How Fragile is the Kindle

europas_ice · 02-11-2009, 02:10 PM

This poll is for those of you who already have Kindles. I've got a Sony, for which my reply is "I'm not all that careful with it, and the screen has never broken." Since the screens are identical (I've heard) probably the Kindle will be equally fragile. But I thought I'd ask to see what people think.

KindleKat · 02-11-2009, 02:22 PM

I dont treat it any differently than any of my other devices (iphone, etc) and i've never had a problem. Im not "Careless" with it, nor am I over protective.

pilotbob · 02-11-2009, 02:46 PM

Not sure what "all that careful" means. I don't treat it with kid gloves, nor do I sit on it or slam it into drawer or put it in a carry on bag unprotected and slam it into the overhead bin.

I'm just as careful with it as I am with my cellphone or laptop.

BOb

MonaLS · 02-11-2009, 11:08 PM

I don't treat it like fine crystal. It has a nice cover and I keep it in my quilted purse in it's own pocket. It does just fine with no additional babying.

daffy4u · 02-11-2009, 11:16 PM

I treat mine with the same care as I do my laptop.

HarryT · 02-12-2009, 07:10 AM

The weakness with any eInk device is the very thin glass "substrate" which is under the outer plastic screen. If you "bend" that, or apply undue pressure to a single point on it, it will fracture. Avoid doing that and you shouldn't have a problem.

KimmyA · 02-17-2009, 11:07 AM

I tend to be very careful with mine just because if this one breaks, I may not be able to afford to immediately replace it.

BruceS · 02-17-2009, 12:27 PM

Mine has fallen about 4 feet from a table onto a hardwood floor with no problems.

It was in the cover shipped by Amazon when it fell. I have since purchased a new cover from M-Edge which has four corner straps. This should solve the occasional problem of the Kindle coming loose from the Amazon cover.

If anyone wants more protection for the screen on their Kindle, Invisible Shield has just come out with both full body and screen only versions for the Kindle.

HarryT · 02-17-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceS

If anyone wants more protection for the screen on their Kindle, Invisible Shield has just come out with both full body and screen only versions for the Kindle.

That might protect the screen against scratches, but I suspect that it will be no protection whatsoever against the type of "shock damage" that's likely to fracture the screen substrate and render the device unusable. The outer screen is pretty tough - you'd need to quite seriously abuse it to scratch it, I suspect! It's not like PDAs which have an easily-scratched touch-sensitive layer as the top layer of the screen.

krisk · 02-17-2009, 02:59 PM

My kindle fell out of the cover it came with the first week I had it. It hit the floor from about 4 feet, of course a heartstopping moment. It falls out of bed at least once a week. I've slept on it a few times. It goes skiing in my Camelbak so it's fairly well protected that way.

My first Zune was broken by an overlyzealous flight attendant cramming my carry on into the overhead. I have learned my lesson and Zunes and Kindles stay in my hand from now on.

My biggest fear is water. I've lost I don't know how many pagers and cell phones to water damage. The biggest culprit is the devices falling out of pocket into the toilet. I don't anticipate that happening with my Kindle, but still I don't go anywhere near a bathroom with my Kindle.

pshrynk · 02-17-2009, 03:18 PM

I've never dropped mine too far, but it has been in my messenger when I slipped and fell on the Ubiquitous Ice here in Wisconsin. No problems.

StanDaMan · 02-17-2009, 06:47 PM

I've dropped my K1 a time or two. There's a few nicks and dings. But nothing major, and it continues to work just fine. (I wouldn't try stepping on it though)

S.Canton · 02-17-2009, 08:37 PM

I just tried mine like an average piece of hardware and I've never really had any problems. Dropped it a few times from a bit of height and it still works fine.

MonaLS · 02-17-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krisk

The biggest culprit is the devices falling out of pocket into the toilet. I don't anticipate that happening with my Kindle, but still I don't go anywhere near a bathroom with my Kindle.

One of the guys where I used to work kept his work radio in his shirt pocket (expensive Motorola) - until he leaned over the edge of the dock to look at the water. Yup, radio went swimming.

Elsi · 02-18-2009, 12:42 AM

My Kindle lives in the original cover. I put it to sleep, close the cover, and loop the elastic when I put it away. I carry it with me everywhere -- it rang up about 60,000 air miles in the past 12 months -- in my backpack.

I also carry a Sony 505 reader. It's now in the lighted cover, but was in the original cover from June until Christmas. I'm going to get an elastic loop to hold the cover closed since the magnet on the front isn't strong enough to keep things from sliding between it and the lightwedge.

I'm only moderately careful with my backpack; after all my laptop is in there as well.

I've dropped the Kindle several times, usually because I fell asleep with it in my hands. The worst that has happened in these cases is that the back is pulled off because the tab hold tight.

