Recent purchasers: How's your battery life?

corona · 05-20-2010, 10:45 PM

Or your Kobo's battery life, anyway...

There are a few threads here about bad battery performance and charging that doesn't seem adequate. I'm curious if it might be due to a batch of bad batteries in initial shipments.

My guess is that if you're not having battery issues with your Kobo, you're probably not paying a lot of attention to those threads, or posting to them.

So if you've gotten a Kobo recently, are you having problems with:

-the battery running down quickly
-the red battery-charged light not coming on at all
-or coming on really quickly, when the battery's not fully charged?

Bismar · 05-21-2010, 05:04 AM

I'm not sure, the first time i charged it, the red light came on after an hour, but since then the red charged light never came back on again, even after an 8 hour charge.

It's possible its stopping itself from charging when the battery is not low, but thats just a guess.

Pookeysgirl · 05-21-2010, 08:29 AM

I'm on my second reader (I took the first one back for battery issues) and the one I have now seems to work. In the last 2 weeks I've charged it once, which was last Saturday and I still have almost half the battery left. I've been reading everyday. Maybe you got a defective reader like me?

Duiker · 05-21-2010, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I'm on my second reader (I took the first one back for battery issues) and the one I have now seems to work. In the last 2 weeks I've charged it once, which was last Saturday and I still have almost half the battery left. I've been reading everyday. Maybe you got a defective reader like me?

Hmmm, interesting that you are getting decent performance now. i just assumed that everyone was getting poor battery performance. Now I feel like I have to exchange.

BongoBong · 05-21-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duiker

Hmmm, interesting that you are getting decent performance now. i just assumed that everyone was getting poor battery performance. Now I feel like I have to exchange.

hmmmm me as well. Any chance of making this thread a poll with options like getting less then 1000 pages, 1000-2000 pages. 2000-4000 pages 4000+ or something like that?

Also as far as returns go do you just bring it back to an indigo (I preordered online) and is there a time limit for when you would have to bring it in?

Ghoda · 05-21-2010, 01:27 PM

I am getting mine exchanged because the RTC is bad (doesn't update date/time when off) but other than that the unit is functioning as promised - being a developer myself I can empathize with the Kobo team and what they are going through right now - initial releases are never fun

. Overall I am quite happy with the unit and the speed at which they are rumored to be releasing the first update. I have been recommending the Kobo to friends (although to the less tech-savvy ones I am cautioning to wait for the firmware update

)

corona · 05-21-2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoda

...being a developer myself I can empathize with the Kobo team and what they are going through right now - initial releases are never fun

. Overall I am quite happy with the unit and the speed at which they are rumored to be releasing the first update.

Although I might exchange mine on the basis of these battery issues, generally I really like the Kobo reader, and I appreciate what I see as some new thinking that went into it, that I imagine entailed some creativity and taking some risks.

I like it that it's not just another gadget with wi-fi, MP3, and an overwhelming array of controls and functions. (I almost said "deliberately overwhelming.") I like it that it's simple. I actually like the way it looks. I very much like the effort that went into the aesthetics of the user interface. I like it that it's Canadian(!).

Quote:

Originally Posted by BongoBong

Any chance of making this thread a poll with options like getting less then 1000 pages, 1000-2000 pages. 2000-4000 pages 4000+ or something like that?

I would have done that but I couldn't figure out how! A question about the behaviour of the red light might be good too.

ava0775 · 05-21-2010, 03:34 PM

I got mine May 7, a black one if that matters. It's still on its first charge, with a half battery still remaining according to the indicator.

I would suspect I am in the less than 1000 turns category. I don't really count and I am still getting the hang of the numbering. I'm still on my first book and the "chapters" so far seem to average 100 pages. Is there a way to check how many page turns for sure?

I read at the "large" setting, obviously resulting in more page turns than the smaller settings.

The date and time are exact.

I do power down the unit each time I am finished reading (except putting it down for a minor interruption) leaving the cover showing, not the text.

My light has never really come on, except very briefly when I power up, first red as I push the power button then blue for a moment. I can't even remember when the light is supposed to appear.

I really am thrilled with my Kobo. I have to wonder if I'm not their exact target market though. I can see where others with more experience with the ebook format might be less than satisfied with this device.

Pookeysgirl · 05-21-2010, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BongoBong

hmmmm me as well. Any chance of making this thread a poll with options like getting less then 1000 pages, 1000-2000 pages. 2000-4000 pages 4000+ or something like that?

Also as far as returns go do you just bring it back to an indigo (I preordered online) and is there a time limit for when you would have to bring it in?

The last time I charged it was when I started reading The Lost Symbol and I'm on the last chapter but I don't know how many pages that is.

Yes, you can take it back to any indigo/chapters and get a new one. Just make sure they have them in stock before you go.

draj · 05-21-2010, 08:22 PM

Hi,

I just returned my kobo because of the battery problem. I did not want to wait to exchange it as I was told by someone I spoke to at kobo that I would have to wait at least five weeks because Chapters in Canada is currently sold out of the readers. If I waited, I could only exchange the kobo and if the battery and other problems continued I would not be able to return it for a refund.

