Opus Good bye Bookeen!

jamiethehutt · 06-12-2011, 07:44 AM

Well my Opus' screen has broken. It was in Bookeen's case. In a padded section of my laptop bag, all by it's self. My laptop was in the bag as well, so I was being gentle.

This has happened less than a year after I'd got it so I'd hoped there would be a warranty. Nope. 50€ + shipping* that's more than half the price of a Kindle, so I'll just consider the Kindle I'm buying half price.

I've dealt with Amazon's hardware support before (broke two CD players bought through them) and it's been perfect, first one they replaced without question, second time they gave me a voucher without question. That and given the Kindle forum isn't filled with "Broke my screen, Bookeen charging me" I think I'll have better luck there.

*Shipping was £20 and took two weeks last time. In total I'll have blown ~£250 on this ebook reader. That's more than the laptop it was sharing the bag with.

EowynCarter · 06-12-2011, 01:42 PM

Well, got a broken screen on my gen 3 too. Had to pay for the scren too.
I didn't whine because bookeen refused to pay because I wasn't careful enough and my screen took a hit. The screen didn't broke all by itself.
I didn't asked Nintendo to pay for my dsi screen I managed to break either.

Yeah, amazon is sometimes extra nice. They makes enough money to afford it.

If you go that way, treat you kindle more nicely than this poor opus. The best way is to avoid needing support at all

jamiethehutt · 06-12-2011, 06:27 PM

Well if having it inside the case provided by Booken, inside a padded laptop section (all to it's self) of my laptop bag and taking said bag into a car, driving 20 miles, taking it out is considered rough treatment then perhaps Bookeen should never of advertised it as portable. They certainly would be outright irresponsible if they were to suggest you could put it in your pocket. Oh wait, they do that...

I just wanted to share my experience to anyone thinking of getting a Bookeen reader. I found that for twice the price of the competition you'll also be buying a reader without support and one with construction apparently not fit for purpose.

(I got an Opus as I'd ordered it a week before the Kindle 3 was announced and it was already on it's two week delivery, but I figured at twice the price I'd be getting a better product. Not so.)

EowynCarter · 06-13-2011, 01:44 AM

Quote:

Well if having it inside the case provided by Booken, inside a padded laptop section (all to it's self) of my laptop bag and taking said bag into a car, driving 20 miles, taking it out is considered rough treatment then perhaps Bookeen should never of advertised it as portable.

It can certainly stand that. Obviously something else happened. I don't remember my bad being hit with the cybook inside it. But marks on the case and the broken screen where proof that indeed, I hit my bag badly somewhere. Lesson taken, I never broke my screen again. e-ink screen are fragile, but not THAT fragile.

And other thing the can break the screen is being bent or pressured.

Quote:

They certainly would be outright irresponsible if they were to suggest you could put it in your pocket.

Bad idea indeed. unless you're talking large front pocket and don't risk someone bumping into you.

Oh, one last things : 6" screen will tends to break easier than 5".

Godzil · 06-13-2011, 03:42 AM

One thing, glass is a special material, it can not break on the first shock, but it can came after with changing temperature, for example. So you can not shock it when it broke, but a few days, weeks or even month before, and when it broke something, like a vibration break it completely.

Dulin's Books · 06-14-2011, 02:07 PM

exactly, as godzil says. the initial "damage" probably happened days before you put it in the pouch/case, in the the laptop bag, in the car. then a bump in the road or pressure from the laptop caused it to "run".

senjoli · 06-18-2011, 01:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamiethehutt

Well my Opus' screen has broken. It was in Bookeen's case. In a padded section of my laptop bag, all by it's self. My laptop was in the bag as well, so I was being gentle.

This has happened less than a year after I'd got it so I'd hoped there would be a warranty. Nope. 50€ + shipping* that's more than half the price of a Kindle, so I'll just consider the Kindle I'm buying half price.

I feel your pain. I really loved my cybook. The fonts are excellent.

I had a cybook Gen3 before the EZReader but the screen just streaked on me one day for no apparent reason. I know everyone says the screens must have had pressure applied to it, but I think cybook screens are just faulty. Mine was in the provided case in my sock drawer where I stored it every night. I guess my socks were too heavy.

