# My Kindle Has Died **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 14, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818 "2017-10-14T14:18:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/1 "2017-10-14T14:18:09Z")
The Kindle Fire has died. 2011-2017. RIP. This is upsetting me more than I think it should, except of course it was 1) a birthday gift from my husband, who is also dead, and 2) I’ve had too damn much loss over the past few years to be sanguine about more of it. Which is not to say I’m a sobbing heap. I’m not. In fact, I was browsing for replacements (why does everything now have an Alexis or Siri or whatever along for the ride? I find those “digital assistants” fucking creepy. Amazon did say Alexis has an “off” button. Thank Og.) But I am bummed. It was “only” 6 years old. Which is, actually, a pretty good lifespan for a digital device these days, especially one dragged all over hell and gone, exposed to temperature extremes, and dropped at least once on a concrete floor (not a mark on it, though - yay padded cover!). I still feel vaguely guilty about it, though - I like my stuff to last. Which is why I have a lot of stuff in my home that is older than I am, and some of them actual antiques but all in working order and still used. (Love my Singer treadle machine!). I wish the electronic stuff wasn’t so ephemeral. _\>sigh\<_ ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/2 "2017-10-14T14:37:31Z")
The new models look pretty decent. If only all losses were so easy to replace. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/3 "2017-10-14T14:56:38Z")
My Kindle died about a year ago. The charging port broke and there was no real option to fix it. Bought a Samsung Tab 10.1 to replace it and wonder why I waited so long to switch over to something that can do much more. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/4 "2017-10-14T15:04:42Z")
Well, I have a tablet, too, and yes, it can do more things, but the screen is small for reading and the video on it sucks so for a select few things the Kindle is better. Also, said tablet is also geriatric. But yeah, right now I’m looking at options even if I’m still leaning towards another Kindle. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/5 "2017-10-14T15:11:39Z")
What exactly happened to it? Screen issue? Power issue? My Nook (which I had to buy used) died two to three years after I got it. Well, not completely. I had to buy a new battery (practically the cost of another used Nook) and it seems fine now, although I didn’t put it back together properly, so the snooze button only works about half the time. The biggest problem was rolling back a Kindle program upgrade so I could still convert legal Amazon Kindle files to Epubs so my Nook can actually read them, although I’m sure the same problem would have occurred for a newer ebook that wasn’t officially compatible with Kindle. I’m mostly worried about software updates. I don’t know what I will do when new Epub files can’t be read by the Nook. VLC suddenly stopped reading Midi files, and I suspect the same thing happens slowly but surely for other software types. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/6 "2017-10-14T15:37:39Z")
Did it really die? My wife’s became unresponsive to screen swipes. I held the power button down for 30+ seconds, until the screen flashed white & black. It rebooted and all is well. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/7 "2017-10-14T15:45:02Z")
My dead-tree book has not died. Even if I sit on it, or step on it, or drop it off a 20-story building, it keeps on ticking. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/8 "2017-10-14T15:49:31Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > My dead-tree book has not died. Even if I sit on it, or step on it, or drop it off a 20-story building, it keeps on ticking. Neither has mine. But there are only so many times I can read it before it starts getting old. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/9 "2017-10-14T15:51:30Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Did it really die? My wife’s became unresponsive to screen swipes. I held the power button down for 30+ seconds, until the screen flashed white & black. It rebooted and all is well. Yep, really died. Spent two hours on the phone with customer service this morning attempting various forms of rebooting. I was scrolling through my selection of books when the “shelf” image suddenly emptied (bare book shelf), then it went black. Fully recharging it brought only an error message saying a factory reset was needed. Did that. Repeat of error message. Hard factory re-start. Repeat of error message. Customer service said it was indicative of the internal hardware failing. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > My dead-tree book has not died. Even if I sit on it, or step on it, or drop it off a 20-story building, it keeps on ticking. Yes, I still have plenty of those, too. But they’re bulky and hard to take more than just a few on road trips. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/10 "2017-10-14T16:40:56Z")
