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Old 11-30-2007, 03:27 PM   #31
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I think the point people are missing is its not an ipod or a phone its a reader, and both its shape size and manafacture mean it wont be as durable as a smaller comparitively heavier device! I mean its what as big as 5 Ipods but as heavy as two.

If I drop a harmonica in the bath its fine yet a Pbook wouldnt be! because... they are two different things.

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Old 12-04-2007, 02:01 PM   #32
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Originally Posted by stustaff View Post
I think the point people are missing is its not an ipod or a phone its a reader, and both its shape size and manafacture mean it wont be as durable as a smaller comparitively heavier device! I mean its what as big as 5 Ipods but as heavy as two.
Yep. Something like an ipod is going to be more robust due to form factor. The plastic bits don't have to span as much open space on an ipod, (read: screen size) as they would in a reader. Lack of support tends to make things more fragile, oddly enough...

There is also a lot to be said for luck. If your piece of gear happens to land squarely on it's back, the impact forces are going to be spread out through the whole unit and it's chances of coming through unscathed are considerably higher than if it had landed at a tilt of 45 degrees on it's corner.

Even fairly solid gear can pop like popcorn if torqued just right. (or just wrong as the case may be)

So really, there are too many factors to take into account when dropping something as to declare another gizmo to be "more durable". You may drop something 10 times with no noticeable issues, and a friend may drop theirs only once which just so happens to hit the "sweet spot" and the resulting shrapnel kills three people. (situation exaggerated to make a point) You will be thinking the device is "durable", but your friend thinks it's crap.

To put it bluntly, no electronic device is meant to be dropped! Regardless of design, you really can't (unintentionally) do a more hostile act towards your beloved gizmo than letting it hit the ground. There's a reason why even the most rugged items warranties do not cover being dropped.
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Old 12-04-2007, 02:31 PM   #33
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My blasted ipod spends a lot of time on the floor because the headphone cable will catch on something, yanking it out of my pocket and sending it to the ground.
Ah, I'm sure that's happened to everyone. Dumb things. You might want to invest in that little doo-dad that attaches between your MP3 player and your headphones. It's made to breakaway so you don't end up with a broken headphone input. http://www.replug.com/home.php
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Old 12-05-2007, 04:53 AM   #34
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Hello All,

A long time I haven't been on Mobileread, but today I decided to look for advice on a case... Just like this one !!
I was shocked to discover this morning that my PRS-500, which I hadn't used for a week, displays just the same kind of pattern on the left part of the screen !

Looking at the screen closely, I can't see any crack on the glass itself, everything seems to be inside the device. The last time I dropped the device (and only one I can remember of) was 6 months ago, a few weeks after I got it, and it didn't stop working for that (just got a scratch on the silvery edge).

I am going to try to see what Sony says about this, and if this could be repaired under warranty. Who knows ? Maybe they have a problem of reliability with some components. I hope that me being in Europe is not going to make a problem !
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Old 12-05-2007, 12:10 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aleandre View Post
Hello All,

A long time I haven't been on Mobileread, but today I decided to look for advice on a case... Just like this one !!
I was shocked to discover this morning that my PRS-500, which I hadn't used for a week, displays just the same kind of pattern on the left part of the screen !
Just to be safe, as is often recommended here, try recharging it for a while with the ac charger (not the usb cable) and see if that helps.
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Old 12-05-2007, 02:47 PM   #36
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Pictures of my PRS-500

Thank you DrMoze, but I had tried that as well, not to avail. What gets me is that I can't see anything on the outside of the screen, so what made this must have damaged something inside, which, for me, would tend to raise the question of the reliability of the device. Or maybe I just got a weaker unit ?

Anyway, I'll see what Sony says about the case. I attach a few pictures for those of you who might see the disaster currently sitting on my desk ! It's when it's gone that you realise that you had become quite fond of the thing !!!

