a design snob when it comes to the layout, type treatment and the artwork on them. If a book has a bad design, sometimes I won't buy it at all. If it has a great design, sometimes I buy regardless of what's behind the cover. Yeah, I know, "don't judge a book by it's cover". Whatever. ::)

E-books aren't always available in paper and I hate reading books on my monitor. So, the e-reader is appealing for that reason for me.

Ktrek · January 06, 2008, 03:33:04 PM

Quote from: Jen on January 06, 2008, 02:04:18 PM
E-books aren't alway available in paper and I hate reading books on my monitor. So, the e-reader is appealing for that reason for me.

That is the cool thing about having an e-reader! There are at least two series of Star Trek books published now in e-book only versions. MERE ANARCHY and also SLINGS AND ARROWS. Both are multi-book sagas that I would love to read if I could but I can't stand reading for long periods on my PC. There are also the monthly Star Trek Core of Engineer series and those have started to appear in paper form but if they stopped the series tomorrow it would still take several years for them to get them out in paperback.

Then there is the fact that books these days have short runs and often go out-of-print and the nice thing about e-book is that they are likely to remain in print forever. I mean all the dealer needs to do is store the small files indefinitely.

So now my real dilemma is figuring out if I want a Sony Reader or the Amazon Kindle? hmmm...

Kevin

wraith1701 · January 07, 2008, 08:18:46 PM

I stopped by Borders today after work and they had a huge display set up for an e-reader. Holding this thing in my hands made me seriously consider picking one up. I like the space-saving aspect, as well as the convenience of being able to purchase books online. Just think- you hear of a book that you'd like to read, and at the push of a button, you have it! My main concern is that the number of titles available right now seems limited (the Border's display said that there were 20,000 books available, but that leaves A LOT of books that are not available in e-format.

A quick question-
Does anyone know if you can transfer e-book files from the reader to a flash drive? If so, you could borrow and lend out e-books with friends. Better yet, could you possibly compress the file and send it to friends via the internet? Just wondering...

PepperDude · January 07, 2008, 08:31:12 PM

I have an e-reader but haven't bought a book from the Sony store. I'm sure you can put the files on the flash drive but if I remember correctly, the file can only be transferred from one machine to another a certain number of times.

Ktrek · January 07, 2008, 08:50:43 PM

The problem with the Sony ebooks, or anyone's ebooks for that matter, is that they are copy protected. Sony does allow you to register several devices (up to six) but it's really not practical to share with your friends unless you want them to come over and register their reader. Also their ebooks are proprietary and the will not read on other devices expect for the Sony Reader or their ereader software program.

The Sony Reader does allow import of txt and rtf files and so if you purchase a Microsoft reader ebook you have to use a program that hacks the registry and another program to convert to a readable format. I tried converting a PDF to TXT and that worked but I lost a lot of the formatting on the Sony Reader. I love the way the text looks and can be resized. I can read much faster its seems on the Sony Reader than I can by book. It's not very heavy at all and weighs about the same as an average paperback but easier to hold. It scrolls through pages fairly quickly too. I'm not sure I'm going to keep it. I have 30 days to return it. My wife thinks it's kind of a waste of money and that I could buy a lot of books with what it costs and purchase of the ebooks is not much less than buying the real thing. I'm not sure what I'll do.

Kevin