[solomon_grundy]

Hi.

I just got my Playbook and I love it. The screen is amazing, the unit is sleek and lightweight, the 2 cameras and speakers are a treat, and I got a great deal on it.

I have low vision, so one of the main reasons I got the playbook was to read e-books. Sadly, I cannot get books from my public library to open on my device. I need Overdrive (or some other work around) to be able to do this. Does anyone have any ideas??? Also, does anyone know if Overdrive will be available when they release the new OS early next year? I am actually prepared to wait until February if I have to, as long as I know Overdrive will be there.

I really don't want to have to return my playbook and get some other inferior tablet, but if I can't access Overdrive, I don't think I will have any other options.

Thanks a lot.

[chrism_scotland]

As far as I know this has come up before fairly recently and sadly there doesn't seem to be any way around it right now, hopefully it will come.

Some more reading about this here: http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...reader-672803/

Also here:
http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...ibrary-672770/

It seems that there is an Android App for OverDrive which may work with the OS 2.0 beta, I can't physically try it as I don't use a library but I will convert it and see if it will install on my PB and run for you.

[mdjcstan]

Hi SG,

The Android Overdrive App works perfectly for me.

To use it you have to be using the OS 2 Beta Playbook operating system.

Then you have to learn how to side load bar files.

Luckily someone had already converted Overdrive into a bar file,
so I didn't have to learn that step.

I am using it with the Calgary public library.

It took a bit of searching and some patience to get
all the pieces but I'm happy now!

[FF22]

Depending upon your morality (you are paying taxes for the library) you could borrow books, break the drm, read them in a timely fashion and then delete them (kind of returning them in a timely fashion).

[modine]

I'm reading this avidly with the hope there is a solution. I too am waiting for Overdrive. I've put in my request for that app in the (Consumer) Global BlackBerry PlayBook Community. You should too.

https://www.blackberry.com/beta/defa...ct=index&item=

[Guyzer]

the overdrive app works great! you can find it here. Redirect Notice

you will need to get os2 beta on your playbook first. to do this register your units PIN and then do a software update. You will then have the beta (keep in mind beta means there are some changes to things you might like [deadspace doesnt work, starfront sounds broken])

https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/.../beta/register

then you will need to sideload your apps using ddpb BlackBerry + Android, and thank you DDPB Installer | File Archive Haven

here is a simple howto for ddpb UPDATED: [PlayBook] Side Load PlayBook Apps/Android Apps (Windows) � BerryReview Forums

[emsel]

including ePub, which most libraries use. I bought to read mobi book (Kindle) files. It works fine.
Try it, it's just a .99 app.
I did have trouble at first dowloading my drm free mobi. In the iPod, i can attach the file go email, download it and iPod asks which app to open with.
The Reader app doesn't do this and the email says the attachment isn' t recognized and won't download it to the PB.
i worked around this by downloading from my desktop by file transfer.
I asked the Reader app, if he could fix this, no answer yet, except they will look for a solution.

[solomon_grundy]

the overdrive app works great! you can find it here. Redirect Notice

you will need to get os2 beta on your playbook first. to do this register your units PIN and then do a software update. You will then have the beta (keep in mind beta means there are some changes to things you might like [deadspace doesnt work, starfront sounds broken])

https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/.../beta/register

then you will need to sideload your apps using ddpb BlackBerry + Android, and thank you DDPB Installer | File Archive Haven

here is a simple howto for ddpb UPDATED: [PlayBook] Side Load PlayBook Apps/Android Apps (Windows) � BerryReview Forums

I thought about doing this, but it looks kinda complicated... Is it difficult to install and/or easy to screw up??? My tech skills are pretty old school.

[solomon_grundy]

including ePub, which most libraries use. I bought to read mobi book (Kindle) files. It works fine.
Try it, it's just a .99 app.
I did have trouble at first dowloading my drm free mobi. In the iPod, i can attach the file go email, download it and iPod asks which app to open with.
The Reader app doesn't do this and the email says the attachment isn' t recognized and won't download it to the PB.
i worked around this by downloading from my desktop by file transfer.
I asked the Reader app, if he could fix this, no answer yet, except they will look for a solution.

