Most of you who have already updated your BB10 device to 10.3.1 OS version will have probably noticed that old Playepub 2.1 will not work anymore and will had received and update to Playepub 3.0 that will not keep your settings and existing library and will force you to start from scratch. Why?
As you can imagine it’s not because I want to, it’s because I’ve been forced to by Blackberry.
First release of Playepub came arround 2011 on Playbook and then, when BB10 was launched, I had to write again about 90% of the app to have it working fine. It was an about six months work on 2012.
Playepub was developed with the Adobe Air SDK on Blackberry as this was the ONLY framework available for developing apps on Playepub when it was launched. Then, using the same technology, it was adapted to BB10.
So, what happened now? On May/2014 Blackberry announced they were going to remove that Adobe Air framework on OS 10.3.1 and any app running on it will no longer work. There were lots of complains from developers, you can take a look into dev forums here:
http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Adobe-AIR-Development/It-s-OFFICIAL-Adobe-AIR-support-dropped-from-10-3-1/td-p/2855618
You will find there some on mine (osus).
So, in summer 2014 I had two choices:
- Forget everything about Playepub and Blackberry and leave my customers without support anymore. As soon as they upgrade their devices to OS 10.3.1 Playepub will no longer exists.
- Try to do something to fix it so as it can still work.
And I choose 2. And after study the options Blackberry was giving to us, I decided the best will be to make a completely new app. And I started to develope (again) everything from scratch, on a new platform, with a different language, with different options and possibilities. And I spent about six months (again) working on it to have it ready on december 2014 when 10.3.1 was first launched (on Passport and Classic).
And this change implies that anything from previous versions is no longer compatible with new. There is no way to keep old data into new update, everything is removed after update as old framework no longer exists and, of course, it’s completely different from new one.
Don’t you like it? I understand and I agree. I don’t like it too. But that’s the best option for you guys, for me it would be better to completely forget about Playepub.
I have a playbook and want tout buy playepub, but when i clic on buy, nothing happening. I tried manger time, still thé same. What is thé problème?
Is there any way to disable the pkb backlight ? It turns on every time yoou touch the screen to change a page. Very annoying.
@mfreedman,
I guess there is no such an option, neither on app side nor on device one 🙁
I’d like to thank you for PlayePub reader.
It was one of the best things I had on my playbook. Still is the most used app over there.
I have installed the new version on my Q10 and the only complaint/question I have is: “how do I increase the size of the type?
And thanks for removing the PDF feature. It never worked as well as the native pdf renderer anyways.
@Marc DM,
Font size works as always, swipping down when reading, but for other comments it seems there is some kind of issue I will review when I have such a book.
Hello,
I have a Epub book in which are parts with quellcode examples. I can read the book text but not the code. It is too short. I have some screenshots if you need them.
I turned cloud sync off but every time I open up a boot I am getting the message “cloud sync is not possible…”
Thx
Jochen
@Jochen,
Please send me that book and let me test.
I LOVE the update. Very clean and just well executed. Only two issues. On my Z30, when I switch to Night Mode, the text turns white and the background stays white, making it unreadable. A small bug, but I do like to read at night.
Also, I know you said that the Playbook Sync to BlackBerry 10 would work temporarily, but is this feature planing to make a return. I use this all the time and would really like to have this again for the Playbook.
Otherwise well done. And I look forward to discovering the other new features you have out in!
@Matthew Libanio,
Night mode seems to work fine on my z10. It might be something with your book. Have you tried others? Anyway, please, send me that.
What issue are you having with sync? It should be working fine.
Glad you did the re-write… worked great & it found & imported all my books… all good. The PDF feature will be missed, but not end of world.
Thanks for a great product and can only get better from here.
@R Merkley,
Thanks man!
Pdf had no sense with PDF native app on BB10, it had on Playbook but not now, it was very slow and unresponsive.
Well, I for one am so glad you chose option 2. The more people that continue to develop excellent apps for Blackberry, and this IS an excellent application, the better for us the user’s to keep a choice in the mobile OS marketplace.
Thank you thank you thank you… I know you will overcome these early glitches as you did in the past. I will continue to support you and Blackberry for the future