Consumer-replaceable battery

[GA Russell]

I've never had an iPod. I don't imagine that I will ever get one because I don't enjoy listening to music with headphones (or, I suppose, earbuds).

But from the get go Apple alienated me when I learned that the iPod's battery needed to be replaced every 18 months or so (I can imagine that the kids with iPods use them a lot), and that the consumer/owner could not replace the battery himself. He is required to send the unit back to Apple. As I recall, Apple's sales pitch suggested that they would change the battery for you, but in reality they were sending you a different (I assume a rebuilt, used) unit with a different hard drive, so if you hadn't saved your music on your computer you were out of luck.

So now it appears to me that the eBook reader industry is much like the mp3 player industry was, what with the practice of linking a bookstore's DRM to a particular reader (similar to Apple's iTunes website being linked to the iPod).

I have been intrigued by reading Robertb's sales pitches about the Astak Pocket Pro, particularly the part where he says that his product allows the consumer to change his own battery.

That is a concept I would like to see included in the eInk eBook reader matrix. Since it is not there, I wonder if there is a list somewhere of those eBook readers which allow you to change your own battery. Or is the Hanlin V-5 the only one?

Can anyone name any others?

[desertgrandma]

The K1 has a simple, user replaceable battery. $19.99 from Amazon. Along with a SD card slot, something else they decided to forego with the K2, under the guise of 'improvements'.

You can still find K1's on Ebay, and sometimes here.

edit.......Amazon also sells the refurbished K1's when they have them in stock....full warranty.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000FI73MA

[Kris777]

I have Motorola cell phone more than 3 years and it has replacable battery but I never replaced it. What is the reason to replace battery if it works fine for 3-4 years? After 3-4 years people can replace cell phone or eBook reader if something wrong with battery. I don't think that replacable battery is very important feature for eBook readers.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by Kris777

I have Motorola cell phone more than 3 years and it has replacable battery but I never replaced it. What is the reason to replace battery if it works fine for 3-4 years? After 3-4 years people can replace cell phone or eBook reader if something wrong with battery. I don't think that replacable battery is very important feature for eBook readers.

A phone is usually replaced much more often than every three or four years.

I think replaceable batteries ARE very important features for ebook readers for the following reason.

When you return your unit to Amazon, to get the battery replaced, you do NOT get your original unit back. You get another unit, whether you send it to Amazon, or to one of those insurance places. I've called both to verify this.

Unless you have all your books backed up, you will lose them.

How many people (not from here, of course!) have the sense to strip the drm and back their books up?

I don't want 'another unit'. I plan to keep my Kindle until it literally wears out.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

A phone is usually replaced much more often than every three or four years.

I think replaceable batteries ARE very important features for ebook readers for the following reason.

When you return your unit to Amazon, to get the battery replaced, you do NOT get your original unit back. You get another unit, whether you send it to Amazon, or to one of those insurance places. I've called both to verify this.

Unless you have all your books backed up, you will lose them.

How many people (not from here, of course!) have the sense to strip the drm and back their books up?

I don't want 'another unit'. I plan to keep my Kindle until it literally wears out.

I keep all my books on SD card and if I get another unit I can read it the same way as I read on original unit. The main point if the battery good enough to work for 3-4 years you don't need to replace it.

[GA Russell]

Kris, if everything else works fine, why should I be content to replace my eBook reader just because its battery has died, no matter how old it is?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

That is a concept I would like to see included in the eInk eBook reader matrix. Since it is not there, I wonder if there is a list somewhere of those eBook readers which allow you to change your own battery. Or is the Hanlin V-5 the only one?

Can anyone name any others?

All Jinke and Netronix-based devices have user-replaceable battery, so that means:

BeBook
Hanlin V3
Aztak EZ-Reader
BeBook Pro and clones thereof
CyBook Opus and Gen3
Cool-ER

etc.

Sony and iRex devices have non-replaceable batteries, as does the Kindle 2.

[Musicman]

Originally Posted by Kris777

I have Motorola cell phone more than 3 years and it has replacable battery but I never replaced it. What is the reason to replace battery if it works fine for 3-4 years? After 3-4 years people can replace cell phone or eBook reader if something wrong with battery. I don't think that replacable battery is very important feature for eBook readers.

There are many people who do not want to replace the hardware they already paid for if it still does the job they bought it for (allow them to read books).

Even cell phones do not need to be replaced unless their are new features that you must have.

