View Full Version : My reader is trying to give me a heart attack...


Riocaz
04-02-2009, 05:51 AM
I picked it up off my desk this morning (as I has transferred a couple of books over last night).

Got to the train station and pulled it out for a read...

Only to find very garbled USb connected screen. Which looked like a very broken screen (Black lines down the left hand side.

Completely unresponsive to buttons or the on-off switch. So i dismantled a keyring in-order to press the reset button...

And turned it on. And it blanked the screen and began the start-up sequence but turned itself off when it got to the main menu.

Tried again...

And it went through the start-up sequence just to turn off at the menu again.

3rd attempt it wouldn't even start-up.

So I put it back in my bag to have a better look once I got into work.

Thankfully an hour of being plugged into the PSP charger on my desk seems to have fixed the problem. I think I left it plugged in to my computer when I shut it down last night. And somehow the battery got discharged during that time.

Not sure about the garbled screen though.

Curly
04-02-2009, 08:29 AM
Yikes! That would cause me long moments of great anxiety (there's only so much you can do to fix it whilst sitting on a train). Glad to hear its working again. :)

igorsk
04-02-2009, 08:34 AM
I think I left it plugged in to my computer when I shut it down last night. And somehow the battery got discharged during that time.
Yep, that's a good way to empty the battery if you ever need to do it :)

DixieGal
04-02-2009, 08:37 AM
Riocaz, you are giving me a heart attack with all your misadventures. Duct tape that puppy to your wrist or something! Honestly, they'll let any old klutz buy a 505 these days! :rolleyes:

(If you guys haven't been keeping up with Caz's saga, click his name, then select "see other posts by Riocax. You will be amazed. Let's all give him Karma and maybe some good luck with rub off on his 505.)

Riocaz
04-02-2009, 08:40 AM
Still doesn't explain the garbled screen though. Thick and thin black lines running down the screen.

Bits of the USB connected page there and there/

It looked similar enough to the broken substrate to have my heart lurch. Thankfully closer inspection gave me several inconsistancies. For example the lines were all straight top to bottom. So I was pretty sure it wasn't the problem but not my most pleasant commute ever...

I was a very happy person when it was plugged in.

But I will only be completely convinced once I have been able to read on it for a bit.

DixieGal
04-02-2009, 08:44 AM
OK Sweetie, let's review:

1. Plug it in and let it charge for an hour or so.
2. Try holding the power switch "on" for 15 seconds to do a soft reset.
3. Only then start poking it in the back with an unbent keychain.
:D

Curly
04-02-2009, 08:47 AM
Riocaz, you are giving me a heart attack with all your misadventures. Duct tape that puppy to your wrist or something! Honestly, they'll let any old klutz buy a 505 these days! :rolleyes:

(If you guys haven't been keeping up with Caz's saga, click his name, then select "see other posts by Riocax. You will be amazed. Let's all give him Karma and maybe some good luck with rub off on his 505.)

Oh my, I had a look, Riocaz is a bit hard on his electronic devices! Definitely in need of some good luck. :)

Riocaz
04-02-2009, 08:48 AM
(If you guys haven't been keeping up with Caz's saga, click his name, then select "see other posts by Riocax. You will be amazed. Let's all give him Karma and maybe some good luck with rub off on his 505.)

I dunno despite my abuse it is (touch wood) still going strong. It survived yet another trip to Spain and back.

Thankfully it is insured under my contents insurance should I actually manage to kill it.

I'm not normally hard on my electron....

Oh wait:

One Psion 5 killed by falling out of pocket from luggage rack in train.
one stolen Palm
several dead MP3 players.
Numerous lost phones.
One washed phone
Several dead SecureID keyrings...


On the other hand both my zaurus's are still alive, as is my archos av340. Work trust me with a laptop (I've only slightly broken the case). Even my iLiad is still in working order...

I've never killed a digital camera though (well unless you count the washed phone) which is a good thing as my digicam cost a silly amount.

DixieGal
04-02-2009, 09:36 AM
... but the day is still young ...

Love ya, Lee!

zelda_pinwheel
04-02-2009, 09:43 AM
One Psion 5 killed by falling out of pocket from luggage rack in train.
one stolen Palm
several dead MP3 players.
Numerous lost phones.
One washed phone
Several dead SecureID keyrings...
gloups ! :stunned:

i very nearly put my phone through the wash recently, as i didn't notice it on the bed when i gathered up the bedclothes to put them in the wash. luckily, i had set the washer on the timer to start the next morning, so when went looking for my phone several hours later it was still rolled up in the middle of the (dry) sheets...

still, that was close !! gave myself a good scare. that phone was expensive and i don't plan to replace it anytime soon !!!

Riocaz
04-02-2009, 10:54 AM
The one I washed was a leaving gift from my old company :-(

Limited edition Nokia

cassidym
04-02-2009, 11:34 AM
I left mine on the treadmill at the gym and went wandering off mindlessly to the showers. When I got to the locker room, I suddenly realized my (self-imposed) disaster. I dashed back (faster than when I was on the treadmill, I might add) and was very relieved to discover some bookworm, gym-nut hadn't got there before me.

GraceKrispy
04-02-2009, 02:59 PM
Man, I'm shivering in my bare feet reading these posts. Glad your reader is safe, riocaz! I had a similar funky experience the time I tried to use my cell phone usb plug to charge my phone. I went into full-on panic mode.

In any case, you have a very brave little reader, riocaz.

pilotbob
04-02-2009, 03:13 PM
Still doesn't explain the garbled screen though. Thick and thin black lines running down the screen.

Sure it does... it just didn't have enough battery power to draw/refresh the screen. That is pretty common when the batt is just about dead.

BOb

v1m
04-02-2009, 06:59 PM
I left mine on the treadmill at the gym and went wandering off mindlessly to the showers. When I got to the locker room, I suddenly realized my (self-imposed) disaster. I dashed back (faster than when I was on the treadmill, I might add) and was very relieved to discover some bookworm, gym-nut hadn't got there before me.

Close call!

Past where I walk the dog is a gym advertising itself with the breathless slogan, "Bigger Faster Stronger Better." No commas, the point being no delays on the way to Better.

And yes those coming and going from it look singlemindedly bent on this goal.

I bet you could leave a stack of shiny new PRS-505s out in the open there without the least worry about the Betters bothering them. :-)

jaxx6166
04-02-2009, 07:06 PM
Haha. I've washed an ipod, fried a digital camera, and broken at least six cellphones!!!

I had a problem with the mystery screen on my 505 too.

Several forum members believed it may have been a cracked glass substrate.

I tried fiddling with it for a while and just gave up...After all the issues I've had, I think Sony may just get rid of the accidental handling insurance ;)

salty_seadog
04-07-2009, 02:08 AM
I left mine on the treadmill at the gym and went wandering off mindlessly to the showers. When I got to the locker room, I suddenly realized my (self-imposed) disaster. I dashed back (faster than when I was on the treadmill, I might add) and was very relieved to discover some bookworm, gym-nut hadn't got there before me.

I don't leave mine anywhere, if I could have it surgically attached to me I would as I read it everywhere (except the gym, wouldn't want to get sweat all over the 'precious') seriously, the first month after Christmas :xmas: I had it wrapped in bubble wrap to carry it anywhere in the car or in my bag.