So, today UPS left me A Box ...
... and inside The Box was Packaging ...
... and protected by all the Packaging, inside The Box ...
... was ...
====================
It's a replacement charger cable for my Nook Color -
The thing is Very Flimsy - the end that connects to the tablet looks like a standard MicroUSB connector, and you can, in fact, use a standard MicroUSB to charge the Nook Color (slowly) and transfer files.
But the one you get with the tablet has a proprietary connector that adds functions to the standard connector; it contains a small circuit board that detects when it's connected to a Nook and switches in a fast-charge circuit that (in conjunction with the Nook standard wall wart that can throw 1.9 amps) charges it twice as fast as it can be charged with a standard connector.
So far, so good.
But the connector shell is made of two pieces of plastic that are ultrasonically welded together, and the weld is flimsy as hell. So, if you put the slightest upward or downward force on the cable (or on the connector directly) the weld will crack.
And, in addition, when that happens, the force may also be transferred to the connector's connection to the PCB.
Which means that the cable will fail.
And this is so common, apparently (it happened to me - and i superglued the shell back together a couple times, but eventually the connector failed and Helen bought a Nook Color for herself for Christmas and its cable failed already) that, if your Nook is in warranty (a year), all you have to do is call B&N Customer Service, tell them it happened, and give them the serial number ... and three to five business days later, a new one arrives.
Great that they're acknowledging that it's their fault ... bad that the problem exists at all.
The Box
Moderators: Bookworm, starkruzr, MrFireDragon, PrettyPrincess, Wapsi
- Fairportfan
- Posts: 3283
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:14 am
- Location: Atlanta (well, Gainesville)
- Contact:
The Box
Not even duct tape can fix stupid. But it can muffle the noise.
=====================
Peace through superior firepower - ain't nothin' more peaceful than a dead troublemaker.
=====================
mike weber
=====================
Peace through superior firepower - ain't nothin' more peaceful than a dead troublemaker.
=====================
mike weber
- MerchManDan
- Posts: 1674
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 3:40 am
- Location: Somewhere else.
- Contact:
Re: The Box
Man, seriously. Make the bloody thing right the first time, and they won't have to throw away money on all these replacements. It's not difficult.
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." - Nim the chimp
Animation courtesy of shadowinthelight (thanks again!)
Animation courtesy of shadowinthelight (thanks again!)
Re: The Box
The fact that they use a big box like that to ship it may indicate something about its fragility.
- Fairportfan
- Posts: 3283
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2012 12:14 am
- Location: Atlanta (well, Gainesville)
- Contact:
Re: The Box
Or about their automated packing system, more likely.bmonk wrote:The fact that they use a big box like that to ship it may indicate something about its fragility.
Not even duct tape can fix stupid. But it can muffle the noise.
=====================
Peace through superior firepower - ain't nothin' more peaceful than a dead troublemaker.
=====================
mike weber
=====================
Peace through superior firepower - ain't nothin' more peaceful than a dead troublemaker.
=====================
mike weber
Re: The Box
Which is almost as wasteful as not coming up with a better cord and shipping out oodles of replacements at no charge...Fairportfan wrote:Or about their automated packing system, more likely.bmonk wrote:The fact that they use a big box like that to ship it may indicate something about its fragility.
"Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful."
And see that life is beautiful."