[GA Russell]

I was always alienated by Apple's practice with the iPod to require its customers to send in the iPod with a hundred dollars when the battery died. I read about it somewhere, I think the New York Times, and I thought to myself, they'll never get my money.

So now we have many eBook readers that do not allow the user to change the battery (unless you want to void the warranty and play Mr. Fix-It).

I have deliberately steered clear of those, and have gravitated toward the Astak Pocket Pro and the Astak Mentor Lite 2 because the batteries could be replaced. Today I see that the new Ectaco jetBook Lite runs on AA flashlight batteries.

But now I wonder: Has anyone here actually owned an eBook reader long enough, and used it enough, for the battery to die?

I'm not talking about defective batteries. I'm talking about the expected life of a good battery. What is it?

I've never seen anyone here say that his battery had run the course and needed to be changed.

If your battery has died of natural causes, I would like to know what eBook reader it was and how long the battery lasted for you.

Thanks!