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Originally Posted by scotty1024
The storage capacity of lithium ion batteries is not just affected by charging cycles. Environmental conditions, as well as leaving the device on its charging dock can negatively affect battery performance in as little as 8 months.
In addition, you also need to discharge Lithium Ion batteries once a month to keep them at peak storage efficiency. So, with an ebook device that runs so long on a charge, how do you get it to do its once a month discharge?
I also hope Sony doesn't attempt to exploit "green" in their sales efforts for the Sony Reader. Their decision to build the Lithium Ion battery into the device in such a manner as it can't be simply removed: in the future I see this as becoming illegal.
We simply can not allow manufacturers to continue to build things like Lithium Ion batteries into mobile devices and not allow them to be easily removed for proper handling post consumer usage. Sony has a zillion removable Lithium Ion batteries for use in devices such as their DSC-T9 pocket cameras. They have little excuse for not using one of them in a similar manner in the Sony Reader system.
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You are correct that there are many factors that affect LiIon battery lifespan. Even if it were not used at all, eventually it will still degarde and fail. So there is an absolute lifespan limit regardless of charge/discharge cycles.
Yes, chargers can be dumb and overcharge (when left on dock) thus reducing lifespan. So don't do it. Simple as that.
I haven't heard of once perm onth discharge???? Are you sure? See:
http://batteryuniversity.com/
One of the main advantages of LiIon is low self discharge, so that they can sit idle for a long time without needing recharge.
In any case, you really have to abuse a LiIon battery to last only 2 years. I have a Palm Zire71 which is at least 2 years old and still working well. Sure I notice a lower capacity and higher self discharge, but it is still good enough to last 1+ week on a single charge. LiIon batteries in general last far longer than mere 2 years.
I do agree that LiIon batteries that are sealed, such as in most PDAs and this gizmo, are very bad design. I mean it is bad enough that I have to pay extra money for the special form factor of these things (as opposed to much cheaper mass produced AA format), but to also have to take apart a gizmo and risk damaginig it is too much. I will wait for the next reader to see if they address this problem.
On the other point, I don't think that color version is going to appear within 2 years. They have their hands full improving this Reader.
So in summary, this Reader version will easily last more than 2 years, probably closer to 5+ years. Keep in mind that this gizmo doesn't draw much power. Hence battery should last minimum 5 years.
As for the price of eBooks, I see it in relation to elasticity of demand for books. In general book demand is very elastic. Hence the higher prices for eBooks will simply re-derict demand to free books (Gutenberg) and/or pBooks. Another phenomenon will be that many sophisticated readers will turn to non-corporate sources on the net. The current trend is increasing switch from published news sources such as newspapers and magazines to blogs and forums such as this one. The same will occur for books. There will be forums for both amateur and semi-professional writers that will interact with reader in a more direct fashion. When they undercut published eBooks then publishers will take notice and adjust (eventually).