This is what a broken Amazon Kindle looks like
I wish I could blame this on shoddy craftsmanship or a DRM snafu, but I'm guessing this is probably the result of my foot. All I know is that I put it in my bag one morning and when I removed it in the afternoon the screen no longer updated. There's not a crack, per se, but you can tell it looks like something fractured underneath the plastic.
Ah well.
My Kindle was given to me as a press preview unit, so I can't exactly complain. I'd come to enjoy having the Kindle at hand more than I'd expected, but I still don't think I'll be paying $400 to get a new one.
I had just gotten it really stuffed with eBooks, too.
the latest
latest episodes
That's too bad Joel. :( I guess they should include some kind of hard case/screen protector for the large price.
It does include a semi-hard fake leather case, but I hated the way it looked and felt so I never used it. I'm not sure it would have protected the screen from a pressure break, but it may have. Hard to say!
Huh. I called Amazon and they said they'd swap it out for a new one, even though it's likely I had caused the damage myself. I'll take it!
I like the idea of this, but I can't pay even close to $400 for it.
thanks really nice of amazon! i didnt know they covered that kinda thing. that might've convinced me to get one!
Ouch, crystal leakage. Did you literally step on your bag?
Most stress cracks I've seen like that were caused by focused pressure, i.e. when consumers at Best Buy are trying to see the back of a laptop's lid and they end up bending the screen against the lockdown, beyond tolerance.
Does anyone else know if the screens used on the Kindle are exceptionally fragile, or do you chalk it up to "Joel's a klutz?"
the pedant in me says -"i.e.", +"e.g." i always get them mixed up.
Hmmm, I somehow doubt anyone with a similar problem would get an instant replacement like this. They're not doing it due to stellar customer service, they're doing it for good PR (or to avoid bad PR.)
Sorry if that sounds too cynical. Maybe I spend too much time on the Consumerist.
I'm surprised yours broke so spectacularly. The Kindle has the same screen as my Sony Reader, which I somehow dented, causing a little gray blob towards the bottom of the screen. It doesn't affect anything, though, the screen still works and the blob hasn't gotten any bigger over time (this happened about 6 months ago). These screens do seem more resilient than LCD screens, and way more so than touch-sensitive LCD screens, but I guess they're not totally unbreakable.
Shutz, it's possible you're right - maybe even probable that you're right - but Amazon does have some amazingly good customer service. They've surprised me in the past with their return leniency. The Kindle is sort of their baby right now, so it's possible that they would bend over backwards helping someone out with it.
(They may also know of a design flaw in early units like Joel's that they don't advertise but quietly fix for free.. who knows.)
I'll admit that I've never had any problems with Amazon (though I've only ordered from Amazon.ca)
I usually get my stuff BEFORE their estimated arrival date, and I've received everything I ordered, except for one particular CD that was out of print, which is not really their fault.
I've never had to deal with their customer service, so my comment above does not reflect any personal experiences.
I was unhappy with the HD-DVD player I bought; it was infuriatingly slow. They not only refunded 100% of the player's price, they refunded 100% of all the movies, too, even the opened ones. Their return policy stated that opened movies would only be refunded at a percentage, as little as 50%, but they did 100% anyway! It turned out to be a good thing I returned the HD-DVD stuff...
I did the same thing with (2) digital cameras. At different times, of course. So I feel your pain. Except for the fact that you got your first one for free, and your second one for free. So that makes you one lucky bastard.
I did ask the guy specifically if I was getting special treatment. He denied that was so, saying, "We just want everyone who has a Kindle to have the best experience possible" or something like that.
Impossible to say, but at least according to my one customer service rep, they're not playing favorites.
Hey, I just went to Amazon.com to see if they're still pushing the Kindle with all they've got. Sure enough, it's front and center on the home page. The main ad has a graphic showing three different documents alternating. They are Freakonomics, NYT and Boing Boing!
Search for a title that's available in an electronic version and seven different pleading ads overwhelm the page begging you to buy a Kindle. It's really irritating if all you want is a (paper) book.
The screen itself feels pretty sturdy but I have no idea how much pressure the screen can take before it can no longer be "bended".
I always keep my Kindle in the included "bookjacket". It is sturdy and will protect the screen from scratching and at least some degree of focused pressure damage. The Kindle cover may not be pretty but then I have never cared to use my gizmos as fashion accessories so I couldn't care less what the frick it looks like.
I bought my kindle in may and the screen broke. Amazon told me it is under warranty and they would send me a new unit. The warranty process takes longer than the order of a new one so I have to wait a least a few business days to get a new one. Of course, those days span the weekend and I was in the middle of a good read . . . so I'm feeling impatient. I keep my kindle in the faux leather semi-hard cover. I am careful with it. It fell about 12 inches onto the carpeted floor when I fell asleep reading. This event may have caused the screen failure. Also, the screen is no LCD. The screen works using a similar process to laser printing. An electrical charge and toner powder. This is why a kind of "flash" occurs when changing pages. I imagine some kind of hardware connections broke on impact. My impression is that the kindle can't take much impact. But, previous to the terrible event, I had traveled with my kindle and had no problems. I'm ultra tough on my electronics generally but I did make an extra effort to be careful with the kindle.
Would like to know how long it really took to get the new one. I think I'm addicted to the darn thing. Having bad withdrawal since it broke.
Nice to find a discussion on the topic. Although I am sorry for your (temporary) loss.
Allie
I too recently broke my screen - called today and they're sending a free replacement! Talk about great support.
My Kindle won't turn on. It didn't fall or have any mishaps but only horizontal lines appear on the screen. I called Amazon today hoping to get some troubleshooting assistance but they said they're sending me a new one in the mail!