Is there a way to turn off unit without blanking the display

tyrathca · 02-26-2008, 03:32 PM

I like the digital photoframe. Also I find the cybook useful when having some charts and reference material on the screen. Because I refer to the reference over a couple days, it would be nice to poweroff the unit without blanking the display. That way I would only have to poweron the unit every couple of days to change the display and save my battery. Also would be great for the digital photo display too.

Thanks

NatCh · 02-26-2008, 03:58 PM

I don't know if it would work with the Cybook, but you can do this with a Sony Reader by bringing up the image you want to "keep" on the display, and then clicking the Reset pin-hole on the back. On the Sony's that just makes the thing stop cold where it is, so the display doesn't blank.

Boeboe · 02-26-2008, 06:26 PM

Resetting the cybook will also turn it off without blanking the screen. Very effective, but I don't know how healthy it is to reset the device all the time.

Ortep · 02-27-2008, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyrathca

That way I would only have to poweron the unit every couple of days to change the display and save my battery. Also would be great for the digital photo display too.

It does not really matter for your battery life. Li batteries can be charged somewere between 500 and 1000 times before the capacity drops below 50%.Even if you charge every 3 days you will end up at at least 1500 days. That is about 4 years.
But they also age with time. So even if you don't use them, in about 3-4 years the capacity is also 50%.

And even then the battery is still usable. You only have to charge more often

pilotbob · 03-04-2008, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ortep

It does not really matter for your battery life. Li batteries can be charged somewere between 500 and 1000 times before the capacity drops below 50%.Even if you charge every 3 days you will end up at at least 1500 days. That is about 4 years.
But they also age with time. So even if you don't use them, in about 3-4 years the capacity is also 50%.

And even then the battery is still usable. You only have to charge more often

Is the Cybook battery user replaceable? I seem to remember one of the units coming out was going to be. Maybe it was the Hanlin.

BOb

HarryT · 03-04-2008, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Is the Cybook battery user replaceable? I seem to remember one of the units coming out was going to be. Maybe it was the Hanlin.

BOb

It is, yes, It's under a removeable cover on the back of the machine. You get a spare battery, in fact, when you buy the "deluxe" version of the Gen3, although I don't know why anyone would really want one, given the battery life!

ottocrat · 03-18-2008, 11:48 AM

I thought the point of the e-ink display was that it draws no power from the battery as long as the display is not changed?

So if you disable auto-off on the Cybook, surely you can leave the display 'on' indefinitely without running down the battery?

In fact, I'd love someone to explain to me why the Cybook even has an auto-off feature. Surely it consumes more power to switch off and then have to boot up again than if you just leave it 'running'?

NatCh · 03-18-2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocrat

Surely it consumes more power to switch off and then have to boot up again than if you just leave it 'running'?

I'd say that depends on how long you leave it switched off.

I've been playing with my PRS500 lately, to see what sort of battery life I get if I turn it "off" off when I'm not using it. If I turn it off for most of the day, then the battery life is just incredible -- I'm going on 3 weeks and I'm still at ~75%. But if I turn it off and on several times during the day, the battery life is appalling, only about a week.

I think the operative bit is that for the PRS500, it runs at full throttle when it's starting up, and it takes ~2.5 minutes to do that, but when it's on suspend, it's running at a much lower power level. This suggests to me that there's probably some break-even period of time, and for less than that time, it's better to just leave the rascal on, but for more, it's better to turn it off.

I imagine most of that applies to the Cybook in one way or another, but obviously I don't know it.

ottocrat · 03-18-2008, 12:14 PM

Ah, OK, so in fact it is still drawing power as long as the display is active? Albeit only a very small amount of power.

HarryT · 03-18-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocrat

Ah, OK, so in fact it is still drawing power as long as the display is active? Albeit only a very small amount of power.

No, the display isn't using any power unless it's changing its contents, but the CyBook is a computer, running an operating system. The CPU and memory are all constantly draining power as long as the machine is switched on. Not much, but enough to drain the battery in 4-5 days if you leave the machine switched on.

ottocrat · 03-18-2008, 12:53 PM

Right. Pity that they opted to wipe the display then when it powers down.

