ebook readers using AA or AAA batteries

judahis · 07-27-2011, 05:04 AM

I am looking for an e-reader that uses AA or AAA batteries. The only one with which I am familiar is the Jetbook by Ectaco. Are there others?

darknessangel · 07-27-2011, 07:29 AM

May I ask why would you want such a thing?... when normal readers with Li-ion or the like batteries last longer and are rechargeable...

linux_author · 07-27-2011, 08:09 AM

actually, this is a fabulous idea! Li-ion batteries only last for 1,000 recharges or so, so most ereaders become 'disposable' - not very 'green'!

i have an IBM Z50 laptop that i've been using for the past 12 years (it runs NetBSD), and it works just great... i also will never have to worry about finding a replacement battery...

why?

because it came with a AA-battery holder that replaced the original Li-Ion battery (long since consigned to recycling) and that provides more than 5 hours of use! (i employ rechargeable AAs charged up in a carrier on small solar panels - lots of sunshine at the casa)

i wish more ereaders used replaceable/rechargeable AAs or AAAs...

Catlady · 07-27-2011, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darknessangel

May I ask why would you want such a thing?... when normal readers with Li-ion or the like batteries last longer and are rechargeable...

"Normal"?

Gee, I love my apparently abnormal Jetbook Lite.

There are rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, you know.

What happens when your Li-on battery needs to be recharged when you're in the middle of your book?

I never have any downtime for recharging. I keep an extra set of charged-up batteries ready to go, so I can just pop them in when needed. Or I can easily buy a set of batteries anywhere.

To the OP--the only such readers I know of are the Ectaco Jetbook Lite, which uses AAs, and the Jetbook Mini, which uses AAAs.

chas0039 · 07-27-2011, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linux_author

actually, this is a fabulous idea! Li-ion batteries only last for 1,000 recharges or so...

Actually, the batteries in most ereaders do not wear out based on the number of charges. They start to dies from the date of manufacturer and they last about 3 years. Heat can cause a lower lifespan.

readingglasses · 07-27-2011, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by linux_author

actually, this is a fabulous idea! Li-ion batteries only last for 1,000 recharges or so, so most ereaders become 'disposable' - not very 'green'!

Although a laptop battery with alternative AA battery holder (even if it's many) is very cool on your ibm,

an ereader li-ion battery can be replaced. It's just a bit tricky. But they can all be opened and the battery replaced. You have to be good with a screw driver (sony) or knife (kobo, nook) (so sony is the easiest of these hard-to-replace batteries) is all.

Although cylinder batteries are everywhere and cheap, and you can just pop in/out whenever and keep reading, you'll be doing more popping compared to a li-ion and even AAA take up more depth than any of the newest thin eareaders can accommodate.

elcreative · 07-27-2011, 07:52 PM

Actually eReaders tend to use Li-polymer batteries whic are likely to outlast the reader for most people... and, as readingglasses says, can be replaced, some easier than others... and as for needing recharging in the middle of a book (catlady) it doesn't happen unless you're careless... I recharge around every 7-10 days when battery indicator drops to 1 or 2 bars... and I charge overnight when I'm asleep... don't read much when I'm asleep so I've never needed to recharge whilst wanting to read at the same time plus most eReaders will let you read while charging from a wall charger...

chas0039 · 07-27-2011, 08:51 PM

Just to give you some feedback, I have two Jetbooks with AA batteries, probably for the same reasons you consider important. I also got a nook because of the ability to replace the battery. As fun as the nook was, owning it kept me from getting a Kindle sooner. Once I used the Kindle, and found a few sites selling Kindle batteries, I dumped the nook and have never regretted it.

Otherwise, I have the satisfaction of knowing that my Jetbooks will probably work long after the Kindle dies and batteries are gone. But the screen is smaller the contrast is less and it does none of the many interesting things my Kindle does. With the move toward touch screens, with lower contrast and problems I hate, I am hoping that nothing I have breaks beyond repair because I despise touch screens. I had the Jetbooks for quite a while and they were very good for what they did. Jetbooks reads almost anything, loads in directories just like my PC, makes it very easy to find titles, and with a battery swap, my down time is minutes. If you get one, you will be happy as long as you don't look at other readers, especially Kindle.

readingglasses · 07-27-2011, 09:20 PM

Those darn missing touchscreen pearls on jetbooks! Jetbook software is the best and if they had some great eink screens they'd be king of the hill.