Yes, I tried this and it works for many of the common drm free ebook files. I did the same work around by transferring to PB from my desktop. I would really like to have access to licensed ebooks through the library, however.

[solomon_grundy]

Hi SG,

The Android Overdrive App works perfectly for me.

To use it you have to be using the OS 2 Beta Playbook operating system.

Then you have to learn how to side load bar files.

Luckily someone had already converted Overdrive into a bar file,
so I didn't have to learn that step.

I am using it with the Calgary public library.

It took a bit of searching and some patience to get
all the pieces but I'm happy now!

Just wondering how the rest of the PB features are affected by the new OS? Are there a lot of bugs, glitches and issues when running it? Also, if Overdrive is available as a bar file now, does this mean it will be available when the new OS goes public?

[mdjcstan]

I think there are others with a lot more knowledge and experience with OS 2.0 Beta who could answer your question better than I can.

From what I have experienced I would not call the latest OS 2.0 buggy at all.

The one big thing that I know of that is missing versus OS 1.0.8 is that Video Chat doesn't work (and isn't installed).

As far as bugs, every once in a while I (once a day maybe while reading) I get a system message that says "low memory". I just exit the overdrive app, restart it and it goes right back to the page I was reading.

I don't know what will happen after the official release of OS 2.0 comes out but I can't see any reason why a bar file that works now won't work later. The reason for the Beta in the first place is for app developers to test their apps.

md

[Guyzer]

if you want pm me and i can baby you through the process. install teamviewer.com and I can show you how easy it is... at first its a little daunting but once you do it you see how easy it is.

this truly shows you the potential of the playbook. I go to starbucks, fire up overdrive, find some books i want to read. away I go...

along with this useful app for android on the playbook is repligo reader. it allows you to markup pdfs, highlighting, making notes, saves location on exit. bookmarks, password support. a true pdf viewer/editor. barely use adobe reader for the playbook anymore unless i just want to quickly look at something.

[solomon_grundy]

I'll pm you

Thanks

[tslemko]

You don't need to experiment with the new OS yet.

I have downloaded with Adobe Digital Editions, imported the physical files over to Caliber, then using 'save to disk', copied the files to the playbook. I have downloaded a couple of plug-ins for Calibre that strip the drm, but even without that, the ebooks should be readable in one of the ebook reader apps available at the App World. I like Book Reader for 99 cents.

I have enjoyed reading ebooks on the playbook. The fonts are clear, and the bright screen can be read outdoors easily, and the viewing angle is great. Since I got the PB mainly to use as an ereader, I took the chance that it would work, even though many posts in the past have said epub files cannot be read on the PB.

Well they can, and the reading experience is great! I hope that calibre and digital editions will get a driver for the playbook, but copying to the playbook disk works in a pinch using Calibre.

PM me if you need more help.

Tom

[RamenBooko]

Here's a quick write-up that I did for a few friends that were venturing into this territory.

• To run Android apps on the Playbook, you need to first upgrade the OS to 2.0 beta.
• https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/...et20/register/
• Now you need to start adding the Android apps to your Playbook. Follow the steps here
• How To: Sideload Android apps on PlayBook OS v2.0 for use with the Android App Player | CrackBerry.com
• You can find the already converted Android apps here
• PlayBook BARs

Here's a general explanation of the whole process:

Android apps run inside an 'Android player' application on Playbook OS 2.0. So once you have the beta installed, you can start using them. Eventually, the Android apps for Blackberry will be available in the App World but for now, you need to do it yourself. What I mean by do it yourself is by taking the original Android application (which is a .apk file) and converting it to a BlackBerry file (.bar extension). There is a whole process to do this which is a lot of work but luckily there is that website setup (playbookbars.com) where people have already converted and made the .bar files available. So after you download the .bar files, you use that DDPB Installer from your PC to install the .bar files to your Playbook and run the Android apps.

