Did Sony lie to me?

Stitchawl · 06-10-2009, 03:41 AM

I love my Sony 505. It works just the way I need it to, handles the way I want it to, and is as convenient as I expected it to be. But...

Sony's advertising says that the 505 gets about 7,000 page-turns on one battery charge (assuming that one isn't using the audio at the same time.) I always let my device discharge until the warning signal goes on for low battery then immediately plug it into an AC wall charger. I used to charge it until after the red light went off. Then I began charging it for a couple of hours longer after the light went off. I've recharged it at least a dozen times now, but it seems that I only get about 2,000 page-turns at the most on a single charge. I even tried letting it charge through the USB cable leaving it on overnight. Still only about 2,000 page-turns to a charge. Anyone else finding this to be the case?

I realize that when new the battery needs to go through several cycles before it will take a full charge, but isn't a dozen enough?

Stitchawl

ruth1304 · 06-10-2009, 04:42 AM

I think 7000 is the number of page turns you'd get if you read continuously. I'm sure I've seen discussed somewhere here that 2000 page turns is fairly normal, as the battery continues to be used when your reader is not being used (unless you shut it down completely, when you then use battery power as it turns back on!). I did a quick search and couldn't find the thread where I saw this, but I'm sure someone will quickly correct me if I'm wrong!

I find I probably get more than 2000 page turns, but I read fast, and continuously for long periods, plus when reading in bed I take my glasses off and use the largest text size.

It also depends on how often you go back to the main menu, search through for a book you want to read/a particular bookmark etc.

kacir · 06-10-2009, 06:04 AM

It is 7000 pageturns OR 3 weeks of doing nothing.
SO you could read, for example, 3500 pages in 1 and a half weeks.

Also bear in mind that using SD card impacts the battery life. Also opening of a book, repaginating the book can impact the battery life quite a lot.

It is possible to get [plus minus] 7000 pageturns
Load a 1000 page book. It should be the only book in the main memory. Remove SD card. Open the book on page 1. *Now* charge the device, and start turning the pages. When you get to the end of the book, go to page 1 and repeat turning pages in 1 second intervals. It won't take more than 2 hours and one very sore finger.
Click, click, click, [6997 more clicks I am not going to write here]

See ... they are NOT lying ... you are just not told the whole truth ;-)

HarryT · 06-10-2009, 06:10 AM

The 7000 page turns is just advertising hype from PVI, the screen maker. It's the number of page turns you'd achieve if you fully charged the battery, then flipped pages as fast as it goes until the battery was flat. It has little or no connection with "real world" usage.

ladyjane · 06-10-2009, 07:21 AM

Stitchawl I agree with you, I might get around 2 to 3000 depending how long I have to just sit and read, but I tend to open turn on read for a while then turn off again. (wish I had more time). So as the others have said if you had nothing else to do then just sit and hit the turn page button over and over maybe you might get the said amount..But what the heck I love my reader any way.

pepak · 06-10-2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Sony's advertising says that the 505 gets about 7,000 page-turns on one battery charge (assuming that one isn't using the audio at the same time.)

I never came close to this number, but it really is possible in ideal conditions: e.g. if you use the largest zoom and LRF files, you can indeed come close to 7000 pages (I myself saw 6000 and the Reader's battery still had some charge in it).

When reading at the default zoom, I experience something around 2000 pages, just like you do.

Note: The zoom itself has (probably) nothing to do with battery charge per se, but with larger letters, there are fewer words per page, resulting in page taking much less time to read, resulting in less power wasted with "doing nothing".

Taylor514ce · 06-10-2009, 09:55 AM

That said, my first 505 really did have a battery issue. I returned for a replacement which had much better battery life. So if you feel you aren't getting the battery performance you expected, have Sony take a look at your device. (I returned mine to Borders with no hassle, I just told them the battery was failing and they replaced the device.)

Stitchawl · 06-10-2009, 10:27 AM

Thanks, folks. I really don't mind the battery life I'm getting. It suits my needs. I just wondered if it was 'normal.' I do turn my reader on and off all day long, reading for 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there. Charging every third or fourth or fifth book is not a problem for me.

