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Originally Posted by recycledelectron
FIRST PROBLEM: I solved that pesky "will not charge from USB" problem. (The Sony PRS-505 Reader will not charge from all USB ports when connected by a USB cable. I'm not sure why this is.)
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Unfortunately, not all USB ports are created equal. There are high and low-power USB ports. Low power ports are spec'd to provide about 50-100mA of power, while high-power ports are spec'd to provide up to 500mA of power.
If you connect the Sony to a low-power port, it might not trigger the charging. But if it doesn't need more than ~100mA provided by a low-power port, then the PSP cable will still work. If it /thinks/ it can't draw enough power to charge, it probably won't. It could be a bug both on the Sony and elsewhere. But I haven't had any issues charging via USB using a AC->USB charger, or my laptop, even on battery power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by recycledelectron
SECOND PROBLEM: The MP3 player sucks the battery dry in a few hours.
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This doesn't suprise me in the least. Playing an MP3 generates more screen refreshes, consumes CPU/Flash power constantly (meaning you can't put anything to sleep at any point), and generally just drains the battery faster than reading ever would. I personally wouldn't dare to use my Sony reader as an MP3 player because of how different the power consumption profiles are between eBooks (which the Sony is optimized for) and music playback.
Quote:
Originally Posted by recycledelectron
SUGGESTION: Given the dissatisfaction with the PRS-505s inability to charge from many USB ports, the annoyance over the battery life when playing MP3s, and the fact that the battery life is nowhere near the 7500 pages advertised, I think Sony should start including USB A to PSP charging cables with every PRS-505, and mail them free to everyone who already bought one. It might avoid a recall over the mis-stated battery life.
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7500 pages means not playing music, and includes you paging about in menus and the like. The fact that mine has lasted at least a week of normal usage (reading a few chapters every night) while only plugging in maybe 5 minutes a day to copy content and getting a slight recharge that way has made me quite happy. Especially since I am still staring at a full battery indicator. Better than my Kindle which dies every night, even if I don't touch it and let it sleep.