Well. I’m sorry for your loss **Broomstick** , but I knew there was a reason I never got one of those newfangled electronical doodads. If one day my 1500+ library went dark never to return, someone would have to talk me off the nearest ledge. Some of my books are living breathing creatures to me. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/11 "2017-10-14T16:50:46Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Well. I’m sorry for your loss **Broomstick** , but I knew there was a reason I never got one of those newfangled electronical doodads. If one day my 1500+ library went dark never to return, someone would have to talk me off the nearest ledge. But that’s the good thing: Losing your Kindle _doesn’t_ mean losing the content. Is this thread devolving into a debate between physical and electronic media? Because if so, let me just say I’m a fan of _both_. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/12 "2017-10-14T17:30:11Z")
Same. I haven’t lost any of my e-books. In fact, I can read them on my tablet or my laptop as well as the Kindle. On the other hand, I would never read an e-book in the bathtub, because occasionally I drop stuff in the bathtub. Both forms of literary tech have good points and bad points. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/13 "2017-10-14T17:46:34Z")
Broomstick, have you ever used one of the e-ink Kindles? The real cheap ones? I vastly prefer my bare bones model for reading on, it’s lighter and thinner and not back-lit so easier on the eyes. I use a Fire for sheet music, so have direct basis for comparison. I also suspect the inner workings are simpler and less likely to stop working prematurely. I hope Amazon customer service offered you a discount on a replacement. I think that’s de rigeur. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/14 "2017-10-14T19:34:13Z")
My Paperwhite Kindle does that sort of thing. The last few months I’ve had to do a really hard reset (hold the power button forever until it finally turns off) several times after it just stopped responding. I can read on my phone or table using the app, but I prefer the Paperwhite because it’s easier on the eyes and, as advertised, you can still read it easily in bright sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/15 "2017-10-14T20:18:54Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > On the other hand, I would never read an e-book in the bathtub, because occasionally I drop stuff in the bathtub. Fear no more! You need [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterproof-Amazon-Kindle-Paperwhite-Keyboard-aqua/dp/B00923Y0I4) waterproof case! ETA There’s also the [Kindle Oasis](https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-New-reader-Waterproof-High-Resolution-Display/dp/B06XDK92KS/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1508012351&sr=1-1&keywords=kindle) which is pretty spendy. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/16 "2017-10-14T20:32:35Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Fear no more! You need [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Waterproof-Amazon-Kindle-Paperwhite-Keyboard-aqua/dp/B00923Y0I4) waterproof case! > > . > [@](#): > > This item does not ship to the United States Oops. 😉 ETA: Ditto for the Oasis. At least not through Amazon U.K. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/17 "2017-10-14T21:55:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > ETA: Ditto for the Oasis. > At least not through Amazon U.K. I assume they’re available through [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com). ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/18 "2017-10-14T23:36:22Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Same. > > I haven’t lost any of my e-books. In fact, I can read them on my tablet or my laptop as well as the Kindle. Oh! Yeah, if you already have a working tablet, then you should just get the Kindle app for whatever model it is. And also, think seriously about getting one of the backlit e-ink readers. I have a Paperwhite and it never leaves my side. I sometimes think about upgrading to the Voyage but the screen is the same on the Paperwhite, so I inevitably find something else to buy instead. > [@](#): > > Both forms of literary tech have good points and bad points. Yeah. I don’t know why so many people act like you can only have one. We’re the luckiest people in history. ---
**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:** [October 14, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/19 "2017-10-14T23:41:04Z")
Actually, the Paperwhite is front-lit. There’s a layer of fiber-optic material that directs the light down on the e-ink layer. You’re actually [looking through the light source.](http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/12/26/technology/light-reading.html) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818/20 "2017-10-15T04:40:28Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I also suspect the inner workings are simpler and less likely to stop working prematurely. > > I hope Amazon customer service offered you a discount on a replacement. I think that’s de rigeur. It didn’t stop working “prematurely”. It actually worked longer than most of that model, many of which stopped working after only 1 or 2 years. Subsequent models are both more reliable and more repairable. I may be getting a replacement from a friend who has one she is no longer using, so we’ll see. Not in a huge hurry here. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-kindle-has-died/798818.md?page=2)