DaleDe · 03-18-2008, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ottocrat

Right. Pity that they opted to wipe the display then when it powers down.

By default this was a good decision. We already have lots of people thinking the unit is still running when it crashes just because the display is still on. It would be nice if this were an advanced option to leave the display on. Of course some people don't want other people seeing what they were reading.

Dale

NatCh · 03-18-2008, 01:09 PM

Before any of these devices were released, and before any of us knew what they would do with the display when off, we had a few discussions about hoping they would blank the screen when they're "off" so that Flight Attendants (for example) wouldn't insist that they must still be on.

Generally speaking, a blank screen is an evidence of "offness" that most everyone will accept. I expect that's why they've all mostly gone that route.

pilotbob · 03-18-2008, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Not much, but enough to drain the battery in 4-5 days if you leave the machine switched on.

Does it not switch off after a certain amount of time. I know my sony does. If I don't use it for a time, when I flip the switch I get the bootup screen. Normall, if I just leave it for a day or two it comes instantly back to the last screen/page I was on.

BOb

HarryT · 03-18-2008, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Does it not switch off after a certain amount of time. I know my sony does. If I don't use it for a time, when I flip the switch I get the bootup screen. Normall, if I just leave it for a day or two it comes instantly back to the last screen/page I was on.

BOb

You can set an "auto-power-off" interval anywhere between 10 minutes and "never switch off". I have mine set at 1 hour.

02-26-2008, 03:32 PM	#1
tyrathca Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: HTC Wizard	Is there a way to turn off unit without blanking the display I like the digital photoframe. Also I find the cybook useful when having some charts and reference material on the screen. Because I refer to the reference over a couple days, it would be nice to poweroff the unit without blanking the display. That way I would only have to poweron the unit every couple of days to change the display and save my battery. Also would be great for the digital photo display too. Thanks

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02-26-2008, 03:58 PM	#2
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	I don't know if it would work with the Cybook, but you can do this with a Sony Reader by bringing up the image you want to "keep" on the display, and then clicking the Reset pin-hole on the back. On the Sony's that just makes the thing stop cold where it is, so the display doesn't blank.

02-26-2008, 06:26 PM	#3
Boeboe Member Posts: 23 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Belgium Device: cybook gen3	Resetting the cybook will also turn it off without blanking the screen. Very effective, but I don't know how healthy it is to reset the device all the time.

03-18-2008, 11:48 AM	#7
ottocrat Bookish Posts: 53 Karma: 189 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: Psion 5, Palm Tungsten T2, Nokia N73, Cybook Gen3	I thought the point of the e-ink display was that it draws no power from the battery as long as the display is not changed? So if you disable auto-off on the Cybook, surely you can leave the display 'on' indefinitely without running down the battery? In fact, I'd love someone to explain to me why the Cybook even has an auto-off feature. Surely it consumes more power to switch off and then have to boot up again than if you just leave it 'running'?

03-18-2008, 12:14 PM	#9
ottocrat Bookish Posts: 53 Karma: 189 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: Psion 5, Palm Tungsten T2, Nokia N73, Cybook Gen3	Ah, OK, so in fact it is still drawing power as long as the display is active? Albeit only a very small amount of power.

03-18-2008, 12:53 PM	#11
ottocrat Bookish Posts: 53 Karma: 189 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Brussels, Belgium Device: Psion 5, Palm Tungsten T2, Nokia N73, Cybook Gen3	Right. Pity that they opted to wipe the display then when it powers down.

03-18-2008, 01:09 PM	#13
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Before any of these devices were released, and before any of us knew what they would do with the display when off, we had a few discussions about hoping they would blank the screen when they're "off" so that Flight Attendants (for example) wouldn't insist that they must still be on. Generally speaking, a blank screen is an evidence of "offness" that most everyone will accept. I expect that's why they've all mostly gone that route.

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