Yet another PDF thread... are there no good readers?
 

I've been using Beamberry to view PDFs and DOCs for a few months, but never liked it much. Free was good, so I used it. Now that BB isn't free anymore, I need a program that can view these files. I would LIKE a program that will allow me to view files on my SD card as well.

I looked for software and found 2 apps that seemed to be highly recommended - MasterDoc and DocHawk. The Dynoplex app would read off the SD, so I started with it. Yes, I made sure to set permissions the way outlined in the online guide.

Fail. I dragged a couple word docs and pdfs from my email into a directory on the SD card and tried opening them. The ViewAll app alternated between telling me that they would need to be converted before I could view them, or that they couldn't be opened at all. I uninstalled and did an OTA install, but got the same results. I called their 24x7 support line (rather they called me back via their web form) and waited over 30 minutes before deciding that Dynoplex didn't need my money (I was "first in line" the entire time on hold).

My experience with DocHawk was a little better but not satisfactory. The Terratial website was broken when I tried to visit, not rendering properly in either the BB browser OR Firefox. I was able to finally find the OTA "link" and install the software. It would open documents from my email but not off the SD card. Another failure.

So I ask, what is a decent document viewer that ISN'T made by Dynoplex or Terratial that will allow me to open files stored on my SD card? Does such a beast exist? Why is it so hard to find such an app for my shiny 8830 when the Blackberry is deployed in so many businesses?

What didn't you like about BeamBerry? I'm using the new 3.0 version and it works fine for me.

I didn't feel like the zoom was ever very clean. But I just (re) installed it and am checking out the new version. Why do all these apps insist on server side rendering when there's an SD card for storage? Is the new 4.3 OS rumored to have OS support for more extensive usage of the SD card?

Yeah, BeamBerry does need to transfer everything to the server in order to render the doc. Even your sd card docs get transferred first then rendered. I never got eOffice working when I tried it several years ago and I've not tried it since. I wish BeamBerry was a one time fee but it does the job and it's not really that expensive.

neMOnic,
Current version of eOffice cannot read native files from your SD. You need to use eFile desktop to convert them prior to placing to the BB.
John Clark,
Why not trying eOffice again then?:) eOffice has been changed significantly since that time..

I guess I don't see the point of the app, then. If I'm at a place where I need to open a document on my phone, it usually means that I'm not near a computer. So having a program on my BB that ALSO requires document conversion on a computer has very little value to me. Hell, if that's the case, I could just as easily convert the documents to jpgs and not pay anyone anything. Also, I was ready to pull the trigger on MasterDocs and your service department dropped the ball. Waiting on hold for 30min for a supposedly 24x7 support department doesn't inspire confidence in your company.

John, I just bought Beamberry. It's not perfect, but at least it does what I want and is usable. No conversion required.

PDF Viewer
 

I had Beam Berry 2.0 and it worked fine on their server but I too wanted local SD support. I download 3.0 BeamBerry and found out there are limitations and known issues with it. I sent several emails to BeamBerry explaining the issues, here's what I received back:

Email #1

I used 2.0 and it worked fine. I upgraded to 3.0 for the memory card support. I can open the file that appears on your server titled Quick Start Guide but when trying to open anything from my SD card I get a message saying transferring file, it reaches 100% and then I get an error stating Internal Server Error. I am able to open PDF's attached to incoming emails with Beamberry. I have tried to open .pdf's and .doc's from my SD card. I've tried registering with both my enterprise server email address and my tmo.blackberry email address that tmobile provides, both will receive attachments. I have tried several different size files. In addition, when I choose to only display supported file types I still see .jpg's and .bmp's even though they are not supported. I downloaded the install OTA, I have a Curve running stock tmobile 4.2.2.180 software.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Response:

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. *It is a known issue that we are currently working on resolving.

Sincerely,

BeamBerry Support Team


Email #2

As a follow up. I saved a file from an email to your server and could open
it. I can copy that file from your server to my SD card but not from the
card to your server. Once the file is copied from your server to my SD card
I can't open it from the card. I don't have encryption or password
protection turned on for the media card.* Do you provide a way to load
files directly to our area of your server from our PC?


Response:

This is still the same problem as before -- typically you should be able to open a supported document from SD card directly or transfer it to BeamDisk. *PC integration is currently not supported.

Sincerely,

BeamBerry Support Team

Email #3

I discovered another issue. When composing an email I am unable to use
beamberry to attach anything that's on the SD card. I can browse to the
files but the "select" option does not appear on the menu.* I can attach
files located on your server. Should I be able to attach files located on
the SD card with 3.0?

Response:

Currently we only allow attaching of documents that are stored on BeamDisk. *You can however transfer documents from SD card to BeamDisk, and then attach these from there. *

Sincerely,

BeamBerry Support Team


Email #4

Not trying to be a jerk but what good is BeamBerry SD support if I can't attach a file from my SD card? *I have hundreds of files on the card.


Response:

Perhaps we were not very clear in our previous response, sorry about that. *You can attach a file from your SD card, it is just a two step process right now:

1. *Use copy/paste in the BeamBerry file viewer to copy the file that you would like to attach to an e-mail message from your SD card to BeamDisk
2. *When composing an e-mail, use the "Attach from BeamDisk" feature

In the future we will add "Attach from SD Card" feature to make this process one step rather than two.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

BeamBerry Support Team


Email #5:

So basically SD support doesn't work? *I thought that was the reason for 3.0? *What does your product provide that my BB doesn't already do? *If you knew this was an issue, why did you release the new version as a pay to use product? Why not put it out in beta like you did 2.0 until the bugs were worked out?