I have two memory cards in the device, but I really haven't been using them. Would taking them out affect the battery life? I suppose the reader accesses them when turning on, but not during actual usage. I feel an experiment coming on!

Stitchawl

lilac_jive · 06-10-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Thanks, folks. I really don't mind the battery life I'm getting. It suits my needs. I just wondered if it was 'normal.' I do turn my reader on and off all day long, reading for 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there. Charging every third or fourth or fifth book is not a problem for me.

I have two memory cards in the device, but I really haven't been using them. Would taking them out affect the battery life? I suppose the reader accesses them when turning on, but not during actual usage. I feel an experiment coming on!

Stitchawl

From what I understand, yes, the SD cards will drain the battery more than if they weren't there.

I usually charge mine once every two weeks (but I don't let it go down all the way, so it could probably last three).

HarryT · 06-11-2009, 05:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Thanks, folks. I really don't mind the battery life I'm getting. It suits my needs. I just wondered if it was 'normal.' I do turn my reader on and off all day long, reading for 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there. Charging every third or fourth or fifth book is not a problem for me.

You genuinely do turn it off - using the "shut down" option from the menu?

The "power switch" does not turn off the device. It does absolutely nothing other than to blank the screen and lock most of the buttons. The operating system continues to run, draining the battery, etc.

Stitchawl · 06-11-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

You genuinely do turn it off - using the "shut down" option from the menu?

The "power switch" does not turn off the device. It does absolutely nothing other than to blank the screen and lock most of the buttons. The operating system continues to run, draining the battery, etc.

Say what?!?

Does this mean that all this time I've been leaving my reader on 24/7? That's outrageous, even for a techno-dummy like me! (... runs to take a closer look at his device.... Hmmmm.... there IS a shut-down button buried deep within the menu..... WOW!

)
Thank kew veddy much, Harry!

But... it takes much longer to turn on the reader when I have it shut down... unless I remove both of the memory cards.... Hmmmm.... to sooth the savage beast or save the ravaged battery? What the heck! I usually don't listen to music when I'm reading anyway!
Thanks again, Harry. I suppose at some point I must RTFM.

Stitchawl

lilac_jive · 06-11-2009, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Say what?!?

Does this mean that all this time I've been leaving my reader on 24/7? That's outrageous, even for a techno-dummy like me! (... runs to take a closer look at his device.... Hmmmm.... there IS a shut-down button buried deep within the menu..... WOW!

)
Thank kew veddy much, Harry!

But... it takes much longer to turn on the reader when I have it shut down... unless I remove both of the memory cards.... Hmmmm.... to sooth the savage beast or save the ravaged battery? What the heck! I usually don't listen to music when I'm reading anyway!
Thanks again, Harry. I suppose at some point I must RTFM.

Stitchawl

Don't worry about it too much. I've had mine over a year and never have done a shutdown. I think as long as you keep it charged it's OK.

Sweetpea · 06-11-2009, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Don't worry about it too much. I've had mine over a year and never have done a shutdown. I think as long as you keep it charged it's OK.

In the end, it's all about if you want the longer battery life, or the faster "start-up" (no startup required if you don't turn it off

)

I know what I would want...

HarryT · 06-11-2009, 09:10 AM

The only real occasion to fully shut the device down is if you're not going to be using it for a while. "Normal" usage is to use the (so-called) "power switch". You should get perhaps 2-3 weeks usage on a battery charge by doing so.

benham · 06-11-2009, 06:59 PM

Good info!

