Teeny-tiny xteink X4 Reader gets an 'upgrade': Light and Touch Screen Added

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

Think outside the box?

https://www.amazon.com/Enhanced-1000.../dp/B0CLNTWK46

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

[DNSB]

Given the number of complaints from MobileRead users about weight, suggesting adding a battery pack that would markedly increase the weight is not likely to be popular. Oddly, the unit being sold on Amazon claims a weight of 90.7 grams while the average weight for a 10,000mAH lithium ion battery in the samples I checked on Amazon.ca varied from 150-200 grams. One example is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDTPFQ3P weighing in at 171 grams. Add the case, etc. and it's likely to weigh more than my Libra Colour.

To make it more fun, I checked the specs on 4 10,000mAH power banks with wireless charging. The lightest clocked it at 200 grams, the heaviest at 249 grams.

Personally, I feel for Kobo's ereaders, a power bank and cable would be a cheaper solution. One friend of mine did add a wireless charging receiver to his Clara BW (GOWENIC, about 15 grams) but then he needed the sender and a wall wart to power the sender though it also worked with an Anker power bank's wireless charging. The same one that my iPhone shows slow charging when I tried using it.

[John F]

Originally Posted by Quoth

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

Vs a dangling cable adding weight, getting all twisted, having to carry the cable and a wallwart, or a cable and powerpack.

No thank you.

[John F]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Given the number of complaints from MobileRead users about weight, suggesting adding a battery pack that would markedly increase the weight is not likely to be popular. ...

Vs all the posts about adding weight to a reader isn't a big deal.

[Uncle Robin]

Originally Posted by DNSB

To make it more fun, I checked the specs on 4 10,000mAH power banks with wireless charging. The lightest clocked it at 200 grams, the heaviest at 249 grams.

Personally, I feel for Kobo's ereaders, a power bank and cable would be a cheaper solution.

This. The 10,000mAH I regularly use with my Sage is 207 grams and is very convenient to have connected while reading if needed

[John F]

Originally Posted by Quoth

How do you use a gadget while charging if it doesn't use a plug in cable?

...

Originally Posted by John F

Think outside the box?

https://www.amazon.com/Enhanced-1000.../dp/B0CLNTWK46

Originally Posted by Quoth

A stupid product adding weight and bulk compared to plugging in a cable.

It's not an example of thinking outside the box.

And you are moving the goal posts.

Either stick to your universal statement, or add some "I"s to your posts.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by John F

And you are moving the goal posts.

Either stick to your universal statement, or add some "I"s to your posts.

Did you ever actually add a wireless charging receiver to your ereader and then figure out how to mount the wireless charger so that you could hold the ereader without having the wireless charger move out of position every few seconds? Did you personally find that doubling of the weight of the ereader did not make it harder to hand hold.

I've been there and done that. As a proof of concept, it worked. As something usable while holding the reader in your hand, totally useless. Having a power bank with a USB cable was just as portable and did not require the reader to hold the weight of the ereader, wireless receiver and wireless transmitter/power bank while reading. The USB cable does add some weight but since the USB-C to USB-C 1.5 metre cable I use with my power bank weighs 26 grams but a lot of that weight is carried by whatever surface I place the power bank on, to me, it's not a big deal.

Considering that the Kobo Forma without a case weighs 197 grams and the Kobo Sage without a case weighs 241 grams. Yet that 44 grams seems to be very noticeable to many. Now you are suggesting doubling the weight and using a more wasteful charging system (wired charging averages 90-95% efficiency while wireless charging runs about 60-80%, vampire energy usage (power consumed by the charger with no device connected) is even more favourable to a wired charger) as if that was a good idea.

There are pretty good reasons why Amazon's wireless charger for the Kindle Paperwhite SE/Kindle Colorsoft SE is also a reading stand.

[Quoth]

I've 4 power banks (don't ask) and never found the need to use them with an ereader or phone. I guess I've never gone camping since getting them. I recently got a couple of USB to 9V/12V adaptors and now use them for a a couple of gadgets with no built-in batteries where the weight doesn’t matter. In the past I'd have fitted a load of NiMH cells, but I have the unused power banks bought for phone/ereader.

It's easy to add wireless charging to many things, but a gimmick.

[John F]

Originally Posted by DNSB

...

Cool story bro, tell me some more.

Think outside the box. Use the tool that works best for you.

Personally, I use a cable for charging my ereader, which I haven't had to do yet "on the go". I use a wirelesss charger for my phone, and I don't have to charge it "on the go".

If I had to charge my phone a lot on the go, I would most likely get some sort of wireless charger: either a case or magnetical attachment.

[Almamida]

Originally Posted by Quoth

How do you use a gadget while charging if it doesn't use a plug in cable?

Even a pin dock like a DECT phone, PMR446 or old pop-port phone has that issue, but those are far more efficient. Inductive charging (such as Qi) is gimmick. Less portable too as the inductive mat +cable + PSU takes more space in your bag than cable + PSU.

Sad article more like PR https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qi_(standard)

Qi2 and Magsafe allow for using the gadget while charging.

https://woodcessories.com/cdn/shop/a...p?v=1732278245


Now, it wouldn't be a solution that fits the low entry price these devices are aiming for and there are risks of heating if not implemented well.

Also, the battery is so small that it is charged really fast as is.

I would have rather had them to stick to USB-C even at the cost of a few millimetres of added thickness.

Yet, the POGO 4 pins they chose is a standard one, easily purchasable. I don't like this solution as I can lose the adapter but I bought a couple of extra ones and will add one to my keychain.