# My Kindle Died. I'm Sad. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 11, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898 "2017-01-11T21:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/21 "2017-01-20T22:51:11Z")
I’ve got three Kindles for various reasons. A tablet, an HDX7, and the 2nd fire. Love them and never had a problem with them. One thing I really like about the tablet is that it seems to charge quicker than most devices. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2017, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/22 "2017-01-20T23:27:33Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > I’ve got three Kindles for various reasons. A tablet, an HDX7, and the 2nd fire. Love them and never had a problem with them. One thing I really like about the tablet is that it seems to charge quicker than most devices. I’m confused. The Fire and HDX7 _are_ tablets. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/23 "2017-01-21T00:49:00Z")
My old Nook almost went to the giant wastebasket in the sky. I bought a new battery, and so far it’s alright. (The Nook has that combo of epub, Overdrive access and buttons that I want.) ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/24 "2017-01-21T00:53:47Z")
I’ve ordered my new Fitbit. I got a 25% discount on that one. I got in October 2015 so it lasted a little more than a year. I have a Samsung 3. I’m thinking I should upgrade that one too. 😛 Both Fitbit and Amazon were very gracious in trying to fix the issues and offered me discounts without me asking for them. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/25 "2017-01-21T01:40:18Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Both Fitbit and Amazon were very gracious in trying to fix the issues and offered me discounts without me asking for them. I have always had awesome customer service from Amazon. I once ordered a book and the UPS guy delivered it to the office of my apartment building. But the office forgot to notify me. So after a while I logged into Amazon to check on the order and it said it was delivered. So I called and the lady apologized and said they would send me another copy. And they did. They sent it next day delivery to my apartment and I got it. Then a couple of weeks later I went to drop off the rent check and the manager lady was all like, “Oh, here you have a box.” And it was the book. I’m afraid my Kindle is going to die soon. It’s not holding the battery charge as long as it used to. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/26 "2017-01-21T03:08:50Z")
> [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > I have owned just about every Kindle model, I suppose. My favorite was the DX. Each and everyone of them has broken in new and unique ways. The one I’m using now has a sliver of a scratch on the screen that shoots a flash of light into my eye when I hold it wrong. How is that even possible? > > All in all, the build quality is just not there. I have a 1st generation I bought new when they first came out for close to $300. It has a slight screen impression of one of the drawings that would come on the display when idle, but it’s not too distracting. The device works, but even with a new battery it won’t hold a charge very long. I can’t bring myself to throw it out though because I loved it that much. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/27 "2017-01-21T07:05:01Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > I’m afraid my Kindle is going to die soon. It’s not holding the battery charge as long as it used to. You can install a new battery. I did it to mine and it wasn’t that difficult. It’s a keyboard 3g. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/28 "2017-01-21T13:00:15Z")
I’ve been sticking with the Kindle Mk IVs and have had only one die. That was because it didn’t survive a tumble and ten foot slide on the pavement off of the trunk of the car when I rounded a corner. The works were still working – I transferred its contents to the replacement – but the screen stays on the idle image. I’ve kept it in case I want to do a vivisection some day. I had one stolen out of the bathroom at work (which was vexing) and **DesertRoomie** had hers stolen at Jack in the Box when we were getting our drinks. It was a young pregnant girl who probably thought it was a regular tablet or something. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/29 "2017-01-21T13:32:02Z")
> [@BeeGee](#): > > I’ve got three Kindles for various reasons. A tablet, an HDX7, and the 2nd fire. Love them and never had a problem with them. One thing I really like about the tablet is that it seems to charge quicker than most devices. Reminder for the umpteenth time: Kindle e-readers and Fire tablets are separate product lines. It’s like saying you have 3 trucks except two of them are cars. You do _not_ have 3 Kindles. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/30 "2017-01-21T13:48:10Z")
This is why I don’t use ebooks. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/31 "2017-01-21T13:49:58Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > This is why I don’t use ebooks. You do know you can keep back-ups on the computer, right? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/32 "2017-01-21T15:47:41Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > This is why I don’t use ebooks. 😕 What is? What is this in response to? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/33 "2017-01-21T16:00:41Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > 😕 What is? What is this in response to? I don’t use Kindles or ebooks. I buy solid copy, because computers fail constantly. I’ve had huge volumes of work wiped out, because of a tech failure on a computer that management could not bear to hook to a network. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/34 "2017-01-21T18:30:02Z")
