What kills a kobo?

amo · 11-11-2010, 03:07 PM

I just had to exchange my new kobo (less than a week after getting it) because the screen went weird on me. The only thing I can attribute it to is having it sit next to (or even under?) a plugged-in but turned-off heating pad overnight. If I had known the kobo was this sensitive to temperature and/or electromagnetics, I would have been much more careful with it. So I wondering what else to be really careful with that I hadn't thought of.

Just how fragile is this device- what kills a kobo?
Dropping it obviously is bad- but would one drop on a carpeted floor kill it, or only repeated falls to a cement floor (that's how i finally did in my cell phone)?
Is an hour on a sunny window sill enough to fry it?
Should it never ever be left in a car for fear of getting too hot or cold, or can it stand temperature changes of +/- 10°C?
Is one drop of moisture a huge deal, or does it have to be a whole cup of coffee to drown it?

Opinions and experiences, please...

amo · 11-11-2010, 03:09 PM

Magnets, too- would a magnet screw up the eInk screen? A fridge magnet? A really powerful magnet? All of the above, none of the above?

kiwipippa · 11-11-2010, 03:15 PM

I have a magnet on the front of the case my kobo is in. It's been in that case for months with no impact on the screen - and I'm sure many others have similar cases.

I fell asleep in the sun once with my kobo in full sun - when I woke up it was really hot to touch, but no damage. I did wonder how hot it could get - and I won't be making a habit of it.

SensualPoet · 11-11-2010, 06:58 PM

Taking your Kobo deep sea diving, I imagine, would not be good for it.

Also, if you are taking it into the sun, be sure to use a 45 SPF.

sabredog · 11-11-2010, 08:48 PM

Leaving it on the front seat of your car exposed to the rather hot and intense Australian sun.

A Kobo exposed to the internal temperature (60deg C) of a parked car for several hours would not be a nice sight to behold when coming back to said car.

dmacmart · 11-11-2010, 11:32 PM

The screen has a glass substrate (thnk that's the terminology) ... so a single drop to cement could certainly crack it and ruin it. Just like my laptop a few years ago ...

taming · 11-12-2010, 07:04 AM

I'm pretty sure that Kobo will not blend. Leaving it overnight in my car when it is -40C probably would not be a good idea, either, though if it warmed up slowly it might be just fine.

pokee · 11-12-2010, 04:32 PM

Someone from Kobo had posted on this forum saying that the eink screens were VERY fragile - I'd say even more fragile than LCDs.

I even wonder how adequate some of these 'cases' are. Shouldn't they be ultra-padded to protect them from a fall? Some of these cases even have spots for pens/pencils and cards and I wonder if items put in these slots could somehow damage the screen?!

taming · 11-12-2010, 04:41 PM

The screen itself is inset, so having a pen in the case should not matter as it may touch the frame, but not the book itself. I have dropped my reader, put it uncovered in my handbag and carried it around all day, without incident. I did purchase a case (the one that holds pens), so I now am more careful.

I don't hear much about broken reader screens after a fall etc as much as broken screens that seem to be a manufacturing defect--suddenly, without provocation, the screen looks wonky.

amo · 11-13-2010, 06:05 PM

So, no tanning, no swimming, no freezing, no using it for a basketball, and no moving to Australia.Got it.

mamasue · 11-13-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amo

and no moving to Australia.Got it.

There are many Kobo immigrants down here in The Colonies & we are hoping they will breed!

amo · 11-14-2010, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamasue

There are many Kobo immigrants down here in The Colonies & we are hoping they will breed!

kiwipippa · 11-14-2010, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

Also, if you are taking it into the sun, be sure to use a 45 SPF.

I did, but the screen was pretty smeared. SPF 30 was better.

mwlcarter · 11-16-2010, 02:36 PM

What kills a Kobo? Is this a trick question? The answer seems obvious... a Kindle 3. ;-)

Despite Amazon's claims of big sales of the Kindle (though undisclosed numbers), I can't imagine they're making much if any money off the hardware. Otherwise they'd make the K3 work with ePub, and decimate the competition in the ereader hardware market.

Unfortunately, I think they're barely breaking even on K3s, and the business model is tied to trapping customers at the Amazon bookstore...

SageTracey · 11-16-2010, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamasue

There are many Kobo immigrants down here in The Colonies & we are hoping they will breed!

I've just been traveling in Western Australia for two weeks and was regularly asked about my Kobo and whether I would recommend them (of course!) So I think we will find many more down under Kobo users as time goes by.

