No. Augh! No! NOOO!

Danny Fekete · 07-11-2009, 10:34 AM

My DR1000s arrived on Wednesday after a really good ordering experience with eReader Outfitters (Jeff was very responsive and helpful) and I spent all of Thursday playing with it and loading on various pdfs to gawk at with the gorgeous screen. I figured out that I could drag icons from the context menu to the little row of slots on the lower-left of the interface, and began experimenting to see which ones could be used. I was moving the stylus with tremendous care and lightness---I've used an active touch interface on my friend's wacom and know how little pressure is necessary---when, after my fifth or sixth try, I heard a "scritch" noise and discovered a furrow in the glass, about an inch long, right in the middle of my screen.

After exhaustive cussing and examination of the furrow from several attractive angles and lighting variations, I felt up the nib of the stylus trying to find out what had caused the damage. It seemed smooth, so I tested it in a corner of the screen and found by rotating it slowly that there was a tiny rough patch which continued to carve the glass, even at the lightest touch. Unhappiness.

I got in touch with Jeff yesterday afternoon about the issue (after spending the day fixing my malfunctioning computer in a pall of gloom), and he responded instantly, sympathizing with my disappointment, contacting iRex about the manufacturing flaw, telling me to hold onto the nib for evidence, and could I get a picture of the scratch to send him? Very reasonable request; I started wrestling with my point-and-shoot, trying to get the light and angle and focus to work with the macro option, and after about ten or so shots, the camera slipped in my hand, bumped the screen, and fractured the substrate.

So! There's a scratch in the middle of the screen that my styli catch on (the Professional Stylus caused the damage; the included stylus is, of course, perfectly smooth and well-behaved) and looks like a hair that landed on the screen but won't blow away. There's a 3mm grey feathering splortch near the left side of the screen that looks like an entry wound and greets me from my $1000 device when I turn it off, turn it on, refresh the screen, glance down in its direction while reading, and in my mind's eye as I enumerate my regrets in the darkness of the wee hours. If Jeff had been able to wheedle anything out of iRex because of the manufacturing flaw on the stylus, I've probably tied his hands now because of the mechanical damage to substrate. The device still seems to work (for the time-being, the fracture is localized), though it's a huge, reeking misery that after a day of use and a systematic, paranoid gentleness with my electronics, my investment has a blemished screen that I'll probably have to live with since I can't justify paying for a replacement.

Lessons for you so that this post wasn't a complete waste of your time:

eReader Outfitters is a good place to order from. Jeff was great, prompt in his replies, and I would order from his store again if I had money.
Test out your stylus in an inconspicuous spot from all the different possible writing angles whenever you get a new one or change the nib on your current one.
Be so, so, so careful when taking pictures of your ereader.
Damn it.

HarryT · 07-11-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Fekete

After exhaustive cussing and examination of the furrow from several attractive angles and lighting variations, I felt up the nib of the stylus trying to find out what had caused the damage. It seemed smooth, so I tested it in a corner of the screen and found by rotating it slowly that there was a tiny rough patch which continued to carve the glass, even at the lightest touch. Unhappiness.

That's a most unfortunate chain of events - my sympathies.

It sounds as though a tiny piece of grit has become embedded in the soft platic of the stylus tip; this can happen very easy - I once had it happen with an iPaq Pocket PC. These days I make it a rule to never put the stylus down anywhere - it comes out of its pocket in the case, and goes straight back there.

Will your household insurance cover the accidental damage to the DR1000? Many policies do, although you'll probably have to pay an "excess".

Danny Fekete · 07-11-2009, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

It sounds as though a tiny piece of grit has become embedded in the soft platic of the stylus tip; this can happen very easy - I once had it happen with an iPaq Pocket PC. These days I make it a rule to never put the stylus down anywhere - it comes out of its pocket in the case, and goes straight back there.

Like you, Harry, I'm pretty fastidious with my breakables. The stylus was either in my hand or in the elastic loop of the DR1000's protective cover at all times.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Will your household insurance cover the accidental damage to the DR1000? Many policies do, although you'll probably have to pay an "excess".

I really doubt it, but I'll check. Thanks.

PhishStyx · 07-11-2009, 04:18 PM

Man, that's terrible. My sympathies.

cbell · 07-11-2009, 07:02 PM

That's really bad luck, Danny, and you have my sympathy.

Its possible your burst capsules splotch won't get worse. I hope your household or credit card insurance will cover at least part of the repair cost.

dreams · 07-11-2009, 07:04 PM

and double

I felt a deep pain in the pit of my stomach when I read your post. I have nightmares that I will accidentally do something to my Reader (and mine cost less).