06-10-2009, 03:41 AM	#1
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	Did Sony lie to me? I love my Sony 505. It works just the way I need it to, handles the way I want it to, and is as convenient as I expected it to be. But... Sony's advertising says that the 505 gets about 7,000 page-turns on one battery charge (assuming that one isn't using the audio at the same time.) I always let my device discharge until the warning signal goes on for low battery then immediately plug it into an AC wall charger. I used to charge it until after the red light went off. Then I began charging it for a couple of hours longer after the light went off. I've recharged it at least a dozen times now, but it seems that I only get about 2,000 page-turns at the most on a single charge. I even tried letting it charge through the USB cable leaving it on overnight. Still only about 2,000 page-turns to a charge. Anyone else finding this to be the case? I realize that when new the battery needs to go through several cycles before it will take a full charge, but isn't a dozen enough? Stitchawl

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06-10-2009, 04:42 AM	#2
ruth1304 Addict Posts: 394 Karma: 1546 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bristol, UK Device: Waiting for a kindle!	I think 7000 is the number of page turns you'd get if you read continuously. I'm sure I've seen discussed somewhere here that 2000 page turns is fairly normal, as the battery continues to be used when your reader is not being used (unless you shut it down completely, when you then use battery power as it turns back on!). I did a quick search and couldn't find the thread where I saw this, but I'm sure someone will quickly correct me if I'm wrong! I find I probably get more than 2000 page turns, but I read fast, and continuously for long periods, plus when reading in bed I take my glasses off and use the largest text size. It also depends on how often you go back to the main menu, search through for a book you want to read/a particular bookmark etc.

06-10-2009, 06:04 AM	#3
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,455 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	It is 7000 pageturns OR 3 weeks of doing nothing. SO you could read, for example, 3500 pages in 1 and a half weeks. Also bear in mind that using SD card impacts the battery life. Also opening of a book, repaginating the book can impact the battery life quite a lot. It is possible to get [plus minus] 7000 pageturns Load a 1000 page book. It should be the only book in the main memory. Remove SD card. Open the book on page 1. Now charge the device, and start turning the pages. When you get to the end of the book, go to page 1 and repeat turning pages in 1 second intervals. It won't take more than 2 hours and one very sore finger. Click, click, click, [6997 more clicks I am not going to write here] See ... they are NOT lying ... you are just not told the whole truth ;-)

06-10-2009, 06:10 AM	#4
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The 7000 page turns is just advertising hype from PVI, the screen maker. It's the number of page turns you'd achieve if you fully charged the battery, then flipped pages as fast as it goes until the battery was flat. It has little or no connection with "real world" usage.

06-10-2009, 07:21 AM	#5
ladyjane I hate to clean Posts: 125 Karma: 1155 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Burlington, ontario Device: Sony PRS-505, Acer NetBook	Stitchawl I agree with you, I might get around 2 to 3000 depending how long I have to just sit and read, but I tend to open turn on read for a while then turn off again. (wish I had more time). So as the others have said if you had nothing else to do then just sit and hit the turn page button over and over maybe you might get the said amount..But what the heck I love my reader any way.

06-10-2009, 09:55 AM	#7
Taylor514ce Actively passive. Posts: 2,042 Karma: 478376 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Device: Sony PRS-505/LC	That said, my first 505 really did have a battery issue. I returned for a replacement which had much better battery life. So if you feel you aren't getting the battery performance you expected, have Sony take a look at your device. (I returned mine to Borders with no hassle, I just told them the battery was failing and they replaced the device.)

06-10-2009, 10:27 AM	#8
Stitchawl Opsimath Posts: 12,344 Karma: 187123287 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Device: Sony PRS-650, iPhone 5, Kobo Glo, Sony PRS-350, iPad, Samsung Galaxy	Thanks, folks. I really don't mind the battery life I'm getting. It suits my needs. I just wondered if it was 'normal.' I do turn my reader on and off all day long, reading for 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there. Charging every third or fourth or fifth book is not a problem for me. I have two memory cards in the device, but I really haven't been using them. Would taking them out affect the battery life? I suppose the reader accesses them when turning on, but not during actual usage. I feel an experiment coming on! Stitchawl

06-11-2009, 09:10 AM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The only real occasion to fully shut the device down is if you're not going to be using it for a while. "Normal" usage is to use the (so-called) "power switch". You should get perhaps 2-3 weeks usage on a battery charge by doing so.

06-11-2009, 06:59 PM	#15
benham Guru Posts: 882 Karma: 5565888 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Townsend, WI Device: Palm TX, PRS-505 (BLUE)	Good info!

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