I like the convenience of having my whole library at my fingertips and not have to carry around heavy tomes. I like being snuggled up in bed, hopping on the library website, and checking out books while wearing my pajamas. There’s no right or wrong way to read. If you have a favorite book, by all means, come sit by me and tell me all about it. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/35 "2017-01-21T19:11:23Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t use Kindles or ebooks. > I buy solid copy, because computers fail constantly. > > I’ve had huge volumes of work wiped out, because of a tech failure on a computer that management could not bear to hook to a network. That’s not how Kindles work, dude. You buy the book and you own it forever. All you need is the Kindle ap. You log into it and it will upload all of your purchases to any device forever. ---
**Author:** ![CatandMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@CatandMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatandMouse)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/36 "2017-01-21T19:17:34Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Yesterday I charged it at work. I had to work through lunch so I didn’t have a chance to read until I got home. > > I couldn’t turn it on. I thought that was odd, so I plugged it into my charging cable at home and it powered up. All good…or so I thought. > > I read for a bit in bed, then went to turn it off. Instead, it took a screen shot. > > That’s new, I thought. I mainly use my Kindle for reading and occasionally browsing the web. But mainly reading. I have never taken a screen shot or a picture with it. > > I futzed around with it for a bit, then went to sleep and called Kindle support when I got to work. > > It appears my volume button only goes louder…I cannot decrease the sound unless I swipe it on the screen. Since some combination of the volume button and the power button is what makes the Kindle take screen shots, I’m stuck. > > I’m going to try to blow the volume button out with canned air when I get home, but it may be gone. Amazon is giving me 20% my next purchase. > > My Kindle is my preciousssssss so this is quite upsetting. ☹ I wish I could get rid of mine. I got mine a year ago and have used it a total of 3 times. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/37 "2017-01-21T19:40:13Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I buy solid copy, because computers fail constantly. I buy ebooks exclusively these days, because my eyeballs have been failing for fifty years now and I can’t adjust the font size in solid copy. Different people have different needs. Luckily for us, we have different options. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/38 "2017-01-21T20:11:04Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I like the convenience of having my whole library at my fingertips and not have to carry around heavy tomes. I like being snuggled up in bed, hopping on the library website, and checking out books while wearing my pajamas. > > _ **There’s no right or wrong way to read.** _ If you have a favorite book, by all means, come sit by me and tell me all about it. Quoted for truth. I haven’t read a dead-tree book in years. I download audio books to my phone and listen to them when I’m doing repetitive tasks, or I read e-books with my kindle. I still read a lot, but I’m not carrying heavy books around. My first Kindle was their first model. It didn’t have a backlight and I had to physically connect it to my comp to download library books, but I loved it. I bought my BB one and he loved it as well. I didn’t take very good care of mine. It got water splashed on it, it got dropped in the bathtub, it got dropped on the floor or ground more often than I can remember and once was accidently flung about 6 feet to a concrete porch where it skidded face down for another 6-8 feet before hitting a brick, flipping over and sliding face first across about 4 feet of gravel without even getting a scratch on the screen. Poor thing didn’t survive being in my back pocket when I was running to my car in the rain, jumped in and bent the screen. It still turned on and displayed the text, but half of the screen was black. I bought a paperwhite and loved it even more than my first kindle. I bought my BB one and he loved it. We still have his old one for a back up because the paperwhites aren’t as durable as the original and I need something to carry around during the 2 days it takes to get a replacement paperwhite. I don’t think that the quality has gone down as much as the device is more complicated and thinner. It only makes sense that it would be easier to break. BB’s paperwhite is 4 1/2 years old and still works and charges perfectly. I’ve gone through 4 over the same period of time. Amazon replaced 2 of them and while the CSR couldn’t replace the one our asshole cat chewed up, she gave me a $50 credit for the funny story and amazing pics. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/39 "2017-01-21T20:25:58Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I don’t use Kindles or ebooks. > I buy solid copy, because computers fail constantly. > > I’ve had huge volumes of work wiped out, because of a tech failure on a computer that management could not bear to hook to a network. > [@hajario](#): > > That’s not how Kindles work, dude. You buy the book and you own it forever. Yes, this. Is it possible you misunderstood the OP? **ivylass** ’s sadness at her Kindle dying was _not_ because she lost the content that it was holding. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898/40 "2017-01-21T20:49:45Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > I’ve gone through 4 over the same period of time. Amazon replaced 2 of them and while the CSR couldn’t replace the one our asshole cat chewed up, she gave me a $50 credit for the funny story and amazing pics. My observation is that if your Kindle breaks, Amazon CSRs will _always_ offer you a discount on a new one, even if you admit that you sat on it or dropped it. I don’t know if it’s an official policy, but I’ve never heard of anyone being refused. The Kindle, like all of Amazon’s technology products, is designed to keep you inside the Amazon ecosystem. They don’t want to take the chance that you’ll get annoyed and buy a competitor’s product (and make your future ebook purchases from non-Amazon sources). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-died-im-sad/776898.md?page=3)