Average life span of a Kindle?

jbcohen · 09-30-2011, 08:59 AM

Don't get me wrong I love my Kindle and I do not wish it ill in any way, I am curious what the average life span of a Kindle is? Mine is a mear four months of age so its probably not goign anywhere anytime soon.

DiapDealer · 09-30-2011, 09:08 AM

It probably depends on the model. Many people still have working K1's, my K2 is one of the early US only models, and it's still going strong, but who knows. I have a sneaky suspicion that newer models aren't built with the same care that the older ones were. The K3 just doesn't feel as "sturdy" as the previous model and etc.... Price of popularity and miniaturization I guess.

NOTE: I realize that the above post can be easily interpreted as an "Older is Better" type of mantra, but that's not how it was really intended. I was aiming for more of a "Newer is More Disposable" mantra, actually.

HomeInMyShoes · 09-30-2011, 09:28 AM

^But I don't want my stuff to be disposable. Especially when it's an e-reader. Outside of support for other formats I don't really need any upgrades in the technology. Mine is only four months old now too. I would hope to get at least a few years out of it.

DiapDealer · 09-30-2011, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^But I don't want my stuff to be disposable. Especially when it's an e-reader. Outside of support for other formats I don't really need any upgrades in the technology. Mine is only four months old now too. I would hope to get at least a few years out of it.

I see no reason to think you won't, but it all depends on how much you use it and how adventurous you are when the battery inevitably pukes.

HomeInMyShoes · 09-30-2011, 09:37 AM

^Wire it up to a small solar collector and attach the solar collector on top of my head as a hat. I'd be all the rage at royal weddings.

RDaneel54 · 09-30-2011, 09:40 AM

I know my Sony 505 that I gave away was built like a tank. It will probably survive Nuclear War (except for the EMP). My iPod Touch 1st gen (4 years old) and my iPod Nano 2nd gen (5 years old) are also troopers that are used daily and don't look like dying anytime soon. The iPod Touch is needing more frequent charging lately, though.

But I also get the disposable feel from the Kindle 3. Not that it isn't a good product which I'm very happy with. With care, I think these will last many years. Just don't treat them like they show in the commercials - dog licking, tossing in drawer with junk, carrying in back pocket, etc. The sleep button may get wonky after several years, though.

howyoudoin · 09-30-2011, 10:03 AM

I'd imagine the battery would be the limiting factor for the kindles. The experience of people with the first generation kindles seems to suggest so.

ucfgrad93 · 09-30-2011, 10:11 AM

I have a Kindle 2 that is 21 months old and it is still working great.

markdek · 09-30-2011, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ucfgrad93

I have a Kindle 2 that is 21 months old and it is still working great.

You must not have any kids, or relatives from Kentucky...

ucfgrad93 · 09-30-2011, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markdek

You must not have any kids, or relatives from Kentucky...

I have an 11 year old who used it a little over the summer. But no relatives from Kentucky.

texasnightowl · 09-30-2011, 10:25 AM

My K1 is now over 3 years old. I did have to replace the battery, but otherwise it has been fine.

DiapDealer · 09-30-2011, 10:26 AM

I bought my K2 in the first wave after they were introduced... however long ago that was. I'm still on the factory battery and I'm what I would call a "heavy" reader. It definitely needs to be recharged a little more often than it used to, so I'll be ordering a replacement battery soon.

Jean · 09-30-2011, 01:55 PM

My K1 is almost 4 years old and while I did replace the battery it still works great. I use it every day and it goes everywhere with me in my purse.

jruschme · 09-30-2011, 03:30 PM

We had to finally replace our K1 (purchased shortly after the Oprah deal) a couple of weeks ago after it took one too many falls out of the factory cover and started locking up randomly. OTOH, my wife's early K2 (US) is still going strong.

Personally, I'd say that, given reasonable care, the only long-term issue should be the battery. Also, Amazon has, so far, been great in offering discounted replacements for older Kindles which have died. (In our case, we were able to replace the K1 with a refurbished K3 3G for $70. The whole thing was handled as a regular RMA.)

carld · 09-30-2011, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jbcohen

Don't get me wrong I love my Kindle and I do not wish it ill in any way, I am curious what the average life span of a Kindle is? Mine is a mear four months of age so its probably not goign anywhere anytime soon.

My K1 still works fine four years later. I've upgraded to a K3, but my original Kindle took a lot of use and abuse before I retired it. I unboxed it and charged it up a couple of weeks ago.

