yesterday I dropped my reader from the first floor of my house. After the scare, I dared to go down and check on my beloved 505...
The view was horrible- the casing was nicked in a few places and the silver plastic cap -including the power switch- was broken and gone, but -wonder o wonder, it was still showing my book and the display was whole!
Now I have the problem that I need a wire to switch the reader on and of and I wondered whether it would be possible to map the power switch (it sends the reader only into stand by, doesn't it?) to another button?
Anybody an idea whether such a thing is possible?

Thanks,
kaas

Dare one ask how you managed to drop it from the first floor? It's pretty impressive that the screen "survived" a drop like that!

I actually live on the third floor. I usually walk upstairs, since I am to lazy (or not lazy enough?) to use the lift and doing so I read.
Each floors front side is open to the front and ends in a balustrade. It was raining yesterday and the concrete was slick so I slipped and crashed against the balustrade. That was how my reader learned to fly... :(

I actually live on the third floor. I usually walk upstairs, since I am to lazy (or not lazy enough?) to use the lift and doing so I read.
Each floors front side is open to the front and ends in a balustrade. It was raining yesterday and the concrete was slick so I slipped and crashed against the balustrade. That was how my reader learned to fly... :(

huh... apparently, sometimes it is *better* for your health (and the health of your reader...) to take the lift, instead of the stairs.

glad to hear your reader survived ! that is pretty amazing news. be careful on those stairs. we wouldn't want *you* to learn to fly next time...

You could use the universal flasher and edit the appropriate .xml file to standby on holding the enter key down, the way people use the hack to power the unit off completely. i actually need to run but you can probably figure it out by browsing the universal flasher 2.0 thread and the hacking the 505.1.1.00.18040 thread under PRS-505 Developers' Corner, or get someone in those threads or here to telll you exactly which file and what to change. You will need to have updated your PRS-505 to the new firmware.

For the benefit of our American friends, by the way, we're talking here about a fall from what you call the second floor. It really is impressive that it survived!

well, that is what the cover is there for, isn't it :)
I couldn't believe it myself and thought that my reader is a goner for sure. Especially since it did NOT fall on soft ground, but on concrete!

cheers,
the lucky kaas

I am so paranoid about dropping mine that I always use a wrist strap just in case! May not look uber cool - but it gives me peace of mind!

David

For the benefit of our American friends, by the way, we're talking here about a fall from what you call the second floor. It really is impressive that it survived!

Weirdly, I knew what he meant, even though I'm American. Most apartment buildings where I live have a ground floor unit and then the first floor is one flight of stairs up.

I dropped mine from a height of only about 4 feet but it landed right on the top edge, popped the top piece, including the power button and the little piece of plastic that sits over the LED, right off. Luckily, all the pieces were intact and I cobbled the thing back together, though with one mystery piece of plastic leftover. I've been using it for 9 months since that happened with no ill effects.
If you try to remap the enter button as a power button, keep us posted, I'd like to know if it works. I don't trust myself not to drop mine again. ;)

I'm personally pleasantly surprised with the resilience of the Sony. A couple weeks ago, mine flew out of my purse while I was getting out of a taxi. Landed pretty hard on the pavement a few feet away. I was afraid to turn it on and see what the screen looked like. No problems with the screen, although the bottom of the device where the usb port, headphone jack, and volume button had bent outward. Was able to get this back into shape and it's been working perfectly.

dordale :)

I actually live on the third floor. I usually walk upstairs, since I am to lazy (or not lazy enough?) to use the lift and doing so I read.
Each floors front side is open to the front and ends in a balustrade. It was raining yesterday and the concrete was slick so I slipped and crashed against the balustrade. That was how my reader learned to fly... :(

Well, I think you have the new record. Lucky you.

@ Harry T: Thanks for the translation, so is the third floor the fourth floor, for us Americans?

... I slipped and crashed against the balustrade. That was how my reader learned to fly... :(
I was being very sympathetic until I read you last sentence, then I couldn't stop laughing.

I recently dropped my reader next to a sprinkler head. I was running past my sprinklers to get through my front door and had my reader tucked under my shirt so it wouldn't get wet, when I turned the corner I slipped enough to lose my balance and my grip of the reader. It bounced off the concrete and landed next to the sprinkler.
The result was a broken power button and soaked reader that wouldn't turn on.

I had to blow dry it for 15 min and fiddle with the power button before I could get it to work.

A very miserable ordeal, but I'll have to say dropping your reader from the 2nd story is much more impressive. I'm surprised it survived the fall.

=X=

...Now I have the problem that I need a wire to switch the reader on and of and I wondered whether it would be possible to map the power switch (it sends the reader only into stand by, doesn't it?) to another button?
Anybody an idea whether such a thing is possible?

Thanks,
kaas

This thread may be of some help in repair if you can get the replacement parts. (I'd look for a reader with a broken screen on eBay.):
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21475

Regards,
Bob