I hope you are able to get it replaced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Good luck.

yingwu · 07-11-2009, 07:10 PM

So sorry to know your story. I really want to know how the camera was away from your hand.....

Danny Fekete · 07-12-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yingwu

So sorry to know your story. I really want to know how the camera was away from your hand.....

In the usual way, Yingwu: an elf tickled me and I sneezed.

Edit: That comes off as too mean. I'm sorry. Honestly, I was trying to get the scratch to show up on the camera and I lost my grip on it between shots.

junkyardwillie · 07-12-2009, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Fekete

In the usual way, Yingwu: an elf tickled me and I sneezed.

Edit: That comes off as too mean. I'm sorry. Honestly, I was trying to get the scratch to show up on the camera and I lost my grip on it between shots.

Its probably that same elf that's been stealing a single sock each time I do my laundry, o I'll find him at some point and he will pay

yingwu · 07-12-2009, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny Fekete

In the usual way, Yingwu: an elf tickled me and I sneezed.

Edit: That comes off as too mean. I'm sorry. Honestly, I was trying to get the scratch to show up on the camera and I lost my grip on it between shots.

Dan, again I feel so sorry and I am sure I have your feeling when such a device was crashed. I have spent a long time to evaluate whether it is worth buying this e-reader.

Thus I am surprised to know the screen is so frangible and I am more surprised to know the device is still alive even when something hit the screen.

Danny Fekete · 07-12-2009, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yingwu

Dan, again I feel so sorry and I am sure I have your feeling when such a device was crashed. I have spent a long time to evaluate whether it is worth buying this e-reader.

Fair enough, I understand. I'm sorry I was sarcastic. And I appreciate your sympathy.

A large part of my regret over the whole issue (at least, the part that doesn't curse my clumsiness) is that I was so happy with the DR1000s while I'd been using it. I saved up and bought it specifically to read large-format pdfs so I could work on my MA thesis without the eyestrain of reading off an LCD screen and without having to print reams and reams of paper that I'd wind up recycling later, and the reader was absolutely perfect for those needs. My frustration was that it became blemished almost immediately---it makes me think over and over, "I can't have nice things."

The bottom line, though, is that the device itself was fantastic. If I had the money to replace the screen, I would; I don't, but I'm still using it because the grumbliness of seeing the fracture doesn't trump its utility. It's hard to tell if the spot is still feathering out (I hope you're right, cbell), and I'm probably not going to use the stylus again or clean the screen, but I can still read off it and navigate with the buttons. I've also still got my Cybook from which I read reflowable content exclusively and after two years it's not had any mechanical problems. The screen is still pristine and despite the long wait for firmware updates, I've used it probably five days a week since I got it for at least an hour per day. Despite the fragility, I'm sold on the technology.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yingwu

Thus I am surprised to know the screen is so frangible and I am more surprised to know the device is still alive even when something hit the screen.

The horror-stories about screen-breaks I read in the Cybook forum sound generally like the result of broader physical trauma to the screen (though a lot of them were reported as SIDS making me think there might have been a flaw in manufacturing for the earlier screens): the layer of electronics telling the cells with the pigment capsules in them what to do gets torn off and portions of the whole screen stops working. If I'm lucky with my situation, as cbell suggested, I've just burst some of the capsules and haven't damaged the connection between the capsule layer and the electronics in a systematic way.

yingwu · 07-12-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

If I'm lucky with my situation, as cbell suggested, I've just burst some of the capsules and haven't damaged the connection between the capsule layer and the electronics in a systematic way.

I see... for me, I want to use the pen to make some marks, otherwise, the Plastic Logic seems more robust. Thanks for your sharing impression of the DR.

HarryT · 07-13-2009, 04:02 AM

Have you actually bought your DR1000 yet, yingwu? You seem to have been "about to buy one" for months, now

.

yingwu · 07-13-2009, 04:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Have you actually bought your DR1000 yet, yingwu? You seem to have been "about to buy one" for months, now

.

Yes, good question!!!! But if you wait for your credit card and the PIN number for two months, I am sure you know the answer now. I had asked the bank to send me the card for two times and the PIN number for six times, then last week, I found all of them were in my mailbox finally. It's funny, right?

Shaggy · 07-14-2009, 12:21 PM

Have you heard anything back about whether it would still be covered under warranty?

