Pandigital Novel Tablet in Québec

[jschall]

I have just purchased a Pandigital Novel in Québec (Costco, $150).

I have set it up with the French language (and the AZERTY keyboard, ecchh!), and my primary use will be as an e-reader.

But the default Canadian firmware only provides the Kobo Reader for Android, and the Kobo bookstore has no French catalogue.

I know from this thread:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24871
("Recensement des sites ebooks en français")
that I can download and purchase French ebooks, preferably in epub or pdf format.

So, some questions, please:

1) If I keep the default Canadian firmware (Android 1.5 Cupkake), can I install other ereader software like Aldiko and Repligo? (I know I don't have access to the Android Market, but I can get the .apk files.)

2) If I install a custom firmware, will I be able to install .apk files for the many Android ereaders, including Kobo and Kindle?

3) Do you have any recommendations for custom firmware?

Thanks for any help you can offer!

[jlg432]

Panjdigital has an update that adds more functionality to this reader. (opens up the Android side of the reader).
You are stuck with 1.5 (Cupcake).
FBReaderj.apk works great - very similar to Aldiko. RepliGo.apk works great for PDF's.
Also there is a YouTube app version 1.3 that works well on the PDN.

There is no Kindle app that works for this os level. Some of the other reader apps such as ireader, coolreader and aldiko will work but you may experience some issues.

John

[jschall]

@jl432:
Thank you for your reply.

The Canadian firmware includes the Android interface along with the Kobobooks application (in English only).

Thank you for the tip about the Youtube Android app. That, and a few games will round out the tablet side of things.

I am still wondering:

1) If I purchase a DRM ebook in epub format, from say, archambault.ca, will I be able to read it with either the Kobo reader for Android or Aldiko?

2) Is it worth the trouble to install a custom firmware? What are the benefits?

[jlg432]

First off just do DPN's firmware update. There is no custom OS for our Canadian Black PDN stuck at 1.5. The better one would be to get the PDN USA White version that has And 2.0.

Yes your built in Kobo reader will access DRM ePub/PDF purchased from other vendors as long as they are ADE DRM and you side load them to your Kobo reader via USB and ADE for PC.

RepliGo Reader 1.1.0 works great

Skyfire browser allows the playing of some Flash type videos in websites.

FBReaderj is my main reader for non DRM epubs.

Documents to Go gives you access to DOC, Excel and ppt files

Wapedia - wikipedia direct access app

Newspaper app is a total newspaper access app US/Canada/UK

AKNotepad is good

Youtube 1.3 app

Facebook

John

[jschall]

Originally Posted by jlg432

First off just do DPN's firmware update. There is no custom OS for our Canadian Black PDN stuck at 1.5. The better one would be to get the PDN USA White version that has And 2.0.

What? Will the firmware for the White even install and work on the Black?

Yes your built in Kobo reader will access DRM ePub/PDF purchased from other vendors as long as they are ADE DRM and you side load them to your Kobo reader via USB and ADE for PC.

Sorry, but I don't understand some of the terminology.

- "ADE DRM"?
- "sideload"?
- "ADE for PC"?

I appreciate your help, jlg432, and I'm willing to learn!

[lotrfan]

Originally Posted by jschall

What? Will the firmware for the White even install and work on the Black?

If you have the black Pandigital Novel then NO, you can’t install the white PDN firmware on the black. Despite the name they are completely different units.

Originally Posted by jschall

Sorry, but I don't understand some of the terminology.
- "ADE DRM"?
- "sideload"?
- "ADE for PC"?
I appreciate your help, jlg432, and I'm willing to learn!

Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) Digital Rights management (DRM) basically encrypted ebooks that can only be read by devices that support it or by using the ADE for PC software.

Slideloading refers to transferring the ebook to your device once it has been downloaded first to the PC.

The ADE for PC allows you to read ADE DRM ebooks on your PC and also allows you to transfer them to a supported device.

Hope this helps.

[jlg432]

JSChall What I meant by the better Pandigital is the US White one is not to load that device's fw but to actually go out and purchase that unit. Although the Cnd Black version is a good reader - as an Android device we have been given a OS 1.5 device while the Android 2.0 has been kept in the USA. So if you want a better Pandigital experience here in Canada go get a USA white model. Even though it comes with a USA based e-book reader vendor (B&N) you can then install whatever e-reader you want such as Kindle, Kobo etc.

Android 1.5 is too limiting.

ADE = Adobe Digital Editions - this is the software used to prevent you from sharing your purchases with family or friends or even re-distributing the e-book online.

The limiting factor within the e-book is called DRM = Digital Rights Management and there are various formats used by different vendors. ADE - DRM is licenced to various vendors and is used within their ePubs/PDF's format e-books that you buy. Kindle and B&N use a different DRM for their e-books. B&N applies a DRM to their ePubs which is not compatible with ADE's version so be aware of which kind is being used by the vendor. Your device becomes authorized to access (decrypt certain DRM formats) when you create an account with these vendors and use their e-reader software or partners software.