I never did mail it back cause I'm in the USA, and the price for shipping and repairs allowed me to buy an EZReader for me and my sister.

EowynCarter · 06-18-2011, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by senjoli

I feel your pain. I really loved my cybook. The fonts are excellent.

I had a cybook Gen3 before the EZReader but the screen just streaked on me one day for no apparent reason. I know everyone says the screens must have had pressure applied to it, but I think cybook screens are just faulty. Mine was in the provided case in my sock drawer where I stored it every night. I guess my socks were too heavy.

I never did mail it back cause I'm in the USA, and the price for shipping and repairs allowed me to buy an EZReader for me and my sister.

As said, you might not remember when the choc or pressure happened, the damage can shows afterwards.
E-ink screen have a fine glass substrate, that makes them more fragile than lcd, that's all.

Godzil · 06-20-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EowynCarter

As said, you might not remember when the choc or pressure happened, the damage can shows afterwards.
E-ink screen have a fine glass substrate, that makes them more fragile than lcd, that's all.

LCD Screen are made the same way, but they have more big shell around them, at least for the backlight. But if you remove all of this, they are pretty similars.

lmarie · 06-29-2011, 09:40 AM

I have an early Gen3, funky brown faux leather case and all, and over the years I've not had a single problem with it (I read old classics, freebies downloaded from Mobileread). Nor has the screen broken, though I've dropped it (out of its case!) more times than I care to admit. From my own experience and reading posts here, I've come to the conclusion that whether or not one gets a good or bad ereader from a vendor is essentially random. Now that touch screens are out, I'm going to gamble again, this time on the Kobos Touch... Will I hit the gold twice?

eti.mar · 07-08-2011, 12:27 PM

My Cybook Opus travels in my backpack since 2 years, without any problem for now...
I don't especially protect it: of course I put it in his Bookeen case, but I ride my bike and take crowded underground every working day.

Halk · 07-17-2011, 05:40 PM

I broke 3 Gen 3 screens before I stopped patronishing Bookeen. Their design offers no protection at all from torsion. Two of the breaks were due to torsion - one was my own fault. A cover, Bookeen's or an aftermarket cover, cannot protect against torsion. The only way to protect against it is to have a solid case which surrounds the reader, covers which have flaps can't work.

If you want to avoid it happening, buy a reader that won't allow torsion to happen. The Sony Reader, in my opinion, is worth the extra money for that reason.

I do also remember that there was talk of eink coming without the glass section inside, which meant it was nigh on indestructible, but I've not heard anything about it since.

Billi · 07-17-2011, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Halk

The Sony Reader, in my opinion, is worth the extra money for that reason.

Which extra money?

The Gen3 has never been a "cheap reader".

irmar · 12-11-2011, 07:30 AM

I have (or my cat has) dropped my Opus innumerable times from my handbag (in its case) and some more times I accidentally knocked it down from my night table to the wooden floor (without a case!) and there has been no damage at all! I find it's very sturdy. Surely there must be another reason for your accident, as the other users have pointed out.

06-12-2011, 07:44 AM	#1
jamiethehutt Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland Device: Cybook Opus	Good bye Bookeen! Well my Opus' screen has broken. It was in Bookeen's case. In a padded section of my laptop bag, all by it's self. My laptop was in the bag as well, so I was being gentle. This has happened less than a year after I'd got it so I'd hoped there would be a warranty. Nope. 50€ + shipping* that's more than half the price of a Kindle, so I'll just consider the Kindle I'm buying half price. I've dealt with Amazon's hardware support before (broke two CD players bought through them) and it's been perfect, first one they replaced without question, second time they gave me a voucher without question. That and given the Kindle forum isn't filled with "Broke my screen, Bookeen charging me" I think I'll have better luck there. *Shipping was £20 and took two weeks last time. In total I'll have blown ~£250 on this ebook reader. That's more than the laptop it was sharing the bag with.