Be warned though, not all of the converted Android apps work 100% correctly. It's basically up to the developer of the Android app to convert his/her application to be used on the Playbook while making any changes so that the application works well on the Playbook. What people have been doing now is just converting the Android .apk apps into .bar without making any coding changes so a lot of the apps end up not working well.

Hope this is clear enough. Let me know if you need any help. Make sure you read through and pay attention to that Crackberry guide.

[Joy1980]

In the latest update to Calibre, they have included a driver support for the Playbook.

[pkcable]

Patience will work too. I KNOW it's hard, as it's the root I am taking. Version 2.0 is scheduled to be released to the public in Feb which is only a few months away. At which point the upgrade will be easy AND all should work. Assuming RIM gets all the bugs worked out, and with RIM you NEVER know.

[wms3]

In the latest update to Calibre, they have included a driver support for the Playbook.

could you elaborate on this?

[bazjeepers]

I included a screenshot of it

[EchuOkan1]

if you want pm me and i can baby you through the process. install teamviewer.com and I can show you how easy it is... at first its a little daunting but once you do it you see how easy it is.

this truly shows you the potential of the playbook. I go to starbucks, fire up overdrive, find some books i want to read. away I go...

along with this useful app for android on the playbook is repligo reader. it allows you to markup pdfs, highlighting, making notes, saves location on exit. bookmarks, password support. a true pdf viewer/editor. barely use adobe reader for the playbook anymore unless i just want to quickly look at something.

Thank you for this information Guyzer! That is exactly what I need to finally dump the iPad!

I use PDF Expert for now because I always have to review, annotate and (some times) fill out PDF documents for work. That is the only reason why I still carry the iPad along with my Playbook. For everything else I use my PB.

You made not only my day, but my whole year with this info.

Could you direct me where I can find this app?

Also, thank you for the detailed information on upgrading to OS 2. I installed the first version when it was first available and uninstalled it a week later because it was constantly crashing and I could never get the Android player to work let along load BAR files. Supposedly they were on the tablet, but i could not (did not know how to ) run them. I will try the new release.

If you don't mind, I would take you up on the offer you made earlier on showing me how to do this if I run into problems. Let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Best wishes.

[solomon_grundy]

Okay,

Downloaded Overdrive app and others on OS 2 (much to my non-tech surprise) but I cant get my library books as I cannot get Adobe Digital editions to work. Any Ideas?

I am so frustrated as this took ages for me to do, and I was so thrilled at the prospect of having Overdrive on my PB.

Also, is there a free android non drm epub reader that has been converted to a bar file?

Moon Reader is not that usable as the font is way too small for an oldie like me.

Thanks

[Guyzer]

adobe editions account needs to be made. it is free all you have to do is sign up adobe.com

edit:
heres the acgual link to the spe ific site https://forums.crackberry.com/e?link...token=x67IZyLM

[Guyzer]

heres a link to the bar for repligo reader Multiupload.com - upload your files to multiple file hosting sites!

refer to the earlier posts about howto install. it is quite easy. any problems i ran into were fixed by returning to the articles and following them closely

[JAKrzysztow]

In the latest update to Calibre, they have included a driver support for the Playbook.

How do you get calibre to know the Playbook is attached?

I see the plugin in the Preferences->Plugins.

[GeorgeW92]

Solomon:
I hope you got your Overdrive running. Also, thanks for this thread. I used it to get mine working. I wanted to add some notes for the problems I encountered.
First, load OS 2. I used 2.0.0.6149 and .7111. I didn't have to root the playbook or anything complicated.
Then sideload the overdrive app using DDBP intstaller as described above. To use DDBP you have to turn on development mode as deswcribed, but don't worry about a token. After I did that, I couldn't get the android app to run, but I finally restarted my playbook and it ran fine after that. That got me access to audio books.
My library indicated that I had to have Adobe Digital Editions for epub books, which I couldn't find anywhere for the playbook. Finally, I realized what Guyzer was saying when I found a spot to enter my Adobe ID directly into the settings of Overdrive. Now I can use Overdrive to access both audio books and epub books, and I don't need Adobe Digital Editions.
Hope this helps.