POLL: Owners of hinge covers: Has your Kindle cracked?

[BookBinder]

I've never had a problem with cracking or anything else with my hinged cover whether the cover is opened or folded back.  However, I do make it a point that the Amazon emblem is facing me before I open it.  It's just a natural glance and a habit now.  I've had this cover since February and I love it.

[Dave]

Rather than Velcro, at least one person here attached nice looking elastic at the two corners opposite the spine to hold the kindle to the back cover.  Modifies the cover without having to stick anything to the Kindle.

FWIW, here's a picture of the modified cover, using short lengths of elastic tape from my wife's sewing box and some super glue (glued to the cover, not to the Kindle). The new tapes wrap around the free corners of the Kindle to hold them securely in place.

http://f.imagehost.org/0154/Kindle-cover-mod.jpg

[kim]

FWIW, here's a picture of the modified cover, using short lengths of elastic tape from my wife's sewing box and some super glue (glued to the cover, not to the Kindle). The new tapes wrap around the free corners of the Kindle to hold them securely in place.

http://f.imagehost.org/0154/Kindle-cover-mod.jpg

Thanks for the pic, Dave.  Nice handiwork

[bookfiend]

Yes Dave, you are the inspiration for more than one cover modification.  Thank you for your ingenuity.

[Crodley]

Wow, I guess I'm special after all!  (My mom always said it was so)

I'm the only one who has a cracked case from the cover that responded to this poll.  I'm glad it's limited, since I do like the Kindle very much and do not want to see it lose any of it's luster for the buying public.

I already have received the new M-edge cover without the hinges.  While it takes some getting used to, I like it quite a bit.

[Daisy1960]

...The Amazon cover works fine if you're careful, but if you hold the cover a certain way, too much force could be put on the hinges, or rather, the holes in the Kindle where the hinges connect to...

Jaylynn, could you elaborate-- how would one hold the cover to cause too much force being placed on the hinges?

Thanks!

[4Katie]

I have the Amazon cover and fold it back to read - many times a day. I've never had any problem with it. I'm trying to train myself to be sure the Amazon logo is up before opening the cover to prevent anything breaking.

I love the elastic on the corners, though. Might have to try that.

[Dave]

... how would one hold the cover to cause too much force being placed on the hinges? ...

I think Scheherazade said it best: "I think the probably is people are opening their Amazon covers too quickly and doing it from the back cover not paying attention.  When you do this the Kindle does flop and the weight of it pulls on the Kindle because there is nothing holding it to the back."

[Daisy1960]

I think Scheherazade said it best: "I think the probably is people are opening their Amazon covers too quickly and doing it from the back cover not paying attention.  When you do this the Kindle does flop and the weight of it pulls on the Kindle because there is nothing holding it to the back."

Thanks, Dave.

[RussB]

I was not sure how to vote.  My wife and I both have K2s, hers cracked and mine is good.  So its 50-50 in my house.

[PatMcNJ]

I have the dreaded crack on my beloved Kindle DX.     I have to say, IF you use the hinged cover, be very careful.  The velco fix on the back is a good idea.  As far as HOW it happened to me, I do not know.  I know I never opened it more than 1 inch from the back, because you can feel the resistance right away.  I am not sure even WHY I opened it even that much from the back. Just looking at the DX I guess, marvelling at it or something. 

I think most people responding to the poll do not have the Amazon hinged cover, so of course they have no crack.  The crack is DIRECTLY from that stupid HINGE.   And I did NOT carelessly open this thing wide from the wrong side.  So, I would say do not use this cover, do not buy this cover.  Why risk it, the Kindle is SO expensive, you could damage it in a second.  Heck, someone else could pick it up, and do it in a split second as well.  If you DO keep and use this cover, put the velcro on the back, or use some sort of failsafe system to prevent this situation. 

I am so sad.

[oldprowler]

I have the dreaded crack on my beloved Kindle DX.     I have to say, IF you use the hinged cover, be very careful.  The velco fix on the back is a good idea.  As far as HOW it happened to me, I do not know.  I know I never opened it more than 1 inch from the back, because you can feel the resistance right away.  I am not sure even WHY I opened it even that much from the back. Just looking at the DX I guess, marvelling at it or something. 