Companies realized they could get you to buy again by artificially limiting the life of a device by keeping you from easily changing the battery.

Once again, they are controlling what you have bought. So what did you really buy - a battery or an Ereader?

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Kris777

I have Motorola cell phone more than 3 years and it has replacable battery but I never replaced it. What is the reason to replace battery if it works fine for 3-4 years? After 3-4 years people can replace cell phone or eBook reader if something wrong with battery. I don't think that replacable battery is very important feature for eBook readers.

I've got another for you:


When we go on holiday, we generally go with a tent. We don't need electricity (it's only a small tent). Now, let's assume I've an e-ink reader. We'll be going at least 3 weeks. So, that's 3 weeks without electricity. 3 weeks without a chance of charging any batteries. That's not problem for my camera because I have two batteries. It's no problem for my phone as I'll have that turned off unless I need it to make an emergency phone call. But, after two weeks the battery of my e-ink device is dead. It would have been very handy if I had the possibility to bring a spare battery. This is why I like user replacable batteries (and why we always bring a photo camera with us that takes ordinary AA batteries)

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I've got another for you:


When we go on holiday, we generally go with a tent. We don't need electricity (it's only a small tent). Now, let's assume I've an e-ink reader. We'll be going at least 3 weeks. So, that's 3 weeks without electricity. 3 weeks without a chance of charging any batteries. That's not problem for my camera because I have two batteries. It's no problem for my phone as I'll have that turned off unless I need it to make an emergency phone call. But, after two weeks the battery of my e-ink device is dead. It would have been very handy if I had the possibility to bring a spare battery. This is why I like user replacable batteries (and why we always bring a photo camera with us that takes ordinary AA batteries)

Well, that's easy to solve: http://www.amazon.com/MACALLY-Extern.../dp/B000CGG8LW
Or something similar.
As long as you can charge your unit via USB, you can charge it via external battery as well.
I've got 2 such batteries, each about the size of a video iPod.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by HarryT

All Jinke and Netronix-based devices have user-replaceable battery, so that means:

BeBook
Hanlin V3
Aztak EZ-Reader
BeBook Pro and clones thereof
CyBook Opus and Gen3
Cool-ER

etc.

Sony and iRex devices have non-replaceable batteries, as does the Kindle 2.

Thanks Harry!

[jgray]

Even an iPod should not need a new battery as often as every 18 months. As I mentioned in another thread, a LiIon battery should give about three years service if charged every night. The main reason the batteries don't last as long as they should is due to improper charging or discharging a battery too far.

Here is my rule of thumb. If the device is used daily, then put it on the charger at night. If it isn't used that often, then put it on the charger when the battery level gets to between 1/4 - 1/3. Don't leave it plugged into the charger for days/weeks at a time. Unless I have a defective battery, I always get maximum life this way.

[Kris777]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I've got another for you:


When we go on holiday, we generally go with a tent. We don't need electricity (it's only a small tent). Now, let's assume I've an e-ink reader. We'll be going at least 3 weeks. So, that's 3 weeks without electricity. 3 weeks without a chance of charging any batteries. That's not problem for my camera because I have two batteries. It's no problem for my phone as I'll have that turned off unless I need it to make an emergency phone call. But, after two weeks the battery of my e-ink device is dead. It would have been very handy if I had the possibility to bring a spare battery. This is why I like user replacable batteries (and why we always bring a photo camera with us that takes ordinary AA batteries)

Is it means that if you have a choice to buy eBook reader with non replacable batterry or with ordinary AA batteries you will choose AA batteries option?

[Stitchawl]

I picked up a service manual for the Sony 505, it it looks to be about a 15-minute job to replace the battery. Perhaps daunting for some folks, but if you've ever opened your computer tower and replaced a card, or changed a battery in a portable house phone, it's just a step or two beyond that. The battery itself is a simple plug-in. The difficulties are the few screws holding the top down and the case onto the back. Knowing how often companies stop supporting products, I bought a replacement battery to have on hand just in case. Not so expensive, and a bit of peace of mind knowing that this won't get to be a problem for me. Not like changing a battery in a flashlight, but not rocket science either.


Stitchawl

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Kris777

Is it means that if you have a choice to buy eBook reader with non replacable batterry or with ordinary AA batteries you will choose AA batteries option?

Yes. That way, if I really had no way to charge my batteries, I could take the one from my flashlight and buy new ones the next time I see a shop.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

or changed a battery in a portable house phone,

Our house phone uses AA batteries...