I charged my reader four times, each time the battery ran down quickly and I averaged 500-700 page turns. The red light also came on very quickly after plugging in the reader each time (even after I did two resets).

Anyways, I am now looking at buying a sony prs-300 as I loved the experience of reading on the kobo but could never finish the book as the battery kept dying!

PS I returned the reader in Vancouver (Robson store) where I am visiting family and even though I told the person doing the refund about the battery problem, they repackaged the reader and immediately put out a sign on Robson that they had a reader in stock! Someone is going to buy the reader and find they have a dud or think 500 page turns is okay when it not what was advertised.

Spinner · 05-21-2010, 11:03 PM

I haven't noticed any battery problems; I did manage to run it down to zip, but that was on the charge it had when I first bought it 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've not even got close to halfway... but I've been plugging it in alot to mess with the software (trying to get the desktop running under a 64 bit Linux distro - fun, wow.)

Gordo29 · 05-22-2010, 12:43 PM

Recent purchasers? Since it has only been out approx 3 weeks I guess we are all recent purchasers

. I'm getting 500 - 1000 pages and the red light issue has been intermitent with mine.

I've already ordered a new one (exchange) as I've had problems with the case.

Are the "newer" ones the black ones? Is there a difference in battery life with white vs. black? Does the black have different or "newer" batteries? I believe the white ones were the first ones out and the black afterwards. Perhaps different batches or types of batteries are in the black?

The new one I've ordered is black, my old one is white.

leighisme · 05-22-2010, 07:44 PM

My battery lasts 1500 page turns. On my last charge I added them up. So... 1500 page turns plus I turned it off and on twice. The red light disappeared for a couple charges, but on the last charge the red light came back. I have not rebooted. The red light also comes on very quickly, before it's fully charged. Other than the battery issues, I'm really happy with my Kobo.

Oh, and my Kobo is black.

mwlcarter · 05-23-2010, 12:14 PM

Something I've been wondering lately is whether Kobo developers could either tweak the command-line parameters they're using for decompressing Zip files (which is what epubs are, and presumably the sqlite database is compressed in some way as well) to allow for faster decompression... resulting in faster performance and less battery usage. And/or evaluating the performance of alternate zip libraries (gzip vs. zlib vs. 7zip, etc).

StealthyScribe · 05-23-2010, 03:30 PM

Well I've decided to exchange mine through Kobo since none of the stores here in my city have any left - and I've been told that when they are getting them, it'll just be the white ones, and the one I have is black.

I've had it for 2 weeks tomorrow, the first charge lasted the longest (until that following Saturday)...charged it for 3 full hours, that lasted until Wednesday, when I charged it over night, but on Thursday morning it was just showing 50% full. So I used a Blackberry wall charger, and charged it for 9 hours (the red light never came on). I thought things were going well, it showed 100% still last night, I read one 300ish page book and hadn't turned it off at all. When I finished the book last night, the battery was at 100% and I decided to turn the unit off. Turned it on 5 minutes ago and it's down to one little tiny tick on the battery.

I'm fed up with the battery issues and Kobo better be able to exchange mine within 10 days like they told me previously.

05-20-2010, 10:45 PM	#1
corona Addict Posts: 324 Karma: 25168 Join Date: May 2010 Device: kobo	Recent purchasers: How's your battery life? Or your Kobo's battery life, anyway... There are a few threads here about bad battery performance and charging that doesn't seem adequate. I'm curious if it might be due to a batch of bad batteries in initial shipments. My guess is that if you're not having battery issues with your Kobo, you're probably not paying a lot of attention to those threads, or posting to them. So if you've gotten a Kobo recently, are you having problems with: -the battery running down quickly -the red battery-charged light not coming on at all -or coming on really quickly, when the battery's not fully charged?

05-21-2010, 08:29 AM	#3
Pookeysgirl Wizard Posts: 1,705 Karma: 12696746 Join Date: May 2010 Device: K3, Kobo Mini	I'm on my second reader (I took the first one back for battery issues) and the one I have now seems to work. In the last 2 weeks I've charged it once, which was last Saturday and I still have almost half the battery left. I've been reading everyday. Maybe you got a defective reader like me? Last edited by Pookeysgirl; 05-21-2010 at 08:30 AM. Reason: @ Corona

05-22-2010, 07:44 PM	#13
leighisme Connoisseur Posts: 62 Karma: 14 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Whitehorse, YT Device: Kobo Touch, iPhone 4, iPad2	My battery lasts 1500 page turns. On my last charge I added them up. So... 1500 page turns plus I turned it off and on twice. The red light disappeared for a couple charges, but on the last charge the red light came back. I have not rebooted. The red light also comes on very quickly, before it's fully charged. Other than the battery issues, I'm really happy with my Kobo. Oh, and my Kobo is black. Last edited by leighisme; 05-22-2010 at 07:48 PM. Reason: To list colour of Kobo.