View Poll Results: How fragile is your Kindle? (only for Kindle owners)
I'm extremely careful with it and it's never broken.	45	38.46%
I'm not all that careful with it and it's never broken.	59	50.43%
I'm not all that careful with it and I broke it.	3	2.56%
I'm extremely careful with it and I broke it!	10	8.55%
Voters: 117. You may not vote on this poll

02-11-2009, 02:10 PM	#1
europas_ice Groupie Posts: 188 Karma: 220 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Moscow, ID Device: iPhone 11 (Kindle app & iBooks)	How Fragile is the Kindle This poll is for those of you who already have Kindles. I've got a Sony, for which my reply is "I'm not all that careful with it, and the screen has never broken." Since the screens are identical (I've heard) probably the Kindle will be equally fragile. But I thought I'd ask to see what people think.

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02-11-2009, 02:22 PM	#2
KindleKat Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 29 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	I dont treat it any differently than any of my other devices (iphone, etc) and i've never had a problem. Im not "Careless" with it, nor am I over protective.

02-11-2009, 02:46 PM	#3
pilotbob Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,832 Karma: 11844413 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa, FL USA Device: Kindle Touch	Not sure what "all that careful" means. I don't treat it with kid gloves, nor do I sit on it or slam it into drawer or put it in a carry on bag unprotected and slam it into the overhead bin. I'm just as careful with it as I am with my cellphone or laptop. BOb

02-11-2009, 11:08 PM	#4
MonaLS Groupie Posts: 180 Karma: 34 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Kindle (Gen 1), Kindle DX, Kindle Fire, LG Enact	I don't treat it like fine crystal. It has a nice cover and I keep it in my quilted purse in it's own pocket. It does just fine with no additional babying.

02-11-2009, 11:16 PM	#5
daffy4u I'm Super Kindle-icious Posts: 6,734 Karma: 2434103 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Long Drive, Calinadia Candafornia Device: KDXG, KT, Oasis	I treat mine with the same care as I do my laptop.

02-12-2009, 07:10 AM	#6
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The weakness with any eInk device is the very thin glass "substrate" which is under the outer plastic screen. If you "bend" that, or apply undue pressure to a single point on it, it will fracture. Avoid doing that and you shouldn't have a problem.

02-17-2009, 11:07 AM	#7
KimmyA Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: kindle	I tend to be very careful with mine just because if this one breaks, I may not be able to afford to immediately replace it.

02-17-2009, 12:27 PM	#8
BruceS Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Albany, NY Device: Kindle, Kindle 2	Mine has fallen about 4 feet from a table onto a hardwood floor with no problems. It was in the cover shipped by Amazon when it fell. I have since purchased a new cover from M-Edge which has four corner straps. This should solve the occasional problem of the Kindle coming loose from the Amazon cover. If anyone wants more protection for the screen on their Kindle, Invisible Shield has just come out with both full body and screen only versions for the Kindle.

02-17-2009, 02:59 PM	#10
krisk Wizard Posts: 2,148 Karma: 8229 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: on the road again Device: kindle	My kindle fell out of the cover it came with the first week I had it. It hit the floor from about 4 feet, of course a heartstopping moment. It falls out of bed at least once a week. I've slept on it a few times. It goes skiing in my Camelbak so it's fairly well protected that way. My first Zune was broken by an overlyzealous flight attendant cramming my carry on into the overhead. I have learned my lesson and Zunes and Kindles stay in my hand from now on. My biggest fear is water. I've lost I don't know how many pagers and cell phones to water damage. The biggest culprit is the devices falling out of pocket into the toilet. I don't anticipate that happening with my Kindle, but still I don't go anywhere near a bathroom with my Kindle.

02-17-2009, 03:18 PM	#11
pshrynk Beepbeep n beebeep, yeah! Posts: 11,726 Karma: 8255450 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin, aka America's IceBox Device: iThingie, KmkII, I miss Zelda!	I've never dropped mine too far, but it has been in my messenger when I slipped and fell on the Ubiquitous Ice here in Wisconsin. No problems.

02-17-2009, 06:47 PM	#12
StanDaMan Connoisseur Posts: 79 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: kindle	I've dropped my K1 a time or two. There's a few nicks and dings. But nothing major, and it continues to work just fine. (I wouldn't try stepping on it though)

02-17-2009, 08:37 PM	#13
S.Canton Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle 2	I just tried mine like an average piece of hardware and I've never really had any problems. Dropped it a few times from a bit of height and it still works fine.

02-18-2009, 12:42 AM	#15
Elsi Wizard Posts: 2,366 Karma: 12000 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Texas, USA Device: Kindle; Sony PRS 505; Blackberry 8700C	My Kindle lives in the original cover. I put it to sleep, close the cover, and loop the elastic when I put it away. I carry it with me everywhere -- it rang up about 60,000 air miles in the past 12 months -- in my backpack. I also carry a Sony 505 reader. It's now in the lighted cover, but was in the original cover from June until Christmas. I'm going to get an elastic loop to hold the cover closed since the magnet on the front isn't strong enough to keep things from sliding between it and the lightwedge. I'm only moderately careful with my backpack; after all my laptop is in there as well. I've dropped the Kindle several times, usually because I fell asleep with it in my hands. The worst that has happened in these cases is that the back is pulled off because the tab hold tight.