"Viperdoc" wrote in message
...
Previously I had purchased an eFlyBook from MyAirplane.com, based upon ...

Thanks for the summary. I'm glad you had a good outcome. I have been using
mine on a daily basis for e-reading and have flown about a dozen approaches
with it - about 1/2 under VFR conditions and about 1/2 under real IFR. I
have been keeping paper charts handy as a backup but have not had to use
them.

The user interface is a bit awkward and switching approaches under pressure
would be risky. Selecting the airport or switching airports takes quite a
bit of stylus pecking. I have every confidence that myairplane.com will
improve the user interface over time. They've already promised improvements.

My only hope is that this is hugely successful and provides them enough
working capital to make the software truly production-ready and robust.

The screen technology is fragile. Both the eFlyBook and iRex forums are full
of complaints of failed screens - DOA and after lite use. The screen
technology is made by eInk not iRex. I wouldn't expect ARINC to be suffering
from early failure. They should be passing the burden on to iRex who should
be passing it on to eInk. Of course, I have no idea how good their lawyers
are.

Doc, you mentioned protecting the screen. I seriously doubt that your
all-black failure was the result of physical trauma to the screen surface. I
suspect the technology is more sensitive to vibration and shock than we,
iRex and eInk would like to admit.

Sadly, after daily use for about 4 weeks, my screen has now failed as well.
It failed in an interesting way. It has geometric patterns of white and
black but the displayed image is still visible as shades of grey. That tells
me that the connections to the screen are still intact and that the failure
is due to an inherent weakness in the screen technology not the design of
the eFlyBook. It was tempting to try to "erase" it by shaking it like an
etch-a-sketch.

I have yet to hear back from myairplane.com about returning it for repair.
I'm back to paper charts for a while but I'm going to hang in there for a
repaired unit and paperless approaches.

There is a related thread discussing hard disk failures at altitude. The
eFlyBook has no hard disk. Of course, it also doesn't have moving map GPS
capability so it isn't an all-in-one solution for electronic cockpits. I get
by with my panel mounted, IFR approved (yes, I know it doesn't matter) GPS
and the eFlyBook for approach plates.

Fly safe!

-------------------------------
Travis
Lake N3094P
PWK