Pocket Pro battery issue?

[emellaich]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

I don't know what to expect. They're meant to last 8000 pages or so. My first charge lasted a week of playing, beeped at 2 bars remaining (don't know the page count, was a 100 or so but I did start up and load heaps of books and flick pages testing different formats).

I'm on my second charge now and just lost a bar after 200 pages of reading. Hopefully I only need to cycle the battery 2-3 more times and I will come close to a reasonable number of page turns per charge. I certainly hope I don't have a faulty battery.

Anyone else experience low number of page turns the first few charge cycles?

Well my Kindle(s) get low page counts anytime I connect to my laptop for a substantial length of time (an hour or so). Most of the time I charge from the wall and don't need to connect to the laptop so this isn't a problem.

Here is what I think is happening. Some laptops (reported to include Dell, like mine) have a reputation for having underpowered USB ports. These ports don't deliver enough current to charge devices that are powered over USB. When I hook my Kindle up to my laptop I think it confuses the smart battery. It thinks that it is getting charged, but the power is much less than it really needs. Therefore, it has problems when it is removed because it is not as charged as it expects. Or something like that .

All I know is that I can report that my Kindle 'thinks' it is low on charge after only a few hundred pages for the first charge cycle or so after it has been connected to the laptop. I say, thinks, because I never really run it dry -- I'm just going on its reported need for a charge.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by gargoyle67

My batteries not that great, I only get about 4 chapters or about 400 pages before I start showing a bar less than full, Or is that about right ?

Dear Gargoyle:

If I only had a dime for every time I have written about battery charge gauges.

They do get better with use and will be a little more accurate... but they are meant only as a rough guide! They are not like a gas gauge on your car. They are not meant to be really a correct indicator. So... being down a bar after 200 pages may be just fine and likely is.

Be like me and listen to music while you read and you will really see the charge gauge go down. It is not that Astak builds a lousy gauge... none of them are really meant (I feel) to be more than a rough guide.

I charge mine every time it gets a little below 1/2 full on my gauge. I am anal retentive I guess but prefer to have it almost always fully charged. I live in California and a bad quake can knock out power for days.

We are going to be offering spare batteries on our website (www.theEZreader.com). The Astak battery takes about 50 seconds to change if you sleepwalk thru it). That is the beauty of the Pocket PRO... you CAN always carry a fully-charged spare!

No, I do not think you have any problem with your battery. For the most part they charge or they do not charge. If it charges at all you are fine. I am not at all dismissing your concern... but please look at the gauge as a rough guide.

[rling]

Originally Posted by Robertb

I live in California and a bad quake can knock out power for days.

One big one, and Phoenix or Las Vegas could be beach front property.

We are going to be offering spare batteries on our website (www.theEZreader.com).

With the widespread availablility of USB ports, would there really be a demand for a spare except to replace a dying battery? Qantas, for example, has it on every seat in their new Airbus. I was able to charge my phone, DS etc on the flights across the Pacific.

[gargoyle67]

@Robertb,
Yes it does seem a bit erratic at best the battery gage, After doing the battery disconnect charge I got about 750 odd page turns and still had a fully battery, I then charged using usb with out battery disconnect and only got 435 page turns before the battery showed one bar less. It does seem strange that some ppl can go 2000 odd page turns and still show full charge. I am going to buy another battery off you just to have as a spare and also to see if I get more millage out of it
Thanks for your input Robertb

[Javed]

Originally Posted by Robertb

We are going to be offering spare batteries on our website (www.theEZreader.com). The Astak battery takes about 50 seconds to change if you sleepwalk thru it). That is the beauty of the Pocket PRO... you CAN always carry a fully-charged spare!

This is great news! I would like to get a spare one.

Hopefully the batteries will also be available through the Astak website for international customers.

[gargoyle67]

Ok I've just got to page 590 on my pocket pro and I'm showing half full battery, No matter how inaccurate the battery gauge is this can't be normal, I've emailed Astak support on friday asking about purchasing a new battery but haven't had a reply so far.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by gargoyle67

Ok I've just got to page 590 on my pocket pro and I'm showing half full battery, No matter how inaccurate the battery gauge is this can't be normal, I've emailed Astak support on friday asking about purchasing a new battery but haven't had a reply so far.

What book format are you reading?

I noticed that the green LED stays on almost 5 seconds after some page turns in .PRC format. This does NOT happen with TXT files (also the type I got 2000 + turns).
I would expect (un-)compression to affect battery life because more processing needs to be done.

[gargoyle67]

@theducks, .txt as it happens

[theducks]

Originally Posted by gargoyle67

@theducks, .txt as it happens

My theory just went Kablooo..ey.


Next theory please....

[gargoyle67]

Lol I just hope my battery doesn't experience the big bang

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by gargoyle67

Lol I just hope my battery doesn't experience the big bang

Well it all depends on the mass of the dark matter in the universe.

[gargoyle67]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Well it all depends on the mass of the dark matter in the universe.

Oh now your just talking hypothetical

[RichyRich]

I haven't charged my EZ Reader Pro since Tuesday and I've read through a 711 page EPUB, half of a 360 page EPUB, and I am 50 pages into another EPUB e-book and I haven't lost a bar yet. I turn my reader off every time I'm done using it and I have only charged it via the wall charger so far. Despite any e-reader's advertised battery life, the fact that I can get through an entire book without needing to charge makes it so much better than the PDA I used to use, which I had to charge after reading for 6 hours on one book.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by RichyRich

I haven't charged my EZ Reader Pro since Tuesday and I've read through a 711 page EPUB, half of a 360 page EPUB, and I am 50 pages into another EPUB e-book and I haven't lost a bar yet. I turn my reader off every time I'm done using it and I have only charged it via the wall charger so far. Despite any e-reader's advertised battery life, the fact that I can get through an entire book without needing to charge makes it so much better than the PDA I used to use, which I had to charge after reading for 6 hours on one book.

yes. Ain't it true.

[gargoyle67]

Still waiting to hear from Astak regarding buying another battery, I emailed support as Robertb suggested, 2 days and counting waiting on reply