09-30-2011, 08:59 AM	#1
jbcohen Wizard Posts: 3,030 Karma: 11196738 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Where am I? Device: Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition and a Samsung S24 Ultra	Average life span of a Kindle? Don't get me wrong I love my Kindle and I do not wish it ill in any way, I am curious what the average life span of a Kindle is? Mine is a mear four months of age so its probably not goign anywhere anytime soon.

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09-30-2011, 09:08 AM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,387 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	It probably depends on the model. Many people still have working K1's, my K2 is one of the early US only models, and it's still going strong, but who knows. I have a sneaky suspicion that newer models aren't built with the same care that the older ones were. The K3 just doesn't feel as "sturdy" as the previous model and etc.... Price of popularity and miniaturization I guess. NOTE: I realize that the above post can be easily interpreted as an "Older is Better" type of mantra, but that's not how it was really intended. I was aiming for more of a "Newer is More Disposable" mantra, actually.

09-30-2011, 09:28 AM	#3
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	^But I don't want my stuff to be disposable. Especially when it's an e-reader. Outside of support for other formats I don't really need any upgrades in the technology. Mine is only four months old now too. I would hope to get at least a few years out of it.

09-30-2011, 09:37 AM	#5
HomeInMyShoes Grand Sorcerer Posts: 19,226 Karma: 67780237 Join Date: Jul 2011 Device: none	^Wire it up to a small solar collector and attach the solar collector on top of my head as a hat. I'd be all the rage at royal weddings.

09-30-2011, 09:40 AM	#6
RDaneel54 Aging Positronic Brain Posts: 633 Karma: 2155452 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Aurora (when off-Earth) Device: Amazon Oasis; iPhone, iPad Mini	I know my Sony 505 that I gave away was built like a tank. It will probably survive Nuclear War (except for the EMP). My iPod Touch 1st gen (4 years old) and my iPod Nano 2nd gen (5 years old) are also troopers that are used daily and don't look like dying anytime soon. The iPod Touch is needing more frequent charging lately, though. But I also get the disposable feel from the Kindle 3. Not that it isn't a good product which I'm very happy with. With care, I think these will last many years. Just don't treat them like they show in the commercials - dog licking, tossing in drawer with junk, carrying in back pocket, etc. The sleep button may get wonky after several years, though.

09-30-2011, 10:03 AM	#7
howyoudoin how YOU doin? Posts: 1,100 Karma: 7371047 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: India Device: Kindle Keyboard, iPad Pro 10.5”, Kobo Aura H2O, Kobo Libra 2	I'd imagine the battery would be the limiting factor for the kindles. The experience of people with the first generation kindles seems to suggest so.

09-30-2011, 10:11 AM	#8
ucfgrad93 Wizard Posts: 2,370 Karma: 9026681 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Colorado Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2nd Gen	I have a Kindle 2 that is 21 months old and it is still working great.

09-30-2011, 10:25 AM	#11
texasnightowl Guru Posts: 796 Karma: 2873645 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Texas Device: PW5, Oasis 3, K4B(NT), K3/KK	My K1 is now over 3 years old. I did have to replace the battery, but otherwise it has been fine.

09-30-2011, 10:26 AM	#12
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,387 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I bought my K2 in the first wave after they were introduced... however long ago that was. I'm still on the factory battery and I'm what I would call a "heavy" reader. It definitely needs to be recharged a little more often than it used to, so I'll be ordering a replacement battery soon.

09-30-2011, 01:55 PM	#13
Jean Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 1069296 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Washington State Device: Kindle 1 / Kindle Fire / Kindle Paperwhite / Kobo Libra Colour	My K1 is almost 4 years old and while I did replace the battery it still works great. I use it every day and it goes everywhere with me in my purse.

09-30-2011, 03:30 PM	#14
jruschme Member Posts: 18 Karma: 10 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Brick, NJ Device: Kindle WiFi	We had to finally replace our K1 (purchased shortly after the Oprah deal) a couple of weeks ago after it took one too many falls out of the factory cover and started locking up randomly. OTOH, my wife's early K2 (US) is still going strong. Personally, I'd say that, given reasonable care, the only long-term issue should be the battery. Also, Amazon has, so far, been great in offering discounted replacements for older Kindles which have died. (In our case, we were able to replace the K1 with a refurbished K3 3G for $70. The whole thing was handled as a regular RMA.)