In the case of Adobe Digital Edition - if your e-reader does not have wifi or 3G access then you need to authorize your reader via this software through your USB connection.

Side loading is usually reffered to using a cable such as USB to connect your e-reader to your PC and move your e-books to your device from your PC using either an e-book manager such as Adobe Digital Edition (PC version). If the e-book does not have DRM within it you can just do the drag and drop procedure for coping your e-books over from your PC to your e-reader when they are connected together. The e-reader usually shows up as external storage (removable media).

Built in wifi/3G allows you to directly load your e-books to your device from an e-book vendor without using a cable. In most of these cases DRM is still involved and is the device is authorized when you create the account with the vendor. This then allows you to decrypt the DRM access to the e-book.

Either way your dedicated e-reading device or e-reading software's manual should explain how you go about getting your e-books onto your device. These usually focus on the vendor's sources.

Library e-books usually require an account with your local library as well as free third party software such as Overdrive and/or ADE to manage your loaners.

John

[jschall]

Thank you, lotrfan and jlg432, for taking the time to explain all that.

As far as I know, there is no such explanation on the MobileRead Wiki. There is an article on Adobe's DRM, but not in such clear and practical terms.

Now, armed with your knowledge, I'd like to describe the steps my wife and I had to go through to purchase and install an ADE-DRM epub on the Canadian PDN:

1. My wife logged into Renaud-Bray's online bookstore with her Linux laptop, created an account, chose a book, and paid with a credit card. But she didn't download it to her Linux PC.

2. I went to Adobe Digital Editions with my Windows PC, created an account, downloaded and installed the ADE program on my Windows PC. (There is a Mac version, but none for Linux).

3. I connected the PDN by USB to my Windows PC, and allowed it as an ereader device in the ADE program.

4. My wife logged into her Renaud-Bray account and downloaded - not the epub book, but a key file called URLLink .ascm - to the download directory of my Windows PC.

5. The ADE program instantly recognized the key file, and downloaded the ebook to my PC in the \My Documents\My Digital Editions folder.

6. The ADE program displayed the new book in its virtual bookshelf.

7. I dragged the image of the book from the ADE bookshelf to the icon of the connected PDN.

8. I disconnected the PDN and rebooted it (It had frozen when disconnecting from the PC).

9. My wife opened the Kobo reader on her PDN, but the new book was not there.

10. I hunted for the epub file on the PDN, using the EStrongs File Manager. It was not in the external SDHC card, but in /system/media/sdcard/Digital Editions, in the internal memory card.

11. I copied the epub file to the folder /system/media/sdcard/Ebooks/Kobo folder.

12. My wife opened the Kobo reader again. The newly-purchased book was still not there.

13. In desperation, I rebooted the PDN again.

14. My wife opened the Kobo reader again. Finally, the book was there, albeit with no

cover art.

What a hassle. How many of those steps do you suppose a semi-computer-literate person like my wife have taken on their own?

Is there an easier way?

Were any of those 14 steps unnecessary?

Is there a more user-friendly ereader available for the Canadian PDN's Android 1.5, that could find the epub in the /system/media/sdcard/Digital Editions folder and open it there, and also handle the ADE DRM?

The best I can hope for is that the Kobo online bookstore wakes up and realizes it's a
Canadian company formed with Chapters/Indigo, and that those stores have a well-stocked French catalogue to add to the Kobo catalogue.

But barring that, how can I make the ereading experience simpler for my wife on her
Canadian Pandigital Novel?

[pholy]

I have the Cruz reader, and I also use the Kobo app. According to the instructions I got from SamirH in the Kobo forum here, once you have the epub file somewhere on the internal SD card you have to start the Kobo app and then tap the Menu button to show the Import Content tool. It will find all the epub files on your internal card and add them to the Kobo bookshelf. That should cut out your last four steps - not much, but every bit helps.

[jschall]

Thanks for the reply, pholy.

I know about the import function on the latest Kobo for Android software - I use it on my Archos 5 (Android 1.6). But the version of the Kobo Reader software provided with the PDN doesn't have that feature. It's a really primitive version. Maybe it can be updated on Android 1.5?

[Morrie]

I am thinking of getting the Novel Reader, but I noticed that the firmware updater is only for the PC. Being a Mac user how can I update the firmware? Any Mac users out there?

[jschall]

I'm not a Mac user, Morrie.

But let me explain that you will rarely need to use the Pandigital firmware updater program. There is no updated Canadian firmware. If ever you have to use the updater, you can do so on a Windows machine.

I hope that helps.

[lotrfan]

Originally Posted by Morrie

I am thinking of getting the Novel Reader, but I noticed that the firmware updater is only for the PC. Being a Mac user how can I update the firmware? Any Mac users out there?

I am not a mac user however you can go to slatedroid.com where they have links to the official firmwares and to modded firmwares. On the white Pandigital Novel, once you get the FW you want, you can just copy it to the SD card and flash the Novel from there. Not sure if the same procedure applies to the black Novel. Note that the white Novel is the better version of the two so try to get the white color 7in Novel if you can.