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05-21-2010, 05:04 AM	#2
Bismar Connoisseur Posts: 76 Karma: 928 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Down Under Device: Kobo eReader	I'm not sure, the first time i charged it, the red light came on after an hour, but since then the red charged light never came back on again, even after an 8 hour charge. It's possible its stopping itself from charging when the battery is not low, but thats just a guess.

05-21-2010, 01:27 PM	#6
Ghoda Enthusiast Posts: 41 Karma: 52 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Victoria, BC, Canada Device: Kobo, Kobo for iPhone, Aluratek Libre	I am getting mine exchanged because the RTC is bad (doesn't update date/time when off) but other than that the unit is functioning as promised - being a developer myself I can empathize with the Kobo team and what they are going through right now - initial releases are never fun . Overall I am quite happy with the unit and the speed at which they are rumored to be releasing the first update. I have been recommending the Kobo to friends (although to the less tech-savvy ones I am cautioning to wait for the firmware update )

05-21-2010, 03:34 PM	#8
ava0775 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Kobo	I got mine May 7, a black one if that matters. It's still on its first charge, with a half battery still remaining according to the indicator. I would suspect I am in the less than 1000 turns category. I don't really count and I am still getting the hang of the numbering. I'm still on my first book and the "chapters" so far seem to average 100 pages. Is there a way to check how many page turns for sure? I read at the "large" setting, obviously resulting in more page turns than the smaller settings. The date and time are exact. I do power down the unit each time I am finished reading (except putting it down for a minor interruption) leaving the cover showing, not the text. My light has never really come on, except very briefly when I power up, first red as I push the power button then blue for a moment. I can't even remember when the light is supposed to appear. I really am thrilled with my Kobo. I have to wonder if I'm not their exact target market though. I can see where others with more experience with the ebook format might be less than satisfied with this device.

05-21-2010, 08:22 PM	#10
draj Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Edmonton, Canada Device: Sony prs-300	Hi, I just returned my kobo because of the battery problem. I did not want to wait to exchange it as I was told by someone I spoke to at kobo that I would have to wait at least five weeks because Chapters in Canada is currently sold out of the readers. If I waited, I could only exchange the kobo and if the battery and other problems continued I would not be able to return it for a refund. I charged my reader four times, each time the battery ran down quickly and I averaged 500-700 page turns. The red light also came on very quickly after plugging in the reader each time (even after I did two resets). Anyways, I am now looking at buying a sony prs-300 as I loved the experience of reading on the kobo but could never finish the book as the battery kept dying! PS I returned the reader in Vancouver (Robson store) where I am visiting family and even though I told the person doing the refund about the battery problem, they repackaged the reader and immediately put out a sign on Robson that they had a reader in stock! Someone is going to buy the reader and find they have a dud or think 500 page turns is okay when it not what was advertised.

05-21-2010, 11:03 PM	#11
Spinner Bibliofreak Posts: 8 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Device: kobo	I haven't noticed any battery problems; I did manage to run it down to zip, but that was on the charge it had when I first bought it 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've not even got close to halfway... but I've been plugging it in alot to mess with the software (trying to get the desktop running under a 64 bit Linux distro - fun, wow.)

05-22-2010, 12:43 PM	#12
Gordo29 Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 16 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Winterpeg Device: Kobo-1st Porcelain 2nd Black, Touch, Aura, now Libra H2O	Recent purchasers? Since it has only been out approx 3 weeks I guess we are all recent purchasers . I'm getting 500 - 1000 pages and the red light issue has been intermitent with mine. I've already ordered a new one (exchange) as I've had problems with the case. Are the "newer" ones the black ones? Is there a difference in battery life with white vs. black? Does the black have different or "newer" batteries? I believe the white ones were the first ones out and the black afterwards. Perhaps different batches or types of batteries are in the black? The new one I've ordered is black, my old one is white.

05-23-2010, 12:14 PM	#14
mwlcarter Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Catharines, ON Device: Kobo eReader	Something I've been wondering lately is whether Kobo developers could either tweak the command-line parameters they're using for decompressing Zip files (which is what epubs are, and presumably the sqlite database is compressed in some way as well) to allow for faster decompression... resulting in faster performance and less battery usage. And/or evaluating the performance of alternate zip libraries (gzip vs. zlib vs. 7zip, etc).

05-23-2010, 03:30 PM	#15
StealthyScribe Feverish Posts: 70 Karma: 42 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Alberta Device: Black Kobo	Well I've decided to exchange mine through Kobo since none of the stores here in my city have any left - and I've been told that when they are getting them, it'll just be the white ones, and the one I have is black. I've had it for 2 weeks tomorrow, the first charge lasted the longest (until that following Saturday)...charged it for 3 full hours, that lasted until Wednesday, when I charged it over night, but on Thursday morning it was just showing 50% full. So I used a Blackberry wall charger, and charged it for 9 hours (the red light never came on). I thought things were going well, it showed 100% still last night, I read one 300ish page book and hadn't turned it off at all. When I finished the book last night, the battery was at 100% and I decided to turn the unit off. Turned it on 5 minutes ago and it's down to one little tiny tick on the battery. I'm fed up with the battery issues and Kobo better be able to exchange mine within 10 days like they told me previously.

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