Help! Mysterious Broken Screen!!

[mjdb]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Sounds like a bunch of people have the same issue without any physical jolts. It could be from a bad run of screens.

BOb

Interesting thread.
I had a reader from the first NAEB order.
It also suffered a broken screen, and I have just received a replacement unit from Bookeen.
I just assumed that it had broken in my pocket, and paid Bookeen for the repair which cost 2/3 of the price of a new Reader.

Maybe I shouldn't have assumed that it was my fault.
(It was in its brown leather case in a coat pocket, and I assumed it was bent between me and my car's seatbelt.)

I do intend to make it a hard external case.

Martin.

[JSWolf]

My 505 takes it's share of bumps and jolts. But not directly to the screen. I carry it around a lot. And it's never had an issue.

It does sound like there could be a defect here especially since the ones with the broken screens are not doing anything untoward to the screen.

[Roy White]

I have a sony ps 500. I've had it for 13 months. Its lived a tough life. I've carried it everywhere and treated it pretty rough. No problems. I finally dropped a 10 pound weight on it at the gymn the other day. the screen looks just like your broken one. Half of the screen actually still works and theres a hefty dent on the lower right corner. Luckily i bought the accidental warranty when i bought my reader a year ago because I know i live an active lifestyle and would drag my reader everywhere with me. (Its been to the bottom of a pool at 15 feet down in a plastic bag and spent hours in a backpack gettin drug to the top of some mountains here in oregon.) Anyhow lucky for me Sony is going to send me a new one no questions asked.

I have no idea how your reader broke with no such hard use...

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My 505 takes it's share of bumps and jolts. But not directly to the screen. I carry it around a lot. And it's never had an issue.

It does sound like there could be a defect here especially since the ones with the broken screens are not doing anything untoward to the screen.

On the other hand, Jon, I've now had two Gen3's for a total of almost almost 8 months and they've had no problems at all, and certainly aren't treated with "kid gloves", so if there is a problem it's certainly not a "universal" one.

[AL1432]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

It seems to me that the CyBook isn't robust enough for the purpose for which it is sold.
...
People aren't breaking their screens deliberately, and yet it seems the device can't withstand a relatively trivial knock.
...{maybe} the CyBook isn't really fit for the purpose for which it's sold.

I've had my Cybook for one month. I did carry it in my bag to work every day, but to my knowledge it was not jostled much nor did it have heavy weights or anything like serious blows applied to it, and it was always in its protective cover. As with all the previous owners, Bookeen claims my break is likely user caused, and would love to fix it for a fee. More money for them, I guess. The point I'd like to make is that it may in fact be true that if something is so fragile that it takes next to nothing to cause it to fail, maybe it's just not ready for market. It seems unfair to me for Bookeen to sell items in the ballpark of $400 USD, only to have users spend another couple hundred to have it repaired, when they were not playing rough with their units. Maybe my Cybook got touched lightly in my carrying case, or maybe not, I really can not say one way or the other, but hardly anything I would have suspected would break it. If this device is so fragile, I think Bookeen should post that fact up front. The cost of purchase and then repair is much too much for them not to make would-be buyers aware of the fragility of this device. I'm very disappointed.

[minigrrl]

I totally agree. I heard back from Bookeen yesterday and they will fix (or replace or whatever) my Cybook for a fee. Keep in mind that I had the device for less than a week, did not take it out of the house and kept in on the bedside table. On the Friday morning it was working, I left it on the bedside table all day and that night the display was toast.

I don't know yet if I'm going to try and argue with Bookeen - somehow I think it will be useless - they are pretty much holding all the cards here. I mean it's my word against theirs and the fact that they are in France and I'm in Australia makes things even more difficult. They do have a one week replacement policy - i.e. if you recieve a broken Cybook and let them know within week they will replace it for free. I did briefly consider lying and saying it was broken when I got it, but I just couldn't do it! I guess honesty isn't always the best policy... I really figured that as I'd had it less than a week, they would admit some responsibility.

I do know I won't be recommending this device to anyone and will actively tell people not to buy one. I'm too am very disappointed.

[JWLaRue]

These broken screen problems do not speak well for the Cybook. When you consider that the PS-505 has the same screen, I cannot but wonder if the difference between the Sony metal shell/chassis vs. the Cybook plastic shell is the major reason that folks are seeing Cybooks essentially self-destruct.

I was at a Borders yesterday and took another look at the PS-505, this time with about two months 'experience' with my Cybook. While I still do not like the page advance/back buttons on the Sony, it is does appear to be a much stiffer shell than the Cybook. Using reasonable pressure, I do not believe that the Sony shell showed any flexing. I know that the Cybook shell will flex. This makes me suspect that the slight flexing of the Cybook may be at the root of the problem. Kind of hard to prove, but that's where my observations are leading me.

-Jeff

[HarryT]

I don't think it's going to flex if it's in its case, unless you apply a lot of pressure to it - the case strikes me as being pretty rigid. I certainly wouldn't use it without the case myself.

[JWLaRue]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think it's going to flex if it's in its case, unless you apply a lot of pressure to it - the case strikes me as being pretty rigid. I certainly wouldn't use it without the case myself.

I think the Bookeen-provided case does serve to reduce or possibly eliminate the Cybook from flexing, but that shouldn't be required to prevent screen breakage of the type being described by folks. If it were to be required, then that would indicate an ergonomic or typical usage design flaw.

-Jeff

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't think it's going to flex if it's in its case, unless you apply a lot of pressure to it - the case strikes me as being pretty rigid. I certainly wouldn't use it without the case myself.

Removing the Cybook from the case show that the case is not particularly rigid at all and that it is to "flex" it. The force required is much lower then the force required to break the Cybook.

[HarryT]

I've always said that I regard the case as essential - my Gen3 hasn't left its case since the day it was bought.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by tompe

Removing the Cybook from the case show that the case is not particularly rigid at all and that it is to "flex" it. The force required is much lower then the force required to break the Cybook.

All the same, Tommy, the Gen3 + case is a lot more "rigid" than the Gen3 alone. And no, I'm not going to twist mine to see how easy it is to break .

[tompe]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I've always said that I regard the case as essential - my Gen3 hasn't left its case since the day it was bought.

Yes, but it only protects from certain kind of applied force. It does not protect it from "flexing" (shear or torque).

[JWLaRue]

...and it still doesn't excuse a possible design problem given the materials used fr the Cybook......

-Jeff

[AL1432]

Originally Posted by minigrrl

I don't know yet if I'm going to try and argue with Bookeen - somehow I think it will be useless - they are pretty much holding all the cards here.

Seems to me one thing we, as unhappy consumers, can do is to notify Bookeen of just how many instances of this there are posted here, and how this will not be helping their business much. Another thing one can do is contact the credit card company one used to pay with, and see what their policy is about resolving disputes. Often a credit card company will withhold or withdraw payment from the seller until the matter is resolved. It's just possible one could make a case in this instance, since so many people have the same complaint, that they were sold defective merchandise, and want their money back.
--Al