Life expectancy of ereaders in general

[CWatkinsNash]

Kindle Keyboard - A year+ of moderate-to-heavy use, no noticeable decline in performance or battery life.

Sony T-1 - Same.

If that many of his customers are telling him the same thing... is he actually seeing the devices for himself? I ask because there's a phenomenon I've seen that tends to occur with the "next gen" upgrade cycle, which is usually one year. Suddenly perfectly good devices aren't quite good enough anymore and one might start to convince oneself that they need a new one because the old one isn't up to par. The shiny has worn off, and the new ones look so yummy! I've done this myself, though I usually stop short of actually buying the new one.

Or maybe he's trying to get back at his boss, because what he's saying is not going to help sales.

[fantasyfan]

I had a Kindle 3 since 2011. I now use a Paperwhite which I love and gave my daughter my Keyboard Kindle. It still works perfectly for her. My sister bought a Kindle 3 before I got mine and she too upgraded and passed the old one on to her daughter. And yes, that Kindle 3 is also working perfectly.

I took out an extended guarantee with my new ereader which will cover it for three years, so I have no fears in that area.

[crich70]

I don't know where he got his info. My 1st Kindle Keyboard did die after a year, but it was because I'd dropped it and the screen substrate had broken, not because of a failure of the unit itself. If I hadn't dropped it I imagine that it'd still be going strong. It's 1st replacement only lasted a month or so, but that was because the software got messed up somehow, so again that wasn't a physical failure on the part of the unit.

[elcreative]

And I've lost track of how old my 505 is but it does get used for at least a couple of hours every day - more at weekends - and is still in fine order with a barely noticeable, slightly shorter battery life...

[ereaders]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

Kindle Keyboard - A year+ of moderate-to-heavy use, no noticeable decline in performance or battery life.

Sony T-1 - Same.

If that many of his customers are telling him the same thing... is he actually seeing the devices for himself? I ask because there's a phenomenon I've seen that tends to occur with the "next gen" upgrade cycle, which is usually one year. Suddenly perfectly good devices aren't quite good enough anymore and one might start to convince oneself that they need a new one because the old one isn't up to par. The shiny has worn off, and the new ones look so yummy! I've done this myself, though I usually stop short of actually buying the new one.

Or maybe he's trying to get back at his boss, because what he's saying is not going to help sales.

Since I have done some research and I started asking him tons of questions. The Sales/Tech may try to find something that would get me into believing in his story. By the way, he tried to sell me an extended warranty.

[pidgeon92]

All of my eink ereaders are still in great working order. The oldest one I have right now is a K2 from Feb 2009.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by ereaders

By the way, he tried to sell me an extended warranty.

Ah. That right there may explain it. Different stores have different policies, but if he's been instructed to deliver a number of warranty sales and / or gets paid commission for add-ons like that, that could be his motivation. If he convinces you that none will last for more than a year, "but for just $9.99 you can get a warranty that will cover if when it stops working properly"...

Yeah.

[Yolina]

Originally Posted by ereaders

. By the way, he tried to sell me an extended warranty.

Well there you go then - he probably gets a commission when he sells an extended warranty and is trying to "scare" you into taking one out.

Edit: too slow

[4691mls]

I've had my Sony PRS-T1 for a little over a year. I typically read at least 2 hours per day, more on weekends. It still runs the same as when it was new.

[Blossom]

I'd say he has no clue what he was talking about. My Kindle Keyboard I bought in Nov 2010 is still working like new. My Kindle Basic Silver was bought in Sept 2011 and works fine.

I expect my Kindle Paperwhite to last just as long. It's just I will probably upgrade to the next big thing when it comes along.

[Apache]

I bought an extended warranty for my Nook HD+ from square Trade. I did so because it covers me dropping it.
Apache

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Apache

I bought an extended warranty for my Nook HD+ from square Trade. I did so because it covers me dropping it.
Apache

I had one for my Kindle Keyboard but didn't need it. It expired last Christmas.

I also have one for my Samsung Galaxy Player 5 just for the same reason.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Apache

I bought an extended warranty for my Nook HD+ from square Trade. I did so because it covers me dropping it.
Apache

Same here, on my Sony T1. Totally worth the peace of mind. I rarely drop things, but I do sometimes sit on things.

But I really dislike the "techniques" that sales staff often use to sell add-on products and services. Probably why I buy most things online. Just tell me if a warranty is available, how much it costs, and let me say yes or no. I was at a store (Best Buy? I don't remember) buying a router once when I was living in Florida. I lost track of the stuff they tried to sell me. I came really close to just canceling the transaction and leaving, but I really needed it because our router had just failed.

[Ricky D'Angelo]

My Sony PRS-350 lasted well over three years with fairly heavy use before the battery died out. I was considering replacing the battery but found it impossible to remove and ended up deciding it wasn't worth the time, effort or cost.

[JeremyR]

I have a launch Kindle 3 Keyboard with fairly heavy use. Still works, but the battery is noticeably worse. Lasts about half as long as it used to, and it seems like it takes longer to charge