07-11-2009, 10:34 AM	#1
Danny Fekete Electronic Education Buff Posts: 84 Karma: 31076 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Device: Bookeen Cybook Gen3, iRex DR1000s, Sony Reader PRS 650	No. Augh! No! NOOO! My DR1000s arrived on Wednesday after a really good ordering experience with eReader Outfitters (Jeff was very responsive and helpful) and I spent all of Thursday playing with it and loading on various pdfs to gawk at with the gorgeous screen. I figured out that I could drag icons from the context menu to the little row of slots on the lower-left of the interface, and began experimenting to see which ones could be used. I was moving the stylus with tremendous care and lightness---I've used an active touch interface on my friend's wacom and know how little pressure is necessary---when, after my fifth or sixth try, I heard a "scritch" noise and discovered a furrow in the glass, about an inch long, right in the middle of my screen. After exhaustive cussing and examination of the furrow from several attractive angles and lighting variations, I felt up the nib of the stylus trying to find out what had caused the damage. It seemed smooth, so I tested it in a corner of the screen and found by rotating it slowly that there was a tiny rough patch which continued to carve the glass, even at the lightest touch. Unhappiness. I got in touch with Jeff yesterday afternoon about the issue (after spending the day fixing my malfunctioning computer in a pall of gloom), and he responded instantly, sympathizing with my disappointment, contacting iRex about the manufacturing flaw, telling me to hold onto the nib for evidence, and could I get a picture of the scratch to send him? Very reasonable request; I started wrestling with my point-and-shoot, trying to get the light and angle and focus to work with the macro option, and after about ten or so shots, the camera slipped in my hand, bumped the screen, and fractured the substrate. So! There's a scratch in the middle of the screen that my styli catch on (the Professional Stylus caused the damage; the included stylus is, of course, perfectly smooth and well-behaved) and looks like a hair that landed on the screen but won't blow away. There's a 3mm grey feathering splortch near the left side of the screen that looks like an entry wound and greets me from my $1000 device when I turn it off, turn it on, refresh the screen, glance down in its direction while reading, and in my mind's eye as I enumerate my regrets in the darkness of the wee hours. If Jeff had been able to wheedle anything out of iRex because of the manufacturing flaw on the stylus, I've probably tied his hands now because of the mechanical damage to substrate. The device still seems to work (for the time-being, the fracture is localized), though it's a huge, reeking misery that after a day of use and a systematic, paranoid gentleness with my electronics, my investment has a blemished screen that I'll probably have to live with since I can't justify paying for a replacement. Lessons for you so that this post wasn't a complete waste of your time: eReader Outfitters is a good place to order from. Jeff was great, prompt in his replies, and I would order from his store again if I had money. Test out your stylus in an inconspicuous spot from all the different possible writing angles whenever you get a new one or change the nib on your current one. Be so, so, so careful when taking pictures of your ereader. Damn it. Last edited by Danny Fekete; 07-11-2009 at 10:38 AM.

07-11-2009, 04:18 PM	#4
PhishStyx The me that I am Posts: 413 Karma: 1078 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: In my house! Duh! Device: Kindle 1 & DR 1000s	Man, that's terrible. My sympathies.

07-11-2009, 07:02 PM	#5
cbell Frenetic Posts: 590 Karma: 8181 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Australia Device: iLiad V2	That's really bad luck, Danny, and you have my sympathy. Its possible your burst capsules splotch won't get worse. I hope your household or credit card insurance will cover at least part of the repair cost.

07-11-2009, 07:04 PM	#6
dreams It's about the umbrella Posts: 25,110 Karma: 56250158 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony 505\| K Fire \| KK 3G+Wi-Fi \| iPhone 3Gs \|Vista 32-bit Hm Prem w/FF	and double I felt a deep pain in the pit of my stomach when I read your post. I have nightmares that I will accidentally do something to my Reader (and mine cost less). I hope you are able to get it replaced. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Good luck.

07-11-2009, 07:10 PM	#7
yingwu Addict Posts: 227 Karma: 322 Join Date: May 2009 Device: 1000s	So sorry to know your story. I really want to know how the camera was away from your hand.....

07-13-2009, 04:02 AM	#13
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Have you actually bought your DR1000 yet, yingwu? You seem to have been "about to buy one" for months, now .

07-14-2009, 12:21 PM	#15
Shaggy Wizard Posts: 4,293 Karma: 529619 Join Date: May 2007 Device: iRex iLiad, DR800SG	Have you heard anything back about whether it would still be covered under warranty?

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