I spoke too soon about "all ereaders" having trickily replaceable batteries if they don't use aaa.
The new kobo touch battery seems to be simply non replaceable. It is theoretically possible to replace it if you have the right equipment and are very experienced but not for the casual tinkerer.

It is sealed to the board very tightly. No screws, no pincher, no brace. Just sealed to the board. You could plug in anther battery to the board (the plug might be free) but there's no room inside for a second battery if you can remove the first.

see post # 6

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=144487

update: it is sealed tightly, but perhaps not so tightly that sustained rocking and nicking at the glue won't yield it, ultimately.

thaigreg · 07-27-2011, 09:21 PM

I have a BeBook which uses a replaceable/rechargeable Li-ion battery and have been using it for almost 3 years. I also have a JBL and being able to use AA batteries, which was one reason why I bought it.

Greg

Bev M · 07-27-2011, 09:24 PM

The AA batteries is part of why I got my Jetbook Lite after doing lots of reading on this forum. Also, of course, the many different formats it reads. And, as suggested, I got Sanyo Eneloops rechargeable batteries, as unlike other rechargeables, they hold their charge for a very long time when not in use. I love being able to swap batteries whenever and wherever I am. The side benefit is that the Sanyos are so good that I've started using them in many other things that need AA and AAA batteries, and they amaze me with the length of time between charges. If you get them, be sure to get a good charger that will charge them slowly.

My new "smart" phone, which is smarter than I am, has enough fabulous features to keep me interested, so I don't need an ereader with all the goodies. and I can easily load ebooks on it, too, if for some reason I don't want to carry my JBL somewhere.

Everybody's mileage varies, but I love having two or three sets of charged batteries ready to go that work in both my ereader, camera, etc. I'm glad the nice folks on the JB forum steered me this way!

chas0039 · 07-28-2011, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readingglasses

Those darn missing touchscreen pearls on jetbooks! Jetbook software is the best and if they had some great eink screens they'd be king of the hill.

I spoke too soon about "all ereaders" having trickily replaceable batteries if they don't use aaa.
The new kobo touch battery seems to be simply non replaceable. It is theoretically possible to replace it if you have the right equipment and are very experienced but not for the casual tinkerer.

It is sealed to the board very tightly. No screws, no pincher, no brace. Just sealed to the board. You could plug in anther battery to the board (the plug might be free) but there's no room inside for a second battery if you can remove the first.

see post # 6

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=144487

update: it is sealed tightly, but perhaps not so tightly that sustained rocking and nicking at the glue won't yield it, ultimately.

That is exactly what turned me off when I was looking at the Kobo. I spoke to their people about the cost of replacement for the battery and they said they don't do that. They expect you to throw it away and buy a new one.

NO SALE.

jbcohen · 07-28-2011, 08:16 AM

I understand why judahis wants such a thing. Judahis is attempting to save dolalrs in the long term by being able to replace the battery as needed at a lower cost. The troubble that judahis is going to run into is that the battery technology that he/she is referring to, while its the cheapest, its also the most primitive and shortest lasting of all of the battery technologies available, but contrary to what has been said before their are rechargeable versions.

The batteries that judahis is referring to is called NicCadium and has the problem that the technology is not capable of storing much energy. This is why NicHydride and NimH were invented. The best application for the NicCadium batteries are in items around your home that generaly do not take a lot of energy to run such as a wrist watch, you should see the power requirements for a standard wrist watch it will make your mouth fall out, its real low. Hydrides die too quickly when they are used in higher drain items such as computers, which is why Nimh batteries were invented to begin with.

