Have you ever thought about the contradiction between ebooks and ereaders?
In theory, ebooks are everlasting. They’ll never wear out or break down over time like paper books do, but all the various devices that we use for reading ebooks are always temporary.
You might get 10 years or maybe even 15 years out of your phone, tablet, or dedicated reading device if you really take care of it. But eventually the battery is going to die, the operating system will get phased out, the components will wear out. Nothing lasts forever. You might be able to replace the battery once or twice, but eventually you’ll hit a dead end.
At some point all ebooks have to be moved from one location to another—it’s inevitable—because the places where ebooks reside is never permanent.
Some people like to upgrade to a newer model every few years, while others tend to hold onto their devices until they become unusable.
The oldest ereader that I still have that works is the Sony PRS-350. Battery life has definitely started to decline, but it still holds a charge and works when it needs to, which is hardly ever. But the PRS-350 was released in 2010, so the fact that it still works at all at this point is exceptional.
I still use a Kindle Voyage as my main portable ereader for reading on the move because it’s nicer than modern basic Kindles and it’s more pocketable than the larger Kindle Paperwhite. It was released in 2014, and mine is still holding up well (but it might’ve been manufactured later since I bought it used). It doesn’t have Dark Mode or a Warm Frontlight like newer Kindles, and it’s a bit slower, but it still gets the job done.
You have to figure very few people are still using 1st and 2nd gen Kindles, but there are probably a few still rocking 3rd gen Kindles, aka the Kindle Keyboards—that was when Kindles really started to go more mainstream.
What’s the oldest ereader that you still have that works?
The Kindle Voyage is my main eReader and I use it almost every day.
My Kindle Keyboard still works. Still have the K2 and it turns on but haven’t tried reading on it in a long time.
I still have my PRS-505, and Kindle 1 (both 2007).
Also, I have THE pink K2 that Stephen King had when he released Ur. It was going to be shredded, but I got given it instead.
I’ve just bought a refurbished Kindle Keyboard, probably the third I’ve bought over the years. I also have the latest Paperwhite but I keep finding myself coming back to the kindle 3.
I like the page turn buttons and the ability to have the device read the book to me.
The I disabled the new double-tap feature on my Paperwhite, as it only goes one way, if it could go forwards and back I’d be interested..
If my house was on fire I’d grab the kindle before anything else. Some years back was hit by giant earthquakes and all bookshops and libraries were closed for a couple of years. Having a kindle full of books was a lifesaver.. I still think it’s the best device.
My PRS-500 works but won’t really hold a charge – that said I never sent it off for the ePUB upgrade so it’s pretty much a paperweight. 505’s in better shape.
That I can actively use, however? That’d be the Voyage, though the Libra H2O pretty much took its spot as my ‘small’ reader.
All I use are 2nd hand ereaders bought from Ebay or thrift stores. Personally I like giving new life to old tech like this where the modern versions of it aren’t much different from the older versions. And that have easily swappable parts and batteries. My oldest ereader from all 7 that I own is either my K3 or my limited edition white band NST.
I’d like to get some of the old Sony ereaders too as I like the look of the small pocket style ones and I like the batteries being easily accessible.
Still use my iRiver Story HD but the Inkpad 3 Pro gets used more, mainly because of the front light.
My mom is still using her kindle keyboard. Sometimes she complains about it’s battery life but she vehemently refuses any offer to buy her a new one.
The batteries are easily sourced and youtube tutorials are simple and easy to follow to change the battery. Consider giving it a new lease on life when the battery finally does die.
Problem ist that although you still can buy a replacement battery for the K3 aka Kindle Keyboard via eBay oder even Amazon, chances are that these parts already have a long shelf life. These batteries are probaly no longer produced nowadays, so you’d buy “new old stock. These kind of energy sources get older and loose part of their capacity even when only stored and not actively used.
I still use Sony PRS-650. I have ordered new battery and I will change it when it arrive. I have new Kobo Clara BW and it is great, but i like to use my old Sony too.
I have a working GemStar eBook from the late 90s, with several hundred titles. Still a favorite.
I have a kobo Touch from 2011 I don’t use it anymore. It is still working, sleeping in its case and looking like it’s brand new. It has an amazing build quality unlike its successors. If it had frontlight and page turn buttons like the kindle Voyage has, I would still use it.
And actually I’m considering to get a kobo Forma, which is in my perspective the best ereader ever made. Just wondering if one can fix the battery if it’s needed to.
I still use my Kobo Aura One that I purchased new way back when. It has the form factor I prefer, the screen size I prefer and the battery still holds a charge incredibly well.
I traded in a few e readers with Amazon. Still have the 6 inch Kindle Oasis and Kindle Voyage. I started with a Kindle Keyboard and a Nook at the same time…long gone now.
Yes, another reader who still has a working “3rd gen Kindles, aka the Kindle Keyboard”. Don’t use it very often (I also have an 11th Gen Paperwhite) but the K3 is still a pleasure to use because of the page turn buttons and shortcut options.
I still have a working Kindle 3, though it rarely gets used these days. I replaced its battery last year after it finally died. My beloved Kindle 4 is still kicking too, working as well as it did the day it arrived. It’s currently on loan to a friend who’s been wanting to start reading more.
I still use a Kindle 3 for the Yahtzee game that’s on there.
I kind of miss those old Kindle games. They should’ve kept them around. The Voyage isn’t old enough to support them, and it’s the oldest Kindle that I still have.