I assisted a friend in setting up a new PDA earlier this week. The initial setup Quick Start Guide showed how to set up the charger, cord and connecting to the PDA. Also emphasized that PDA must not be connected to PC until full charged which would be indicated by the orange light stopping blinking and burning steadily. Ok so there is NO orange light, on solid or blinking. So left with instructions to call for me when the light came on either blinking or solid. Called later to say it was now fully charged. He had read all of the documentation that came with the unit and found on Pg. 4 that the on/off switch was on the unit but not labeled. When he turned it on it went to blinking, charged fully and turned off.
All in all the documentation was meager and not very sequential and clear.
Got it all set up and working after a 2 hour phone discussion with tech support.
Next day a well known do it yourself type magazine arrived in the mail with a article about how PDA’s were being sold that were intended to be obsoleted when the internal battery went dead in 2 to 4 years depending on usage. Also provided information on how to open the case and replace the battery IF you had the intestinal fortitude. If the replacement worked, great. Otherwise you would have a fancy looking paperweight.
The lithium ion batteries used in many portable electronics have a finite life of 2-3 years. Although there is a groundswell of rebellion now, most rechargable PDAs made until now do not have batteries designed to be replaceable. I have a Palm Tungesten T3 and am very upset that I will probably have to toss it out in 2-3 years.
I discovered this after reading about a couple of guys who had the same experience with their Apple iPod. Do a search on “ipod battery life” and you will get more hits than you can read. The preeminent one is http://ipodsdirtysecret.com/. Apple responded (well, they say it wasn’t a response to this campaign) by creating a battery replacement program.
I think PDAs are now starting to ship with replaceable batteries.
In all honesty, it does not make me sad that the batteries die eventually. Technology is advancing so rapidly with PDAs, that older models should reach obsoletion for the sake of developers. There needs to be a critical mass of people using newer models for innovation to occur, ie a big enough market for software companies to be able to make advanced products and recoup their investment in them.
An ipod is somewhat different because it is essentially a storage device. While software is written for it, it is a very minor function of it - the primary one being as a data and music storage system.
I see replacing my Zire71 after a couple of years as an investment in the PDA industry. If cost is an issue and people don’t have high-end demands for performance and newer software, and they really only use their PDA for personal things such as diary, phone book - there are many far cheaper, simpler devices than a fully-functioned PDA that can do that.
I bought my T3 for $400. That ain’t chump change. When I bought it, neither the owner’s manual nor the advertisment said, “The battery in this device will fail in 2-3 years and then you might as well throw it out.” That is simply misleading the consumer. That is too much money to spend on a disposable item.
Further, it is ridiculous that the customer must serve the needs of the developers. It is quite the opposite.
I spent $400 on something that has all the functionality I want so I don’t have to upgrade it in 2 years. I do not mind paying that kind of money for a device that I expect to function for 5 or more years. Neither do I mind that I will probably replace my $100 cell phone after 2 years.
I guess I’m getting into non-GQ territory here so I’ll quit now.
That’s not the whole truth.
While it’s true that lithium ion batteries degrade over time, they will not promptly ‘die’ after a fix time. The charge-holding capacity will slowly degrade, and after three years a single charge will last about half as long as when it was new. (Exact performance depends on how it has been charged / stored.)
If you’re worried about this, keep the battery topped up as much as you can, and avoid temperature extremes. (Not that it will change anything very much.)
(Source: wikipedia (Although I think they’re exagerating the capacity loss.) )
At any rate, Li-ion cells are a great improvement on the old-fashioned NiCd / NiMH cells we were forced to use up untill a couple of years ago.
And, it’s not like it’s a secret that some cheaper electronics use built-in batteries. It should be fairly obvious that if you want something to last for a long time, you should get a PDA with removeable battery. (such as the Zaurus:)))
Even if the battery does die out after a while, it can be replaced. Not necessarily by the user himself, but it certainly can be replaced by techs. Replacement batteries are available for most models.
The Tungsten E, however, has the battery soldered to the board. While a tech can desolder it and resolder a new one, it probably won’t be possible by a regular user. The V/Vx is another tricky model 'coz there are no screws in the back. However, the battery for this model can also be replaced.
If you need help on battery replacement, let me know.
The problem is not just the battery… the problem is the same with almost every computer in the world, it will become obselet just because there will be something better. I think you got a Toshiba by the way you describe it, maybe an E300 series, so you maybe thinking about using it for more than just PIM. So, in one year you will have to deal with a different OS (Windows Mobile 2003 against Windows Mobile 2004 or 2005) in the market, and aplications made for faster processors (300mhz against 500mhz this year acording to Intel). Also Toshiba won’t consider helping you with an obsolete model, because they will recommend you to get a new device (I wonder why…). Even if you have a Palm based device, be prepared for Palm 6 and all the differences it will have.
I have an iPAQ 1910, I bought it last year, and I’m considering about a new one beacause some of the problems I just have mentioned. I’ve had a HP 100LX, a MaxTech PD910, a Cassiopeia E115 and a Cassiopeia E125. It is just the way the market works.
That’s highly unlikely. The T3 is a relatively new product and uses a new propriatory battery, so it’s understandable that nobody is offering a battery replacement service for this model yet. By the time the T3 batteries start dying, I’m sure replacement service will be available through Palm or a third party. (Since warranty would have expired by then, it doesn’t matter who is doing the service.) The same thing happened with the iPod.
ANY PC or periferal with a battery which is NOT readily replaceable without serious tech help/competancy is lacking in consideration of the buyer user.
The manufacturer must have had a buyer be … else a means to replace the internal battery, analogous to the CMS battery in a PC. Ordinary users get help, savy users replace their own.
The manufacturer expect to gain good will if the unit is not serviceable??
If the consumer has to buy a new $60 battery and pay for replacement?
The PDA only cost about $400 to start with.
Two hours of free tech time to get it running isn’t good for the co. b.l.
The article provides detailed instructions for doing the replacement. Worth a try if you have any electrical/mechanical expertise. Worst you can do is end up as the article said with a fancy chrome paperweight.
Did write to manufacturer (bought out the actual manufacturer) complimenting the technician for his expetise and helpfullness. Reply from CEO promised to investigate the overall problem to provide better information and service in the future.
I have a Palm m505 which has been put through HEAVY use for 2 or so years now and the battery is still going strong. I know of plent of people who still hang onto their Palm VXii’s and even some Palm III’s are still being used. I think the battery life on these things is a bit more than what people expect. Palm’s have only been around for a couple of years and new battery technologies are coming out every year so it’s hard to say exactly how long the typical battery will last.