Nimh batteries are used in electronic readers and have the advantage that they last a lot longer then the Hydride batteries do, although the drawback is that they often times can not be replaced. So my advice is to understand the trade off and bit the bullet and take the Nimh batteries they are worth the trade off.

mbovenka · 08-01-2011, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaigreg

I have a BeBook which uses a replaceable/rechargeable Li-ion battery and have been using it for almost 3 years.

To be precise, it's a standard Nokia BL-4 cell phone battery. Not *quite* as ubiquitous as AA/AAA, but pretty close...

Pinecone · 08-01-2011, 09:40 AM

1) Sinxce I only charge my eReader every week or so, that means the life of the battery will be around 1000 weeks or almost 20 years.

2) Even rechargeable AA or AAA give out with much fewer charnge cycles than lipo packs, so you re even less green.

3) I don't have down time for charging and can read while charging. I use the iGo system and have two chargers. One plugs into the wall, but also has a li-ion battery in it, so I can charge from AC or charge without AC power. The other takes two AA batteries and will charge anywhere. At least with my Sony PRS-650 and -600, if I charge from the iGo, I can read while charging.

4) maknig the device use AA or AAA makes a bulge.

07-27-2011, 05:04 AM	#1
judahis Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 68 Join Date: Dec 2005	ebook readers using AA or AAA batteries I am looking for an e-reader that uses AA or AAA batteries. The only one with which I am familiar is the Jetbook by Ectaco. Are there others?

07-27-2011, 09:20 PM	#9
readingglasses Zealot Posts: 124 Karma: 9252 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: (prospective) kobo touch	Those darn missing touchscreen pearls on jetbooks! Jetbook software is the best and if they had some great eink screens they'd be king of the hill. I spoke too soon about "all ereaders" having trickily replaceable batteries if they don't use aaa. The new kobo touch battery seems to be simply non replaceable. It is theoretically possible to replace it if you have the right equipment and are very experienced but not for the casual tinkerer. It is sealed to the board very tightly. No screws, no pincher, no brace. Just sealed to the board. You could plug in anther battery to the board (the plug might be free) but there's no room inside for a second battery if you can remove the first. see post # 6 https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=144487 update: it is sealed tightly, but perhaps not so tightly that sustained rocking and nicking at the glue won't yield it, ultimately. Last edited by readingglasses; 07-27-2011 at 10:37 PM.

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07-27-2011, 07:29 AM	#2
darknessangel Addict Posts: 297 Karma: 1018140 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: PRS-505, iPad	May I ask why would you want such a thing?... when normal readers with Li-ion or the like batteries last longer and are rechargeable...

07-27-2011, 08:09 AM	#3
linux_author Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 55044 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gulf of Mexico Device: Nook Touch, N800	actually, this is a fabulous idea! Li-ion batteries only last for 1,000 recharges or so, so most ereaders become 'disposable' - not very 'green'! i have an IBM Z50 laptop that i've been using for the past 12 years (it runs NetBSD), and it works just great... i also will never have to worry about finding a replacement battery... why? because it came with a AA-battery holder that replaced the original Li-Ion battery (long since consigned to recycling) and that provides more than 5 hours of use! (i employ rechargeable AAs charged up in a carrier on small solar panels - lots of sunshine at the casa) i wish more ereaders used replaceable/rechargeable AAs or AAAs...

07-27-2011, 07:52 PM	#7
elcreative Wizard Posts: 2,888 Karma: 5875940 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: PRS505, 600, 350, 650, Nexus 7, Note III, iPad 4 etc	Actually eReaders tend to use Li-polymer batteries whic are likely to outlast the reader for most people... and, as readingglasses says, can be replaced, some easier than others... and as for needing recharging in the middle of a book (catlady) it doesn't happen unless you're careless... I recharge around every 7-10 days when battery indicator drops to 1 or 2 bars... and I charge overnight when I'm asleep... don't read much when I'm asleep so I've never needed to recharge whilst wanting to read at the same time plus most eReaders will let you read while charging from a wall charger...

