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Old 02-09-2013, 03:46 PM   #16
crich70
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Originally Posted by kennyc View Post
What? They're not?
That was my first thought too kennyc. There is no such thing as an electronic device that is certain to last and last. If you drop a calculator it can break just as easily as an ereader.
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Old 02-09-2013, 04:18 PM   #17
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That is the point... these older calculators are actually way more complex, no single chip with everything on but despite this they just keep working...
The older calculators were complex and fragile. Those old 1970's LED calculators aren't running anymore. Newer calculators are less complex and more reliable. An e-reader is a much more complex piece of equipment than a calculator.
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Old 02-09-2013, 05:09 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by QuantumIguana View Post
The older calculators were complex and fragile. Those old 1970's LED calculators aren't running anymore. Newer calculators are less complex and more reliable. An e-reader is a much more complex piece of equipment than a calculator.
Shoot a calculator doesn't even have usb, much less wi-fi.
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Old 02-09-2013, 05:32 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by kennyc View Post
Shoot a calculator doesn't even have usb, much less wi-fi.
Yep it can subtract sums but not subtract funds.
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Old 02-09-2013, 06:42 PM   #20
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I used (and still do occasionally) my Kindle 2 US. That's more life than I've gotten out of any calculator--since they went to LCD anyway. I wore a TI-58c out over several years back in the day, though.
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:10 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by kennyc View Post
also seems to me the OP .... given that it was his first and only post ... is being at the least disingenuous and at the worst.....
What on earth do you mean?
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:24 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by Steeplechase View Post
What on earth do you mean?
Good to see you back.

That other poster can answer for him or herself, but this board is largely a fan site for eReaders, broadly defined. In general, if they get criticized, people will tend to argue the other way, so you might not want to do it too often unless you've got a lot of evidence. Although I myself may not have followed this advice all the time.

Personally -- I think your experience with that 33 year old calculator is unusually good.

Last edited by SteveEisenberg; 02-09-2013 at 07:49 PM.
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Old 02-09-2013, 07:27 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Steeplechase View Post
What on earth do you mean?
Just what i said.
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Old 02-09-2013, 09:34 PM   #24
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A few other comments:

Unfortunately, we don't seem to have frequency of repair data for eReaders. If we did, your Kobo N647 might be far from the best. Or it might be the best. I don't know.

With Kindle eInk readers, I can safely say that the main cause of failure is impact screen damage. If their screen was the same size as your calculator, maybe they would (with battery replacement) last that long. A few of them, anyway.
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Old 02-09-2013, 10:02 PM   #25
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My original Pocket Pro failed due to a screen fault. The Palm IIIx that I bought when it was bleeding edge tech is still going strong. YMMV.
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Old 02-09-2013, 10:20 PM   #26
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Honestly, the Kobo N647 never seemed like the sturdiest eReader around. Even when it was Kobo's primary device there were always better devices on the market. It seems like the new generation of Kobo eReaders are more durable than the first model Kobo reader. Still, I imagine there are people who still own working models of the Kobo N647.

As with any electronic gadget, there are some duds that make it to the market. Fortunately, for me, the majority of my gadgets, including my Sony PRS-350 have held up quite nicely. I had one Nook whose screen went kaput after 24 hrs. B&N replaced it and I never had any issues with the replacement.
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Old 02-09-2013, 10:56 PM   #27
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First of all, thank you for all the responses. After I posted I went to sleep and then to work which is why I did not monitor this thread.

You folks obviously like eReaders. That is why I registered and posted. I wanted to learn from people who actually have and use them more than the general public.

Like you, I really enjoyed my eReader. I just didn't expect it to die so quickly. I did not drop it. I did not hit it. I did not wear out the buttons. I did not throw it in a junk drawer. It was well cared for and it failed.

