What do do with a dead Cybook Gen 3

[omk3]

My mother's cybook is dead.

It froze frequently ever since she's had it, but a reset usually solved the problem.

The last time it froze, it was in the middle of a specific book. While she was reading this book it froze rather more frequently than usual, so the book may have something to do with it, or it may be just a coincidence. (just a normal .mobi book, converted from epub using calibre, by the way)

Anyway, this last time reset didn't work, powering it on and off didn't work, charging it didn't work, connecting it to the pc didn't work. The screen was blank with a vertical black line and so it stayed. One day later she connected it to the pc again, the line disappeared but nothing else happened. Removing the battery and putting it back didn't work. Persistently pushing the reset, made the little power light flicker a bit, then nothing again. Put to charge again, the light was on for hours, so it must have been charging, though it was supposed to be fully charged. Charge complete (for the second time after the freeze), and on/off, reset, connecting to pc still don't work.

Which brings me to the question: What to do with a dead Cybook Gen 3?

If it can be resuscitated, by all means, please, tell me how! (I've kind of given up hope as you can probably imagine)

And if not, can I do anything else useful with it? Load a different firmware? (How, if it won't even turn on?) Make it a nice picture frame? Take it apart and study the mysteries of e-ink?

for any serious or silly suggestions!

[EowynCarter]

It won't connect to pc at all ?
So, more a problem with the cybook than the screen it seam.

Contact bookeen, (support @ bookeen . com ) they might be able to tell you what's up.

[omk3]

Thanks for the answer, Eowyn.
I'm afraid bookeen will not be able to tell me anything useful other than to send it to them, and even that seems like too much trouble right now.
It's out of warranty anyway...

[Sparrow]

Silly suggestion - accidentally drop it and claim on your house and contents insurance?

[omk3]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Silly suggestion - accidentally drop it and claim on your house and contents insurance?

Not a bad idea at all! If I had insurance that is

[Sparrow]

I'd open it up and start prodding the innards, maybe a loose connection finally came adrift.

[omk3]

That's what I'll probably do when I can get my hands on it (it is now in Greece, and I'm not), not that I would recognize a loose connection if it was staring me in the face...

In the meantime, slight update: On the hundredth connection to the pc (my mum is determined!), and the thousandth press of the on/off button (because no one knows now what state it's supposed to be in) there was a slight flicker on the screen. Then again...yes, nothing.

I'm starting to think this might be a power problem. Is it possible that the battery is dead? Suddenly and inexplicably? Is it easy/cheap to find a replacement battery to check? Or should I just let the poor cybook rest in peace? sigh...

[JSWolf]

Let it go and get your mother a new reader.

[omk3]

Oh yeah, I've already done that
The pocketbook is on its way!
But I do wonder if the dead cybook could be saved in any way...or made otherwise useful...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by omk3

Oh yeah, I've already done that
The pocketbook is on its way!
But I do wonder if the dead cybook could be saved in any way...or made otherwise useful...

If it's the 5" one, cancel the order/send it back. You want a 6" screen replacement. That way you can keep the Gen3 in case you ever were to need to replace the screen on the new reader.

[omk3]

It took a lot of thinking and discussions to decide on the pocketbook 360, I'm not changing it now!

But good idea, if the cybook screen is okay, it might come in handy if I ever need to replace the screen of the prs-505. The advantage of multiple readers

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by omk3

It took a lot of thinking and discussions to decide on the pocketbook 360, I'm not changing it now!

But good idea, if the cybook screen is okay, it might come in handy if I ever need to replace the screen of the prs-505. The advantage of multiple readers

You really want your mom to be reading with a SMALLER screen? Give up the PB360 and go for the 301+ or the 302. Don't make your mother's aging eyes have to try to read from a smaller screen. Prove to her you love her and get her at least a 6" screen.

[omk3]

I hope she won't read this!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by omk3

I hope she won't read this!

Hello Mrs. omk3. Your son doesn't love you. He didn't have the balls to buy you a 6" reader and wants you to hurt your eyes on a smaller 5" screen.

But seriously, don't get her a 5" screen when she's been used to a 6" screen.

[T_Frain_K]

From what you are describing, this does indeed seem a power problem - bet´s on a dead battery. Which is not so strange after all - I have had a few (LiIons, LiPos and NiMHs).
If you want to check, here´s how: Unplug the battery, and measure with a volt meter if voltage reaches the mentioned value - should even be slightly higher.

Originally Posted by Sparrow

Silly suggestion - accidentally drop it and claim on your house and contents insurance?

Better: let a friend "accidentally" drop it and claim his insurance