I think most people responding to the poll do not have the Amazon hinged cover, so of course they have no crack.  The crack is DIRECTLY from that stupid HINGE.   And I did NOT carelessly open this thing wide from the wrong side.  So, I would say do not use this cover, do not buy this cover.  Why risk it, the Kindle is SO expensive, you could damage it in a second.  Heck, someone else could pick it up, and do it in a split second as well.  If you DO keep and use this cover, put the velcro on the back, or use some sort of failsafe system to prevent this situation. 

I am so sad.

Well, I have steamed over this post long enough.    So your DX cracked - and you have done extensive research to determine beyond a doubt that the "stupid HINGE" caused the crack.  You have eliminated all other possible causes such as manufacturing defects, drops, falls, heat, and rough caresses. 

You also implied that the members of kindleboards would (a) respond to a yes/no poll in which they held no stake and (b) try to influence a poll to make the kindle look stronger than it really is (which we all know would be counter productive their the members desire to see improvements to the kindle in both softwares and hardware). 

I was a NO vote in the poll.  I do own a Kindle2, it does rest in the Amazon leather hinged cover from Amazon without any modifications.  It has not cracked.  I am not saying that it will never crack, just that as of today it has not. 

[jaylynn]

Daisy-- Sorry-- I missed your question:  what I meant was exactly what someone added up top-- if you pick up the back of the cover and let the Kindle hang, there are bad forces on the holes where the hinges go in.  If you hold the cover vertically and angle it so that the Kindle is hanging forward too much, there are bad forces on the holes as well.  Those are the two ways I've found that holding the cover hurts the Kindle.  I try to make it so that the force on the hinges/holes are going perfectly vericallly downward parallel to the the edge of the Kindle. Does that make sense?  Perhaps it only does to me....!

[evpseeker]

Can anyone provide a link for more info about these cracked Kindles? I noticed a few of ya'll mentioned reading about it last week. Thanks a bunch!

[Deb G]

I purchased an MEdge GO and I also have the Oberon with the corner straps, but because I'm paranoid the very first thing I did was to put two velcro circles on the back of my kindle with the matching portion on both of my covers.  I LOVE both covers but just couldn't bear the thought of dropping my kindle and having the kindle fall out of my cover and BREAK! 

[pidgeon92]

Can anyone provide a link for more info about these cracked Kindles? I noticed a few of ya'll mentioned reading about it last week. Thanks a bunch!

Here are links to our other threads, which have links to pictures and non-KindleBoards articles:

amazon leather cover's hinges cracked my kindle 2
Amazon Sued Over Cracked Kindles
Amazon Promises to Replace Cracked Kindles

[PatMcNJ]

Well, I thought people seemed to be posting here about alternate covers, and stating that their Kindles had not cracked.  Seemed to miss the point of the survery.  Sorry.    If you had one of the cracked ones, you would be upset, too.  Looking back, I think I confused this thread with another on this topic.  Sorry to imply Kindle owners are silly enough to reply to a survey that does not include them. 

I finally saw the info that Amazon IS replacing these cracked Kindles, and they are overnighting me the replacement DX!  I am very impressed with their customer service.  VERY impressed.  I will ship the cracked one right back.  My crack was a thin crack, not as bad as some I have seen in photos.

ALLS well that ends well!

[tsemple]

This must not be much of a problem or Amazon would change their cover design...

[mdkohm]

Just realized my Amazon cover cracked my K2. There are very small hairline cracks on the faceplate above both "hinges." I've alway been very careful with my K2 (tried with my K1, but it tended to want to jump out of the case that Amazon included), but it still developed the cracks. I hadn't realized others were having this issue until after I discovered my cracks and started searching the board.

BTW, Amazon is replacing the Kindle. There were really no questions asked - no hassle. I won't use another hinge cover on the replacement - guess it's time to get an Oberon.

For those of you using hinge covers, you may want to carefully check for cracks on your faceplate. Mine are not around the slots where the hinges go into the Kindle, but rather on the faceplate to the left of the screen (where the tips of the hinges put pressure on the plastic. I only noticed mine because I was reading with my Mighty Bright light and there was a very faint shadow (it looked like a small piece of hair) next to my K2 screen. When I couldn't brush it off I looked close and discovered the crack.