JBL firmware update question

[jlg432]

The zoom feature in PDF works just like the ePub version. It advances forward until you reach the end and then it starts all over.

If you want to jump to a specific zoom value, you still can. Just hit the menu button, then select "Settings" which will allow you to see the zoom range and where you currently are. You then can jump to a specific zoom.

With the PDF you have "Reflow off/on", Full screen and "Fit Width" along with the stepped zoom options.

Just having the "Reflow text" enhancement blows out the 4 and 9 segment viewing mode.

"Reflow on" and zoom 200% is the default setting on opening a PDF file. The menu "Settings" - "Zoom Rate" just includes 100% > 400% in 50% increments. or you can increment forward in 50% steps until you reach 400% and then restart at 100%.

Reflow off + "Fit Width" is the starting point when Reflow off is selected. It then adds "Fit-Width" and "Full-screen" to the % list.

"Reflow on"does not work with any PDF doc that has it's pages treated as a picture and not embedded text. These type of PDF's tend to be the minority unless you are the one generating them.


That's the way it works on the JB and I assume that is the way it works with the new JBL FW.

[rgeorg]

The new firmware is a significant improvement (PDF reflow is wonderful, epub formatting much better, and ADE support is useful) from version 0.33g. It was very easy and fast to upgrade by just following the instructions and upgrade path.

[jlg432]

One other thing to note for those of you who use Internal memory.
This upgrade that gives you ADE support will gobble up some of your memory. It looks like they are adding as well as replacing whatever they need to.

On the JB my Internal memory went from 110-112megs down to 90.8 megs.
I assume the same will be happening on the JBL. So if you left the ebooks on the unit that came with it you may have to make some room.

Just a thought.

I transferred all my e-books to an SD card when I received my unit and also backed up the Internal memory as well.

Speaking of backing up Internal memory - you will have to back it up again after the upgrade (to add ADE etc support) as it has added a new folder to it.

This backup will have to be your fallback should you ever do a "Reset to Default". Doing a "Reset to Default" will empty out the new .adobe.... folder and your device will no longer be recognized by the ADE PC software until you restore it.

I forget if you lose the "digital editions" folder that resides in Internal memory but the key component under that folder besides the books is the "manifest.xlm" file which keeps track of your ADE DRM books.

Note: you can have a "Digital Editions" folder out on your SD card as well and just transfer your ADE e-books to it after you have used ADE-PC to migrate your book. This can be done using explorer before you disconnect your session. I leave the original "Digital Editions" folder on the JB along with the "Manifest.xlm" as that is where ADE-PC goes looking for it.
The "manifest.xlm" file will grow in size as you manage your new ADE ebooks.

You can do what Ken suggested in another post and that is to dedicate an SD card for ADE and move both the ".adobe...." and "Digital Editions" folder to the card so that the Card is recognized as the ADE Client. This way you can move the card to your SD Card reader/writer and leave the JB/JBL unplugged.

Big Note**
This sounds like I am adding a new level of complications to the device.
I am not. I am just making you aware of the reduced Internal memory and also giving you a new strategy plan that you can use if you want.

John

[jlg432]

I decided to play around (experiment) with my unit after my above post.

I formatted a 4 gig sd card. Copied Int Mem to PC harddrive. Copied the .adobe.... folder plus the Digital Editions(DE) folder to the new card. (these were the ADE files that worked fine from Int. Memory and talked to my ADE-PC software.

So copied both folders to the SD card and then removed the sd card from the JB and I was able to see the card via ADE-PC and move files to it when connected throught an SD card reader/writer. I then returned the card to the JB (all precautions were followed when transferring the card between devices). I was able to access the ADE ebooks added to the card through the JB.

At one point I had both Card and JB viewable to ADE-PC when connected via USB cable (Card in JB).

I then decided to delete the .adobe... folder from Int Memory as I had a copy on the SD card. I also deleted the DE folder from Int memory - again because it resides on the card.

I was now unable to open a DRM ADE epub book. It saw the file but would give the "Fail to Open" error message.

No problem I thought. I'll just copy back the .adobe... folder back to Int Memory. Tried to open the test books I wasn't able to. I did a reset and cold boot. Still unable to open the test books on the card or Int Memory.

I copied back my back-up folders (from the HDD) that had the same test books involded and worked before messing around.

Nope, opening the Test books located in Int mem still generated the the same failure.

I then decided to hook up to the PC and transfer fresh copies of the test books. ADE-PC displayed the JB shelf. I could open the books within ADE-PC that resided on the JB but I could no longer transfer any books over to the JB. It gave me the message "Permission to copy not available" or something to that affect. It didn't mind me deleeting the test books from the JB via ADE-PC.

So I decided to back track and try again - several resets, FW .35a installs, even a couple of "Restore Default" and more resets, FW installs, adobe & DE folders copied back from backups. Still no go. In all cases I was also trying to get ADE-PC to treat the JB as un-authorized but couldn't. It would see the JB. I even did a re-install of ADE-PC to see if that would work. It didn't.

So I took the plunge and went from .35a to .35m. I was a little nervous at first.
Not because the update might not work as I have done several within the .35a range. I was nervous that the update may not be that great and I might end up with a degraded unit.

Wow FW .35m is much better than .35a because it restored the "Find" function within a book only now it is called "Content Search". The same has been added to the PDF reader.
The other big change for epub from .35a to .35m is the default size on opening - it use to be zoom-200% and now it is Font-size 12 Instead of a zoom percentage. I assume this is to fix the "Cover" from being opened too big - but now you have to resize text to be able to read. Oh well I guess you cannot please everyone. I also noticed that the ePub now displays Serif fonts (I guess whatever is built into the doc.).

Still missing Dictionary access in both ePub and PDF. PDF under JB never had Dictionary but ePub under FW .34 did. PDF Refow function was added with FW .35a>.

I was still unable to get the JB to be treated as a new device so that I can re-authorize it. After messing around some more I desided to do another "restore default" and I went to see what that had done to the .adobe.. folder.

Under the prior .35a FW it would delete all files inside the "adobe..." folder which would cause ADE-PC not to see the JB.
but
Under FW .35m it looks like it gets rid of the "activation.xlm" file only and leaves the other there. On connecting up to ADE-PC I received the rquest to authorize the JB and full access to all ADE DRM ebooks was restored.

The FW is V0.35m software and Patch is at V18.

I cannot verify the other DRM formats both B&N one is an ePub and the other is pdb but will it read a non DRM pdb book? I check that out.

John

[errata]

Reflow does a weird thing when presented with a two-column page - it seems to insert extra blank lines at random, and sometimes cuts out pieces of text. While it's not surprising to find a few bugs with a brand new feature, I wondered if anyone else noticed it, or how likely it is to get fixed eventually.

[Ken Maltby]

My personal preference would be to never let the ADE on my PC know about my real JBL.
It would only be allowed to see my SD card that it thinks is my JBL.

What I was describing for an SD Card that ADE would see as my JBL, was a process
where only the following would be on the root of the SD card:

The ".adobe-digital-editions" folder from the JBL 0.16e update, with only the "device.xml"
file in it.

An empty "Books" folder and an empty "Pictures" folder.

That's all.

ADE upon being presented with such an SD card would treat that as my JBL and create
all the other folders, and files it uses as it adds books to that device. ( I would not give
it existing files or folders that might confuse it.)

I wouldn't ever let ADE see any JBL of mine if that JBL were to have any .adobe-digital-
editions folder or other adobe related files of folders, in them. None of them do, or will.

Luck;
Ken

PS; I would assume that ADE would have to work the same if your JB were treated as
I described for my JBL.