MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - When will eReaders become at least as robust (long lived) as a calculator?

Greg Anos · 02-10-2013, 05:29 PM

I sympathize with the OP. I have a calculator that is now 28 years old, and still working fine. It was a cheap one, built in the period where there was solar panels to power them (across the top) but no battery for instant on. Because of that, it won't die when the internal battery does. Other early ones that ran off of AA/AAA batteries should still run, if the batteries haven't corroded inside them. (A favorite killer of remote controls). But built-in batteries are guaranteed long term gadget killers.

I use a Hanlin V3+ from 2009. Still going strong, but on it's second battery. (User replaceable, a Nokia form factor). It looks like a brick, ugly as sin, but built like a rock. And nobody make them like that any more for any e-reader. So I bought 3 on close-outs for backups..... I suspect that as long as I can get the batteries, it,'ll keep running...

On the other hand, at $30 dollars or less, a gadget becomes a throwaway to me, as long as it has removable storage. I use Sansa Clip music players like jellybeans. So far I've gotten 2-3 years out of them, but if (when) they croak, I'll just unplug the Micro SD chip from one and plug into another one....

02-10-2013, 05:29 PM	#43
Greg Anos Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,247 Karma: 35000000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: Pocketbook	I sympathize with the OP. I have a calculator that is now 28 years old, and still working fine. It was a cheap one, built in the period where there was solar panels to power them (across the top) but no battery for instant on. Because of that, it won't die when the internal battery does. Other early ones that ran off of AA/AAA batteries should still run, if the batteries haven't corroded inside them. (A favorite killer of remote controls). But built-in batteries are guaranteed long term gadget killers. I use a Hanlin V3+ from 2009. Still going strong, but on it's second battery. (User replaceable, a Nokia form factor). It looks like a brick, ugly as sin, but built like a rock. And nobody make them like that any more for any e-reader. So I bought 3 on close-outs for backups..... I suspect that as long as I can get the batteries, it,'ll keep running... On the other hand, at $30 dollars or less, a gadget becomes a throwaway to me, as long as it has removable storage. I use Sansa Clip music players like jellybeans. So far I've gotten 2-3 years out of them, but if (when) they croak, I'll just unplug the Micro SD chip from one and plug into another one.... Last edited by Greg Anos; 02-10-2013 at 05:38 PM.