E-reader reliability rant

[DJUNGELSKOG]

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Maybe don't keep buying Pocketbooks if they keep letting you down?

All of them have let me down at some point

[theducks]

So the questions are:
1)How old?
2)What is the fail mode.
3) Was it subject to hard usage (dropped, battery left discharged for days, left in a hot place)?

[haertig]

My PaperWhite 3 purchased in 2017 is still going strong. Before that, I used a Nook Simple Touch. That one still works fine too, except it doesn't have a screen light (which is why I moved to the PW3). So I don't use the Nook anymore. I just pull it out and charge it every 6 months to a year and make sure it boots and comes to life. My eReaders are not heavy use or hard use. I only have these two. I see no reason to upgrade from the PW3. It does everything I need. I'll probably just keep using it until it dies, then I'll find something to replace it. IMHO, eReaders hit maturity many years ago. The newer models don't add anything substantive in my view. They just add "different bling-bling" that doesn't really affect the basic functionality of the device hardly at all, IMHO. They're like a hammer nowadays. There's nothing a new hammer can do any better than a 50 year old hammer. The design is mature. Ditto for eReaders as far as I'm concerned.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by haertig

<snip>
IMHO, eReaders hit maturity many years ago. The newer models don't add anything substantive in my view. They just add "different bling-bling" that doesn't really affect the basic functionality of the device hardly at all, IMHO. They're like a hammer nowadays. There's nothing a new hammer can do any better than a 50 year old hammer. The design is mature. Ditto for eReaders as far as I'm concerned.

Bingo! Backlight was the main reason I went Kobo, but I lost buttons), then the Libra2 had both (and a slightly bigger screen). E-Ink was always the main feature from day 1. Once the storage could hold a years worth of reading, that was no longer a checklist item. The rest is pretty much ad hype.

[Quoth]

Yes, for 6" there is little advance in ereaders, other than storage, since the Voyage or Paperwhite 3.

Sadly we seem to now be going backwards on choice. Amazon seems to be going backwards on GUI and local control.

[kandwo]

The problem that I've had with e-readers is a yellowing of the screen along the borders of the device. It seems like certain models are more prone to this than others.

I had a Leaf 2 that suffered from that and even had it replaced with the replacement discoloring, as well.

My Bigme Hibreak Pro also had this.

None of my Kindles or Kobos have suffered from this, though.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by kandwo

The problem that I've had with e-readers is a yellowing of the screen along the borders of the device. It seems like certain models are more prone to this than others.

I had a Leaf 2 that suffered from that and even had it replaced with the replacement discoloring, as well.

My Bigme Hibreak Pro also had this.

None of my Kindles or Kobos have suffered from this, though.

That's strange. It would be interesting to know the reason for this.

[Paperbackstash]

Sounds unlucky to me, but I don't have a pocketbook and have't had a Kobo so am not sure. I've had four kindles and none broke even after years of use, although both of my friends had their kindles break in under two years, so it does happen.

[Renate]

I'm wondering if I should order a spare Onyx Go 6.
It seems that development on 6" B&W readers has slowed down.

[kandwo]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

That's strange. It would be interesting to know the reason for this.

From what I've read it seems that it might be the glue oxidizing. So I guess the construction of certain models just isn't good enough and let's in air.

An annoying problem since e-readers are very expensive and the screen is the selling point.

[rkomar]

Decay rates of electronics may also depend on where you live. Whether you are in a cool and dry climate, or hot and humid.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by rkomar

Decay rates of electronics may also depend on where you live. Whether you are in a cool and dry climate, or hot and humid.

The worst is ocean coastal with salt air.

[rkomar]

I used to live two blocks from the saltwater inlet in Vancouver and didn't notice any electronics decay, but it never really got hot there. Maybe the water was also a lot less salty than the ocean. It was humid, though, and mold was definitely a problem there.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by rkomar

I used to live two blocks from the saltwater inlet in Vancouver and didn't notice any electronics decay, but it never really got hot there. Maybe the water was also a lot less salty than the ocean. It was humid, though, and mold was definitely a problem there.

Burrard Inlet? A fraction less salty than the open ocean depending on rain. One employer had issues with salt and humidity causing issues with electronics. But then we had more issues with rusters (people with corrosive skin) than airborne contaminants. We went through a lot of pairs of white cotton gloves.

[rkomar]

Yes, Burrard Inlet. I bought my PRS-505 when I lived there and even read it on the shore while the water splashed against the rock I was sitting on. The only problem I had was that I had to close the cover when turning pages when sitting in the sun, or the text would be really faded. I moved away ten years later, and the PRS-505 is still working perfectly well today, so I'm not sure what to say about salt corrosion except that it didn't happen to me.