Some of you may have different pecuniary restraints than do I. For me, purchase of the KOBO was a big deal. In the time that it worked, I didn't buy a single ebook, aside from one Humble eBook Bundle. I downloaded public domain and creative commons works. I converted some texts to ePub. I volunteered a little on pgdp.net to help along the conversion of public domain pdf's to ePub. I installed Adobe DRM so I could borrow eBooks from my library.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading a heavy five hundred page book on a light and comfortable eInk reader. I loved pulling out my eReader while in line at the bank or eating lunch and having a library of books to choose from.

Although I really like the KOBO (and would love to have a fully open source eInk reader) I won't purchase one every couple of years if that is all they last. It just isn't in my budget.

What I hear you saying is that while some of you have had eReaders last a good long time, that many of you have had them fail within a few years of purchase.

Do any of you see a time when an eReader is reliably manufactured to last 5 or 10 years or do you see them as disposable items intended to last until the warranty runs out? Are new models lasting longer or is price pressure lowering the quality?

Is there any way to assure that a new will never be bent or twisted in storag and the eReader will last? I've seen reports on this site that even bulky covers and cases don't ensure that the glass won't fail.
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Old 02-10-2013, 12:13 AM   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steeplechase View Post
What I hear you saying is that while some of you have had eReaders last a good long time, that many of you have had them fail within a few years of purchase.

Do any of you see a time when an eReader is reliably manufactured to last 5 or 10 years or do you see them as disposable items intended to last until the warranty runs out? Are new models lasting longer or is price pressure lowering the quality?
Devices like this haven't been available long enough to know what an average lifespan will be. The first eInk reader was released in April 2004 and had a small release in Japan. The first one widely available was the Sony PRS-500 which came out in 2006 and you'll still find those in use today.


Quote:
Is there any way to assure that a new will never be bent or twisted in storag and the eReader will last? I've seen reports on this site that even bulky covers and cases don't ensure that the glass won't fail.
There's no guarantee with anything. As has been said a new device could fail tomorrow or die 20 years from now. Anything that's mass produced like this is going to have a certain failure rate. As long as you aren't doing something that could damage the screen you're much more likely to have the battery wear out after 5-6 years than have the reader stop functioning IMO.



You said your device bit the dust, but never expanded. Are you sure it's dead?


.

Last edited by AnemicOak; 02-10-2013 at 12:15 AM.
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Old 02-10-2013, 12:49 AM   #29
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Originally Posted by AnemicOak View Post
Devices like this haven't been available long enough to know what an average lifespan will be.

You said your device bit the dust, but never expanded. Are you sure it's dead?


.
Anecdotal experience is all I expected as far as lifespan. I know that with so many devices it is hard to determine expected lifespan and with varying quality within a run of single device it is hard to determine expected lifespan for even a single model.

Yes. Mine is dead. It won't turn on. I have followed all the KOBO advice regarding resetting. It won't reset. I found the post, here or somewhere where the KOBO rep replied with a "so sad too bad" to a fellow whose device was in the same shape as mine.

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Old 02-10-2013, 12:54 AM   #30
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There's no guarantee with anything. As has been said a new device could fail tomorrow or die 20 years from now. Anything that's mass produced like this is going to have a certain failure rate. As long as you aren't doing something that could damage the screen you're much more likely to have the battery wear out after 5-6 years than have the reader stop functioning IMO.

.
I had a neighbor when I was growing up who came to know that feeling. The family had bought a new T.V. set (the old dial type with cathode ray tube) and one day not long after they got it, the thing just died. And my mom had that happen to a coffee maker. She plugged it in the 1st time, poured water in to make coffee, the thing perked about a cup of coffee (out of a 12 cup capacity) and ceased to function. I saw a show on PBS the other night where they talked about the 1st transistors. Back then they weren't the most stable things I guess. One minute they'd be working and then you could tap them with a pencil and they would stop working. Technology has gotten a lot better now days but everything wears out in time and parts are so small you can't tell before hand if something will work a normal lifespan or not.
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