Response:

This issue appears to surface at only a very small number of customers. We are working on fixing it. *Could you provide us with the following information:

1. *Your BlackBerry model and OS version
2. *Your provider
3. *Are you using BES? *If so, does it connect through a proxy to access the Internet?

Sincerely,

BeamBerry Support Team

My Response:

I believe the answers to your questions are listed in my original email. I do not connect via proxy.



I am not wanting to Bash BeamBerry with this email just wanting to share what the true capabilities are of this product. I don't know if there is a product out there that will allow you to open files directly from an SD card and allow you to attach files directly from your SD card yet. I've been unable to find anything to do this. Everything I've trialed or read the documentation on makes you either convert the files to a different format for viewing or won't support SD.

What are people using to store and view pdf's and doc files in an organized and easily accessable manner locally? I understand there has to be a server to render files due to the lack of computing power in the BB but the inability to attach a files directly from your SD card seems very low tech for todays technology. Why is it so difficult for a BB to do things the Palm & Windows folks have been doing for years, and without having to buy 3rd party software?

I haven't tried to attach files FROM the SD card, but I can verify that Beamberry 3 will open files FROM the SD card without needing some kind of desktop conversion. That's what made me buy the app. I hate that it needs to send files off fopr server side rendering, but I'll live with it as long as it dows what I need it to do (which it does so far - and i've tried with a variety of doc types).

(NOTE - I am not an enterprise user, and this is not a work device)

nem0nic
I haven't tried to attach files FROM the SD card, but I can verify that Beamberry 3 will open files FROM the SD card without needing some kind of desktop conversion. That's what made me buy the app. I hate that it needs to send files off fopr server side rendering, but I'll live with it as long as it dows what I need it to do (which it does so far - and i've tried with a variety of doc types).

Well, as soon as BeamBerry corrects the known issue they have, hopefully I'll be able to do the same. Glad you can open files from the SD card. At least I know the software is capable of performing that function.
Thanks

Well, as soon as BeamBerry corrects the known issue they have, hopefully I'll be able to do the same. Glad you can open files from the SD card. At least I know the software is capable of performing that function.
Thanks

:) Hi, conversion is required in both applications. The difference between us and Beamberry is that you do this locally, without sending your file to a remote server for conversion when opening it, and our sollution is cheaper. We have one time fee instead of yearly subscriptions.

Did you call us on a working day? The support phone lines could be busy :-( We are monitoring the situation: we have more and more customers and phone support service needs to be adjusted. But one can always drop an email and arrange a phone conversation: we call the users.

But if the files require conversion on the user's desktop before MasterDoc will be able to open them, you're still requiring what amounts to offline rendering. But at least Beamberry allows me to open documents when I get them. As I said previously, if I'm required to convert documents on another computer, why not convert them to a format that doesn't require a 3rd party application and eliminate the cost completely? I guess I don't understand your approach.

Downloads Productivity applications for RIM OS v4.0 Blackberry of DynoPlex
According to your website, every day is a "working day". Lines weren't busy, I was on hold for just over 30min listening to a message that said I was first in cue. If there are non "working days" for Dynoplex support, I suggest you amend your stated schedule on your support page.

BeamBerry Doc Attachment
 

I recently downloaded BeamBerry and am pleased with the document viewing capability it provides. This was a tool to use with the other new addition to my BB8800, mini SD Card. My hopes was that I could attached files from my SD card to emails. I am unable to do so and even followed the prescribed process from another post:

1. *Use copy/paste in the BeamBerry file viewer to copy the file that you would like to attach to an e-mail message from your SD card to BeamDisk
2. *When composing an e-mail, use the "Attach from BeamDisk" feature

In the future we will add "Attach from SD Card" feature to make this process one step rather than two.

This process did not work for me. I can view the files no problem, select and copy but when I go to the email and select "Attach from BeamDisk the "Attachments" section just says *Empty*. If I select the menu the only option I have is "add attachments". If I select that it takes me back to the BeamBerry Browser. I can highlight a file but the only menu options are "refresh" and "full menu". If I select "full menu" the only options are "refresh" and "close". This then becomes a never-ending cycle.

I really need the ability to attach files from my SD to emails. The above process does not work for me. Please let me know how this can be done successfully.

:smile: Okay, I just figured this out. I have to copy the file from my SD then scroll up to the "BeamDisk" folder and then select paste all while in "BeamBerry File Browser." THEN I can use the "Attach from BeamDisk" option in the email to go to the "BeamDisk Attachments" location where it says *Empty*. Select "Add Attachments" in that window and add the attachments located under the "BeamDisk" section in the "BeamBerry File Browser" that I previously pasted. Then I can select the "back" button or "menu/full menu/close" to complete the attachment process.

Glad I figured it out but it is not as simple as the 2 points listed above make it. Certainly not for a new user.8-)

I do like the options BeamBerry offers. If I read previous posts correctly the file attachment process is being upgraded. Would be great to see it less cumbersome. Am glad I now have the option to view files AND add attachments though.