07-27-2011, 08:51 PM	#8
chas0039 Sceptic Posts: 573 Karma: 73436 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: The Lake Device: rooted Nooks, retired. JetBook Lite, Kindle 3, 4, Kobo Nia, Libra H2O.	Just to give you some feedback, I have two Jetbooks with AA batteries, probably for the same reasons you consider important. I also got a nook because of the ability to replace the battery. As fun as the nook was, owning it kept me from getting a Kindle sooner. Once I used the Kindle, and found a few sites selling Kindle batteries, I dumped the nook and have never regretted it. Otherwise, I have the satisfaction of knowing that my Jetbooks will probably work long after the Kindle dies and batteries are gone. But the screen is smaller the contrast is less and it does none of the many interesting things my Kindle does. With the move toward touch screens, with lower contrast and problems I hate, I am hoping that nothing I have breaks beyond repair because I despise touch screens. I had the Jetbooks for quite a while and they were very good for what they did. Jetbooks reads almost anything, loads in directories just like my PC, makes it very easy to find titles, and with a battery swap, my down time is minutes. If you get one, you will be happy as long as you don't look at other readers, especially Kindle.

07-27-2011, 09:21 PM	#10
thaigreg Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 9282 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pattaya, Thailand Device: BeBook/JBL/Kindle 3	I have a BeBook which uses a replaceable/rechargeable Li-ion battery and have been using it for almost 3 years. I also have a JBL and being able to use AA batteries, which was one reason why I bought it. Greg

07-27-2011, 09:24 PM	#11
Bev M Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 1378 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: In an RV, wherever it's parked Device: JetBook Lite	The AA batteries is part of why I got my Jetbook Lite after doing lots of reading on this forum. Also, of course, the many different formats it reads. And, as suggested, I got Sanyo Eneloops rechargeable batteries, as unlike other rechargeables, they hold their charge for a very long time when not in use. I love being able to swap batteries whenever and wherever I am. The side benefit is that the Sanyos are so good that I've started using them in many other things that need AA and AAA batteries, and they amaze me with the length of time between charges. If you get them, be sure to get a good charger that will charge them slowly. My new "smart" phone, which is smarter than I am, has enough fabulous features to keep me interested, so I don't need an ereader with all the goodies. and I can easily load ebooks on it, too, if for some reason I don't want to carry my JBL somewhere. Everybody's mileage varies, but I love having two or three sets of charged batteries ready to go that work in both my ereader, camera, etc. I'm glad the nice folks on the JB forum steered me this way!

07-28-2011, 08:16 AM	#13
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,032 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	I understand why judahis wants such a thing. Judahis is attempting to save dolalrs in the long term by being able to replace the battery as needed at a lower cost. The troubble that judahis is going to run into is that the battery technology that he/she is referring to, while its the cheapest, its also the most primitive and shortest lasting of all of the battery technologies available, but contrary to what has been said before their are rechargeable versions. The batteries that judahis is referring to is called NicCadium and has the problem that the technology is not capable of storing much energy. This is why NicHydride and NimH were invented. The best application for the NicCadium batteries are in items around your home that generaly do not take a lot of energy to run such as a wrist watch, you should see the power requirements for a standard wrist watch it will make your mouth fall out, its real low. Hydrides die too quickly when they are used in higher drain items such as computers, which is why Nimh batteries were invented to begin with. Nimh batteries are used in electronic readers and have the advantage that they last a lot longer then the Hydride batteries do, although the drawback is that they often times can not be replaced. So my advice is to understand the trade off and bit the bullet and take the Nimh batteries they are worth the trade off.

08-01-2011, 09:40 AM	#15
Pinecone Guru Posts: 902 Karma: 1660722 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Maryland Device: PRS-650, PRS-600, PRS-350	1) Sinxce I only charge my eReader every week or so, that means the life of the battery will be around 1000 weeks or almost 20 years. 2) Even rechargeable AA or AAA give out with much fewer charnge cycles than lipo packs, so you re even less green. 3) I don't have down time for charging and can read while charging. I use the iGo system and have two chargers. One plugs into the wall, but also has a li-ion battery in it, so I can charge from AC or charge without AC power. The other takes two AA batteries and will charge anywhere. At least with my Sony PRS-650 and -600, if I charge from the iGo, I can read while charging. 4) maknig the device use AA or AAA makes a bulge.

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