11-11-2010, 03:07 PM	#1
amo Teaist Posts: 230 Karma: 74542 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: British Columbia, Canada Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Aura ONE, Android cell phone	What kills a kobo? I just had to exchange my new kobo (less than a week after getting it) because the screen went weird on me. The only thing I can attribute it to is having it sit next to (or even under?) a plugged-in but turned-off heating pad overnight. If I had known the kobo was this sensitive to temperature and/or electromagnetics, I would have been much more careful with it. So I wondering what else to be really careful with that I hadn't thought of. Just how fragile is this device- what kills a kobo? Dropping it obviously is bad- but would one drop on a carpeted floor kill it, or only repeated falls to a cement floor (that's how i finally did in my cell phone)? Is an hour on a sunny window sill enough to fry it? Should it never ever be left in a car for fear of getting too hot or cold, or can it stand temperature changes of +/- 10°C? Is one drop of moisture a huge deal, or does it have to be a whole cup of coffee to drown it? Opinions and experiences, please...

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11-11-2010, 03:09 PM	#2
amo Teaist Posts: 230 Karma: 74542 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: British Columbia, Canada Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Aura ONE, Android cell phone	Magnets, too- would a magnet screw up the eInk screen? A fridge magnet? A really powerful magnet? All of the above, none of the above?

11-11-2010, 03:15 PM	#3
kiwipippa Fanatic Posts: 578 Karma: 613022 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Zealand Device: kobo glo, kobo touch (dead), kindle touch, android phone	I have a magnet on the front of the case my kobo is in. It's been in that case for months with no impact on the screen - and I'm sure many others have similar cases. I fell asleep in the sun once with my kobo in full sun - when I woke up it was really hot to touch, but no damage. I did wonder how hot it could get - and I won't be making a habit of it.

11-11-2010, 06:58 PM	#4
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	Taking your Kobo deep sea diving, I imagine, would not be good for it. Also, if you are taking it into the sun, be sure to use a 45 SPF.

11-11-2010, 08:48 PM	#5
sabredog Geographically Restricted Posts: 2,630 Karma: 14933353 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Sony PRS-T3, Kindle Voyage, iPad Air2, Nexus7v2	Leaving it on the front seat of your car exposed to the rather hot and intense Australian sun. A Kobo exposed to the internal temperature (60deg C) of a parked car for several hours would not be a nice sight to behold when coming back to said car.

11-11-2010, 11:32 PM	#6
dmacmart Fanatic Posts: 534 Karma: 696908 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ottawa Canada Device: Kobo Mini, Glo, Arc, H2O, iPhone, iPad 2, (husband)Touch	The screen has a glass substrate (thnk that's the terminology) ... so a single drop to cement could certainly crack it and ruin it. Just like my laptop a few years ago ...

11-12-2010, 07:04 AM	#7
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	I'm pretty sure that Kobo will not blend. Leaving it overnight in my car when it is -40C probably would not be a good idea, either, though if it warmed up slowly it might be just fine.

11-12-2010, 04:32 PM	#8
pokee Fanatic Posts: 569 Karma: 199759 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Glo, Kobo Vox, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Tab2	Someone from Kobo had posted on this forum saying that the eink screens were VERY fragile - I'd say even more fragile than LCDs. I even wonder how adequate some of these 'cases' are. Shouldn't they be ultra-padded to protect them from a fall? Some of these cases even have spots for pens/pencils and cards and I wonder if items put in these slots could somehow damage the screen?!

11-12-2010, 04:41 PM	#9
taming Trying for calm & polite Posts: 4,012 Karma: 9455193 Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mostly in Canada Device: kobo original, WiFI, Touch, Glo, and Aura	The screen itself is inset, so having a pen in the case should not matter as it may touch the frame, but not the book itself. I have dropped my reader, put it uncovered in my handbag and carried it around all day, without incident. I did purchase a case (the one that holds pens), so I now am more careful. I don't hear much about broken reader screens after a fall etc as much as broken screens that seem to be a manufacturing defect--suddenly, without provocation, the screen looks wonky.

11-13-2010, 06:05 PM	#10
amo Teaist Posts: 230 Karma: 74542 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: British Columbia, Canada Device: Kobo WiFi, Kobo Aura ONE, Android cell phone	So, no tanning, no swimming, no freezing, no using it for a basketball, and no moving to Australia.Got it.

11-16-2010, 02:36 PM	#14
mwlcarter Connoisseur Posts: 52 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2010 Location: St. Catharines, ON Device: Kobo eReader	What kills a Kobo? Is this a trick question? The answer seems obvious... a Kindle 3. ;-) Despite Amazon's claims of big sales of the Kindle (though undisclosed numbers), I can't imagine they're making much if any money off the hardware. Otherwise they'd make the K3 work with ePub, and decimate the competition in the ereader hardware market. Unfortunately, I think they're barely breaking even on K3s, and the business model is tied to trapping customers at the Amazon bookstore...

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