A question : What do you think the screen I would get back after repair could be ? Any chance to get Vizplex ? I must be dreaming...
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Old 12-05-2007, 03:02 PM   #37
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Ouch! Now I see what this is about, having seen your photos. Thanks for posting them. Unfortunately, I have no useful advice to give. But I certainly feel your pain. If you learn what the problem is and get it repaired or replaced, please let us know. For one thing, I'd like to know if I need to turn mine one every few days as a preventive measure or not. Seems silly to me but if it's effective we Reader users would like to know!
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Old 12-05-2007, 03:41 PM   #38
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I agree the need to make these things more durable.

I had a PRS500 that I had dropped from about waist height in its case. Dropped it in the parking lot as I was fumbling for my keys. Anyway, about a fourth of the screen was screwed up, with permanent dark lines running across.

They can make cell phones that can be dropped and dropped again repeatedly from such a height and they keep working fine. The same needs to be done for these readers before they will really take off. It is especially sickening when you realize that to fix and replace the screen nearly matches the cost of the reader itself.
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Old 12-05-2007, 06:46 PM   #39
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Same here

I had the same problem... the reader dropped a couple of feet from a bedside table, and several weeks later the screen is completely obliterated.. same issue as aleandre.

Maybe this is more of a pervasive issue that I thought.

By the way, Sony's support were not willing to ship out a replacement, even though it was bought in February, as I live in the UK. They would replace it.. but not ship it outside the US.
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Old 12-06-2007, 04:40 AM   #40
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donovanh,

What you say scares me. I am trying to call the support number from their website, but I don't seem to get through. To call the US, we should dial 001+number to call (here 1-866-962-7669), shouldn't we ???

Anyway, I am quite put off by this, if this is also what shall happen in my case. What did you do ? Is there a way to have this thing repaired in Europe, or on the Net with more understanding US dealers maybe ??

Is a Cybook the best replacement I could get ????!

Last edited by aleandre; 12-06-2007 at 04:43 AM.
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Old 12-06-2007, 04:45 AM   #41
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Just find someone willing to ship the unit to you from US and have the repaired one shipped to him. Also, some shops can do that too, so try asking the shop you bought it from (if it was a shop).
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Old 12-06-2007, 04:50 AM   #42
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Remember! if an item you bought is faulty it should be returned to the shop you bought it from!

In this case if sony have confirmed it is faulty get a case number from them and speak to whoever supplied it, If its B&H they should know exactly what to do. They are a big store who will have faulty Items returned all the time.
I guess you will have to pay the postage but that should be it.

If you bought a camera from B&H and it developed a fault you wouldnt go ring Sony or Canon youd walk back into the store! and they would sort it.

Giove them a call, be nice and keep your fingers crossed, but remember its B&H or whoever that sold you an item that has developed a fault!
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Old 12-06-2007, 05:23 AM   #43
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Thank you for your advice stustaff, but I thought about that I went this morning to the B&H website where I had bought the reader from 6 months ago. Here is what they say about repairs & warranty :


"Warranties & Repair


All items sold by B&H are warranted solely by the manufacturer/distributor, except "direct import" a/k/a IMP items. All items needing repair (other than IMP) should be sent to the manufacturer/distributor directly for service. B&H is not liable if the manufacturer/distributor fails to perform warranty service."

(from http://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/Hel...tiesRepair.jsp)

Now if you're positive B&H should deal with my problem, I'll try to give them a call/send a mail to their customer service.

Last edited by aleandre; 12-06-2007 at 06:00 AM.
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Old 12-06-2007, 11:58 AM   #44
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Im not certain... but my question would be what do you have to lose by trying? a £3 call to the US or 10 mins of your time and an email.
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Old 12-06-2007, 06:09 PM   #45
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Yep, you're right, and I just did that sending an email to B&H ! Here is a excerpt of the answer, diligently sent to me on the same day :
"
Our Answer: Unfortunately, it is past our return policy so it cannot be exchanged. We do not have a Repair Department here. We receommend if it has a warranty that you contact Sony for warranty repair. We apologize for any inconvenience."

At least they're clear about it. We'll see what Sony has to say...
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