06-12-2011, 01:42 PM	#2
EowynCarter Wizard Posts: 4,332 Karma: 4000000 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Paris Device: Cybooks; Sony PRS-T1	Well, got a broken screen on my gen 3 too. Had to pay for the scren too. I didn't whine because bookeen refused to pay because I wasn't careful enough and my screen took a hit. The screen didn't broke all by itself. I didn't asked Nintendo to pay for my dsi screen I managed to break either. Yeah, amazon is sometimes extra nice. They makes enough money to afford it. If you go that way, treat you kindle more nicely than this poor opus. The best way is to avoid needing support at all Last edited by EowynCarter; 06-13-2011 at 03:52 AM.

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06-12-2011, 06:27 PM	#3
jamiethehutt Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Aberdeen, Scotland Device: Cybook Opus	Well if having it inside the case provided by Booken, inside a padded laptop section (all to it's self) of my laptop bag and taking said bag into a car, driving 20 miles, taking it out is considered rough treatment then perhaps Bookeen should never of advertised it as portable. They certainly would be outright irresponsible if they were to suggest you could put it in your pocket. Oh wait, they do that... I just wanted to share my experience to anyone thinking of getting a Bookeen reader. I found that for twice the price of the competition you'll also be buying a reader without support and one with construction apparently not fit for purpose. (I got an Opus as I'd ordered it a week before the Kindle 3 was announced and it was already on it's two week delivery, but I figured at twice the price I'd be getting a better product. Not so.)

06-13-2011, 03:42 AM	#5
Godzil a pthread?? where? where? Posts: 1,763 Karma: 30462 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Somewhere in EU Device: Newton MessagePad 2100, and only this	One thing, glass is a special material, it can not break on the first shock, but it can came after with changing temperature, for example. So you can not shock it when it broke, but a few days, weeks or even month before, and when it broke something, like a vibration break it completely.

06-14-2011, 02:07 PM	#6
Dulin's Books Wizard Posts: 2,806 Karma: 13500000 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Portland, OR Device: Boox PB360 etc etc etc	exactly, as godzil says. the initial "damage" probably happened days before you put it in the pouch/case, in the the laptop bag, in the car. then a bump in the road or pressure from the laptop caused it to "run".

06-29-2011, 09:40 AM	#10
lmarie Dilettante Posts: 148 Karma: 132 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Philadelphia area Device: EB1150, Cybook Gen3, Kobo Touch	I have an early Gen3, funky brown faux leather case and all, and over the years I've not had a single problem with it (I read old classics, freebies downloaded from Mobileread). Nor has the screen broken, though I've dropped it (out of its case!) more times than I care to admit. From my own experience and reading posts here, I've come to the conclusion that whether or not one gets a good or bad ereader from a vendor is essentially random. Now that touch screens are out, I'm going to gamble again, this time on the Kobos Touch... Will I hit the gold twice?

07-08-2011, 12:27 PM	#11
eti.mar Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 69618 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Paris, France Device: Cybook Opus	My Cybook Opus travels in my backpack since 2 years, without any problem for now... I don't especially protect it: of course I put it in his Bookeen case, but I ride my bike and take crowded underground every working day.

07-17-2011, 05:40 PM	#12
Halk Fanatic Posts: 534 Karma: 469999 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Scotland Device: Sony PRS-650 (PRS+ alpha - thanks Kartu!)	I broke 3 Gen 3 screens before I stopped patronishing Bookeen. Their design offers no protection at all from torsion. Two of the breaks were due to torsion - one was my own fault. A cover, Bookeen's or an aftermarket cover, cannot protect against torsion. The only way to protect against it is to have a solid case which surrounds the reader, covers which have flaps can't work. If you want to avoid it happening, buy a reader that won't allow torsion to happen. The Sony Reader, in my opinion, is worth the extra money for that reason. I do also remember that there was talk of eink coming without the glass section inside, which meant it was nigh on indestructible, but I've not heard anything about it since.

12-11-2011, 07:30 AM	#14
irmar Member Posts: 17 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Athens, Greece Device: Pocketbook plus 360	I have (or my cat has) dropped my Opus innumerable times from my handbag (in its case) and some more times I accidentally knocked it down from my night table to the wooden floor (without a case!) and there has been no damage at all! I find it's very sturdy. Surely there must be another reason for your accident, as the other users have pointed out.

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