08-04-2007, 07:18 PM | #1 |
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Do Sony Readers Run Down When Turned Off?
I've noticed that the battery of my Sony Reader seems to drain significantly even when turned off, so much so that if left unused for 2-3 weeks, starting with an initially full charge, there is virtually no charge left and it has to be fully recharged. Have other people experienced this? I just called Sony tech support, and was told that this is completely normal: that despite the advertised claim that E-Ink technology drains power only when pages are being turned, in fact E-Ink technology DOES drain the battery even when the Sony Reader is turned off. (If true, I assume that this would be in addition to the normal drainage that happens to most rechargeable batteries after a while, though this is the fastest I've ever experienced a Li-Ion battery draining while not used.) Have other people experienced this kind of rate of discharge while their units aren't turned on? If not, does anyone have suggestions about what might be going on with my Sony Reader? Thanks for your help.
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08-04-2007, 07:26 PM | #2 |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
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The Reader doesn't actually turn off. It's still running after you flick the power switch.
Two to 3 weeks is normal. |
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08-04-2007, 07:47 PM | #3 |
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Yes it is nrmal for it to run down when not in use. I neglected to use my reader for about three weeks and was down to one bar of power.
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08-04-2007, 08:21 PM | #4 |
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Thanks
Thanks, I appreciate these posts and they answer my question. Certainly this isn't a big problem as long as one is aware of it; I just wish Sony were a little more forthcoming about the fact that it would be unwise to disappear into deep boonies for an extended period (sans charger) expecting thousands of page turns before having to recharge one's Reader.
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08-04-2007, 08:33 PM | #5 | |
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Quote:
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08-04-2007, 08:42 PM | #6 |
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Yes, I've been known to use solar chargers when I'm away from the ordinary grid for an extended period, and that's definitely what I'll now do with the Sony Reader...but based on Sony's marketing, I wouldn't have assumed that this would have been necessary. Again, I'm not complaining...I'm just glad I now know that Sony Readers can't be away from wall sockets (or alternative external power sources) for more than a couple weeks at a time.
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08-05-2007, 02:33 AM | #7 |
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The advantage of this behaviour is that the Reader is instantly ready for use when you switch it on. It's not like, say, the Iliad where it takes some 45 seconds to "boot" every time it's turned on. As you say, as long as one is aware of it, there's no issue. You'll lose approximately 1 "bar" of charge per week with the Reader turned off.
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08-06-2007, 08:43 PM | #8 |
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My reader drains completely in about 10 days. Documenting it fully, I ran it past tech support, and they had me send it in. Got it back promptly. It now drains completely in about 10 days. Sigh ... if 2 to 3 weeks is standard, I guess I'm just on the low end, although could have sworn I got a full month, when I first received it. Frustrating, when tech support is so unsure of the product ... had to go thru 3 people before someone even had a clue what I was talking about, and it turns out, there may not have even been anything wrong. On the upside ... love the little thing.
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08-06-2007, 09:10 PM | #9 | |
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
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Try letting it sit there. If it drains that quickly on its own, then keep sending it in until they replace it. |
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08-07-2007, 08:42 PM | #10 |
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Drained that quickly on it's own, before replacement. Painful though it was, I left it on the shelf without using, checking charge once a day. Tried that twice, with the same results. Because I wasn't reading all that much per day, I noticed that using it normally, it lasted almost exactly that same 10 days. Have just been using it normally since getting it back, and it's still dead after about the same duration ... mabe 1200 pages. I'm giving it a couple charges, as a fair test, but if it continues to look the same, I'll take your advice and give them another call (may repeat the sit-unused-on-the-shelf test once ... but it's hard to do ... there are books calling my name).
Last edited by mlbspike; 08-07-2007 at 08:45 PM. |
08-08-2007, 04:25 PM | #11 |
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My reader looses 1 bar every 5-6 days.
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08-08-2007, 10:25 PM | #12 |
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If you're leaving your Reader for a long time, a good idea would be to:
1) connect it to the PC, wait until the USB screen appears and disconnect it (this will save the bookmarks) 2) turn it off 3) press the reset That will "really turn it off" and the battery won't drain beyond the natural discharge. When you're back, you'll just have to wait a bit longer for it to boot. |
08-09-2007, 10:13 AM | #13 | |
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As Johnny Carson would say: "I did not know that." When you turn it back on, does it go through a 2-3 minute reboot process? Also, what do you mean, "the USB screen"? I don't think I see a USB screen when I plug my Reader into my laptop. Thanks, Don |
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08-09-2007, 10:29 AM | #14 |
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You should see a blank screen with a picture of a USB connector and "USB Connected" underneath. When you run "Connect", a "Stop" sign appears and the text changes to "Do not disconnect".
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08-09-2007, 06:54 PM | #15 |
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Heh, I noticed this same drain problem myself a few months ago. The way I remedy it, I use it all the time and don't let it sit.
j/k HarryT offered the same advice a while back to hard off the device when you're not planning to use it for a while. That pretty much puts it into the same state it was when you received it. Cool Idea: Maybe some enterprising coder out there will put in some kind of key sequence we can push to get it to shut itself down this way without having to break out a paperclip and remove/bend the back cover? I think that would be a cool idea, or add it as an option under the tools section. |
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