Don't buy a PRS-T1 if you think it will 'just work' with your local library!

freemansteve — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:59:46 GMT

KNOWING FULL WELL NOBODY IMPORTANT AT SONY UK WILL EVER READ THIS->

So, I got nice PRS-T1 just before Xmas for my wife, having been told by my local Sony store that it would be able to download DRM'd books from our local library. I understand ePUB format etc and copyrighted material.

Now, if I wanted only the freely available books that are out of copyright, and/or if I wanted to purchase digital books, an £89 Kindle would be perfect. The T1 seemed a little slicker design and hardware-wise and would apparently let me use books from my local library, so I bought one. Also, I have no idea why anyone would want to have the hassle of downloading books first onto a PC and then transferring - this unit is internet connected after all, and promises that you don't need to drag a PC around with you just to obtain books.

I took the precaution of checking it before wrapping it up as a gift. Lucky I did. Even with getting the latest f/w updates and onto the net via wi-fi, it turns out my local library (Leamington) is somehow not compatible with the T1! Sure, I found a list of other libraries on it, for which I don't have a library card, but there was no mechinism that enabled me to get books from Leamington!

I had already proven ages ago that I could dowload coprighted ePub books from the library onto my PC, using Adobe Digital Editions, so I assumed the T1 work in a similar way - I was wrong.

I took the reader back to my local store for a refund, my wife's planned xmas gift now a bit of a problem.

The store guys were nice, but at first assumed I didn't know what I was doing (I was patient and didn't tell them I'm a Senior VP of Engineering for an international hi-tech company and was using and developing for the internet since the 80's - it's best that people figure stuff out for themselves). They phoned Sony, and the (thin) answer was that the problem "might be addressed in the future with a f/w upgrade". Great. I got the impression that Sony knew less about how the system works than I did, but never mind.

I will leave it for a year or two until Sony Readers mature a bit. Right now my advice is that if you want older free books, or are happy to buy downloads, then get a kindle. If you want to get coprighted books from your local library, get the in-store to prove in front of you that this can be done.

FWIW, I think the T1 simply needs an ADE app and a means to connect directly via the browser to a given library URL (plus your details). How hard can it be to make it work like my PC does already? The thing is Linux based, right?

Steve Freeman

Not Happy, SONY - WAKE UP!!! (but my wife liked her new jumper)

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Don't buy a PRS-T1 if you think it will 'just work' with your local library!