Comments on: More Kindle Battery Advice http://www.edukindle.com/2008/10/more-kindle-battery-advice/ eReaders for Educators Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:43:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Dr Dave http://www.edukindle.com/2008/10/more-kindle-battery-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-78 Dr Dave Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:42:25 +0000 http://www.edukindle.com/?p=47#comment-78 Issue isn't having a particular type of SD card inserted according to Tech Support. It's the fact that the Kindle is designed such that it CONSTANTLY re-indexes the contents of the SD card. Personally, I have well over 2000 books that I picked up for Palm Reader over the years. If I insert a card with NOTHING installed, the battery will last for a week. If I install THE SAME card with all 2000 books on it, the Kindle will die after 4-5 hours on STANDBY with the wireless link turned OFF (i.e., nothing SHOULD be drawing power). To me, this is the most ridiculous design flaw I've ever heard of--Tech Support's response is not to use the SD slot and simply swap books in and out of main memory. Fine, but if that is the case, why the hell include the SD slot in the first place???? Personally, I think I was suckered into buying the damned thing based on the fact that it could hold my entire library, when what they actually meant was that it could hold my entire library as long as I wasn't interested in actually READING it. Heck, I could have done THAT with a $5 SD card! Issue isn’t having a particular type of SD card inserted according to Tech Support. It’s the fact that the Kindle is designed such that it CONSTANTLY re-indexes the contents of the SD card. Personally, I have well over 2000 books that I picked up for Palm Reader over the years. If I insert a card with NOTHING installed, the battery will last for a week. If I install THE SAME card with all 2000 books on it, the Kindle will die after 4-5 hours on STANDBY with the wireless link turned OFF (i.e., nothing SHOULD be drawing power). To me, this is the most ridiculous design flaw I’ve ever heard of–Tech Support’s response is not to use the SD slot and simply swap books in and out of main memory. Fine, but if that is the case, why the hell include the SD slot in the first place???? Personally, I think I was suckered into buying the damned thing based on the fact that it could hold my entire library, when what they actually meant was that it could hold my entire library as long as I wasn’t interested in actually READING it. Heck, I could have done THAT with a $5 SD card!

]]> By: Shannon Wagner http://www.edukindle.com/2008/10/more-kindle-battery-advice/comment-page-1/#comment-33 Shannon Wagner Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:45:17 +0000 http://www.edukindle.com/?p=47#comment-33 After going back and forth with Amazon for a few months with a Kindle whose battery often could not hold a charge, a manager in their tech support group finally told me today that the SD card I am using was causing the problem. According to this manager, mini-SD cards are not supported and *will definitely* cause problems with battery life, and I was using a mini-SD card. Tech support has also indicated that some other SD cards might cause problems. To me, it seems safest at this point to only use an SD card bought directly from the Kindle accessories page (http://www.amazon.com/kindleaccessories). Amazon even decided to send me a new, supported SD card free of charge, since the problem continued without resolution as long as it did. I am testing now without the mini-SD card (i.e., just using main memory), to see how things go. After going back and forth with Amazon for a few months with a Kindle whose battery often could not hold a charge, a manager in their tech support group finally told me today that the SD card I am using was causing the problem.

According to this manager, mini-SD cards are not supported and *will definitely* cause problems with battery life, and I was using a mini-SD card. Tech support has also indicated that some other SD cards might cause problems.

To me, it seems safest at this point to only use an SD card bought directly from the Kindle accessories page (http://www.amazon.com/kindleaccessories). Amazon even decided to send me a new, supported SD card free of charge, since the problem continued without resolution as long as it did.

I am testing now without the mini-SD card (i.e., just using main memory), to see how things go.

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