Got this email from Bookeen:

«Dear Customer,

You ordered and received a Cybook Deluxe.

Due to continuing overwhelming demand, production of Cybook batteries could not catch up and the spare battery was not included in your pack.

We will send the missing extra battery, as soon as possible, in a second shipment.

As an indication, it should ship around mid-January 2008.»

Just curious, since there were reports of covers not being included in the shipments: did you get a cover?

Yes, the black one.

I also got a 'we'll send you one later' email about the extra battery.

I did get the cover and everything else though!

I did get my cybook last week but without a cover and an extra battery. According to the notice in my package those items will be sent to me by the end of january.
I wouldn't mind the missing extra battery, but an eBook reader without a cover is another story. I would have been happy with either the Bookeen cover or the M-edge cover.
Now I have to be real carefull, so that my cybook will survive intact until I will get my cover.

I did get my cybook last week but without a cover and an extra battery. According to the notice in my package those items will be sent to me by the end of january.
I wouldn't mind the missing extra battery, but an eBook reader without a cover is another story. I would have been happy with either the Bookeen cover or the M-edge cover.
Now I have to be real carefull, so that my cybook will survive intact until I will get my cover.

Can anyone who has the 'spare' battery please tell me the manufacturer info?

As a recipient of an engineering sample version of the Cybook, I didn't get a 'spare'.

Derek

Can anyone who has the 'spare' battery please tell me the manufacturer info?
Not much on my spare: Silver case with a 2-pin molex connector soldered to +/- contacts on one end. (The soldered end of the silver case is wrapped in clear yellow tape. There are two lines of printing on the case:
HECELL H503456HC
PL A366 BA 7F29

I've just tried doing a Google search on that reference number, but the only hit returned is to the previous post :). I'm impressed that Google has indexed it so rapidly!

Harry,

I think it's this one: http://www.hecell.com/en/product_polymer.asp, 'HXX3456'

-edit- Perhaps the 5V version ('XX' being '50' and all...)?

Harry,

I think it's this one: http://www.hecell.com/en/product_polymer.asp, 'HXX3456'

-edit- Perhaps the 5V version ('XX' being '50' and all...)?

I'm pretty sure it is, but without a photo it's hard to tell.

I've asked them for more information as well as a retail outlet and retail pricing information, but I haven't heard back from them.

Derek

A question for someone who knows more about LiIon batteries than I do (ie virtually everyone :) )...

Suppose my Gen3's battery dies after a couple of years. Will the replacement battery I got in my Gen3 "deluxe pack" be in any better condition than the one I've used in the machine, assuming it's just been sitting there in the box untouched for two years?

ie, do they degrade simply with time, or with charges (or both)?

Here you have some storage advice: http://www.powerstream.com/Storage.htm

A question for someone who knows more about LiIon batteries than I do (ie virtually everyone :) )...

Suppose my Gen3's battery dies after a couple of years. Will the replacement battery I got in my Gen3 "deluxe pack" be in any better condition than the one I've used in the machine, assuming it's just been sitting there in the box untouched for two years?

ie, do they degrade simply with time, or with charges (or both)?

My opinion is that it's best to fully charge a Li-Ion, store it and use it at least every three months or so to make sure you deplete it and recharge it fully ones. So the thing what you could do is to switch between the two battery's every few months. In that way you will keep them both in good condition. Storing one until the other one is dead or bad (after ~ 500 to 1000 recharges) is not a good option because your stored battery will probably be not in a very good condition anymore.

The web site i referred to actually disagree with this:


Moli Energy Lithium Ion Battery Storage: Storage temperature range is -20 to 60° C. Recommended storage voltage range is 4.1 to 2.0 volts per cell. For prolonged storage periods, store discharged [i.e. 2.0 to 3.0 volts per cell] and at -20° to 25° C.

Panasonic Lithium Ion Battery Storage:
The batteries should be stored at room temperature, charged to about 30 to 50% of capacity. We recommend that the batteries be charged about once per year to prevent overdischarge.

PowerStream Note: Test data confirms that storage of lithium-ion batteries is best if the cell is partially discharged. In one test by Cadex Electronics ( http://www.buchmann.ca ) after 1 year storage at 25°C the non-recoverable capacity remaining is 96% when stored at 40% initial charge level, but only 80% if stored with 100% initial charge level. This effect is reduced at lower temperature and is a non-issue at 0°C. At higher temperatures the effect is much worse. Cadex's recommendations are to store below 15° C at 40% of full charge (2.5 volts per cell).

For my work I deal with multiple devices that use Li-Ion batteries and the manufacturer/supplier recommends storage at 100% charge. Also, Cadex is talking about storing it for one year without use. I think it's still a good idea to switch between batteries to prevent any problems with storage.

I have never seen a recommendation to store fully charged. For how long time do you store it then for this recommendation to hold? Is it weeks or months?

The original question was about letting the battery sit a couple of years in a box.

I have never seen a recommendation to store fully charged. For how long time do you store it then for this recommendation to hold? Is it weeks or months?

The original question was about letting the battery sit a couple of years in a box.

Batteries are on the shelf not longer than ~2 months. I'm not saying it's the best way, but it's just what the manufacturer wants us to do. So I just assumed that it was the way to do it. ;)

Today I just got my cover and the replacement battery.
Bookeen sent it out on the 31. January. It took the post 18 days to deliver the package (France to Switzerland in 18 days. I think you could walk the distance in a shorter time).
Fact is Bookeen kept their promise to ship the items by end of january

In regards to the extra battery - I would've thought the whole point of having a spare was so that if the cybook died while you were busy reading, you could easily whip off the cover, replace the battery and continue reading (after all, you can't read while it's charging [what a stupid idea THAT is!].

Well, replacing the battery is easy...providing you always carry around a miniture flat headed screw driver and some way of getting hold of that tiny little wire so you can actually unplug the depleted battery!

I'm in the middle of a really good bit in my book and I can't go any further cos I can't unplug the depleted battery and I can't read while charging :smack:

Ok, rant over - I'm going to go and watch paint dry :bigcry:

Just curious, since there were reports of covers not being included in the shipments: did you get a cover?

Got my Cybook yesterday morning, sans cover but with a note saying it'll be sent out mid-june. everything else, batter etc, was present.