how to minimize breakage?

[paola]

I have read horror stories on several product forums of owners finding the screen of their reader broken without it having been dropped. On the other hand, the usual response is, you must have unwittingly done something wrong (left it in too cold a place, applied some torsion, bent it).

I guess both sides are right, in the sense that the screen won't break on its own, but whatever force was applied to it, must be minimal enough for the owner not to have realised it was "excessive".

I am totally paranoid about my device now, and probably will continue to be, but the question is: has anybody have any idea how much force would be "too much"?

For instance, I read of somebody who broke his own 9.7'' Asus 900 while reading it simply by picking it up from one corner while in the cover - surely wise to hold a large screen device with both hands, but how unlucky has this guy been? It will depend on the size of the screen, too, but what would you definitely define as bad practice when handling your reader?

[DixieGal]

I almost pooped my pants when I saw Tim drop the TV remote onto my iPad screen that I left lying on the arm of the sofa!

Now I make sure to always lay it face down, with he metal side up.

[Billi]

A good cover, a good cover, a good cover.
And take care how you store it in your backpack, case...

But I don't think that you have to be paranoid. The devices are fragile, no question about it, but you don't need to treat them like raw eggs. With normal sensible care they should last a while. I carry my 9,7'' PB almost every day in my backpack, without any breakage until now.

[Prash]

I had a similar paranoia, and it kept my device in good condition for about 3 good months, since I received the device. But it started to wane after that and in next few days, I managed to crack my tablet's screen. I have attached the photos.

@Paola: You have used some of the best words imaginable to describe the problem we all face - we wont really know the amount of shock/impact our devices can take, and thus, most of us will either be too paranoid or too careless. Mine is the second case, I had spent awful lot of time waiting for a reading device and when I finally received one, I didn't really bother much about getting enough protection and was busy doing the reading almost the whole time. The device went everywhere I went - work, grocery shopping, bus, train, bed. And it worked like a charm the whole time. But my clumsiness got the better of me one morning.

I had kept my tablet (8" apad) on the floor bound in its leather jacket below my bed just before I went to sleep the previous night, and I was picking it up to use in the morning. I had lifted one edge of the device to a height of about 2 inches from the ground, the other edge was still on the floor. My hand slipped and the edge fell back on the floor, and it was like a gentle tap. I had kept the tablet with its screen facing down. I had never even imagined that such a light tap would break the screen, but it did.

@Dixiegal: if you are placing the tablet on a hard surface like a table or kitchen slab, then be extra careful while picking it up from there later. The floor at my house is covered in polished marble and a hard surface like that can do some serious damage. That day was gloomy for me.

[BookCat]

Although I have only a humble Sony prs 505, I've been paranoid, since the day I bought it, that one of my cats would place a (heavy) paw on it and break the screen. This was so bad that I kept it in the original packing when not in use. Eventually, I persuaded some friends to buy a Book Armor for my birthday.

I still don't let the cats near my 505. It gets furry, apart from anything else.

[garrybuck]

I have my Kindle in a cover, and I always close the cover and secure it shut, even if I'm putting it aside only for a moment. It's a minor hassle, but nothing compared to how I'd freak out if I broke it.

[faithbw]

When I first brought my Nook, I was also paranoid because the screen did break less than a day after buying it. I brought a case and was very careful when I put it in my purse. I was gentle with it. So I definitely was more than paranoid when I got a replacement. However, I haven't had any issues with the second Nook. I put it in my purse (with the case on obviously) whenever I leave the house. When I'm in bed and done with the Nook for the night, I put it on the nightstand while still in the cover. I'm not too worried about the screen anymore. I figured what happened to the first Nook was a fluke.

@BookCat: I also worry about my cat placing her paw on the screen too. My case protects the screen and it's sturdy but I still try to keep her away from it at all times.

[rePete]

I got a cover for my Pandigital at the same time I got the reader. THE flaw of the whole deal is that the reader slips into the top, so if you don't carry it right it can (and has) slip out.

I've bounced mine off a wood floor at about 2-3 feet without any bad effects. I do carry it in an overstuffed book bag and so far (5 months) I've had no problem with it there.

[Poppaea]

My cat already stepped a couple of times on it when it was in the cover. No harm done. OTOH my cat has adorable velvety paws

[Sydney's Mom]

I ordered a cover for my Tab, and didn't take it out of the house until I received that cover. My kindle has a slip on cover for traveling. I have dropped it off a Dr. exam table, stepped on it, other horrible things. It hasn't broken, yet. But I am sure it is comming. Hopefully, not before the K4 comes out.

[Anthem]

I've never actually cracked the screen on any device that I have ever owned. Portable game systems, Palm pilots, pocket PCs, cellphones, notebook computers, nuthin'! And all of this without any particularly dramatic lifestyle changes.

Maybe I'm just lucky. I'm inclined to say "don't worry", but I appear to live in some sort of vortex.

[rdfry]

I have always put a screen protector on all my electronic devices that have a screen. I have dropped all of them a lot never had a screen break or get scratched.

[Jellby]

Originally Posted by Prash

I managed to crack my tablet's screen. I have attached the photos.

I'm sorry to see your screen. The big difference with an e-ink screen is that, while your broken screen looks ugly and pitiful, the device is still usable (maybe not the touchscreen?); from the pictures I have seen, a broken e-ink screen is unusable, the image no longer shows properly.

[paola]

thank you all for your thoughts and experiences!

Originally Posted by Jellby

from the pictures I have seen, a broken e-ink screen is unusable, the image no longer shows properly.

not to mention that replacement generally costs almost as much as the original device. I am quite encouraged by the reports of devices surviving drops, but the various horror stories still stick in my mind:
sony, nook, hanlin, iriver, bookeen, irex, the list goes on - the scariest to me are those cases when the breakage appear to happen (welol, perfect) while reading. And for many unlucky users it looks like a cover wouldn't be enough in a backpack. I am seriously considering some old fashined biscuit tin box to put my reader, in addition to the cover!

[SensualPoet]

I am a test group of 1.2 (my husband inherited my Kindle 2 but doesn't use it much) and I've had one or two e-readers in constant use for 15 months -- Kindle 3 now and an original Kobo (which will be one year old in 20 days). I have cases for the Kindles but not for the Kobo. No issues so far and, while they are mainly used around the house, both have travelled in carry-ons and back-packs (mainly to the beach).

As another poster noted, they aren't raw eggs but they need to be treated with respect ... and, accidents happen. I'm guessing e-ink displays, partly because they have a plastic screen protecting the glass substrate, are somewhat more resistant to breakage from a drop but, given they tend to be lighter, less resistant to torsion breakage. Then again ... e-ink abt $150, table abt $500 ... e-readers are less heart-stopping if broken (assuming your heart is in your wallet ... LOL).