e-ink tech - are the screens always so fragile?

[Dryhte]

Hi all,

after having 2 e-reader screens die on me (without having been abused, I think I'm rather careful with my stuff) I wonder if this is just Kobo related, or is the e-ink tech so incredibly fragile that the screen substrate (?), the e-ink layer itself, is prone to cracking even with shocks that don't show at all on the surrounding device (no bumps, no crack in the outer glass layer, ...).

Is there anyone around who knows the tech and can weigh in on this?

Is there a glass-free, non-cracking alternative to e-ink?

Are there manufacturers which do a better job of protecting the innards from shock?

[Dr. Drib]

Moved to the General Discussion forum.


Don
(Moderator)

[U2Bono269]

I don't know if they're always so fragile, but I can speak from my own experiences. I've owned 2 Nooks, a Kobo Aura, and a Kindle PW2. I always keep my readers in either a sleeve or a case.

The Nooks lasted years without a single scratch, dead pixel, or anything. The same goes for my PW2.

I had a really bad time with my Kobo Aura screen. It was not at all durable. No cracks or substrate issues like you mention, but scratching, gouging, and dead pixels that just kept popping up.

So overall, I think e-ink screens are durable and should last with care, but my own experience with Kobo leads me to question their quality control.

[Hrafn]

E-ink Mobius "is a new flexible display that uses flexible TFT technology that is better suited for large format ePaper devices, allowing designers to create a rugged, lightweight device."

Unfortunately devices using this technology have tended to be rare, expensive and specialised.

[HarryT]

I've been using eInk devices since they first appeared around 2006, and have never had any issues with broken or damaged screens, but personally I always keep my devices in a good quality protective case.

[pdurrant]

I'd seen broken screens from all manufacturers, I think.

Yes, the glass backplane is very fragile, and can be broken by pressure or twisting or impact that might not damage the reader otherwise.

There are eink displays that use a non-glass backplane. Mobius is the E-Ink name for one of the technologies for this. The long-awaited EARL uses it. There was also the Wexler Flex One that used an earlier version of the technology, and the Sony 13" device that uses it.

Unless a very low-power colour display arrives, my next reader purchase will be a 5"-7" reader with a non-glass eInk display. Once someone ships one at a reasonable price.

[meeera]

I'm actually kinda astonished that not one family member seems to have broken one so far. Users have been aged 10-70something, using a mixtures of Kobos, Kindles, and Sonys over the years (though Kobos predominate). Including a Kobo going back and forth to primary school!

I emphasise during setup that the display is fragile like a thin wine glass, and tell them to treat it as such and also keep it in its sturdy case at all times.

[rkomar]

I've never broken one, but I've always wanted to do an experiment with one that was cracked. Take the top and bottom edges in your hands, and twist the device (rather than bend). I bet the glass breaks easily without leaving a mark on the case.

[Sydney's Mom]

Yes, I jammed a bag with my kindle in it under an airplane seat. My screen was broken, and no marks on the case or the sleeve.

[ballfresno]

I've travelled thousands of miles with my two Kobos and nary a problem. I do have both in cases, mind you, but they do get thrown into backpacks and the like. I don't treat them like eggshells and they seems to be robust enough.

[Alohamora]

I've got a small dark splotch on my Kindle due to dropping something on the screen while the Kindle was on the floor next to my bed. Now I make sure to lay it face down if I'm going to lay it down anywhere. It travels in a sleeve if I take it out of the house.

Fragile screens is one of the reasons I prefer using my tablets over e-ink.

[QuantumIguana]

I've broken two Kindle Keyboards. I've dropped them many times, and a couple times it broke. It really depends on how it falls. The first time the screen broke, it fell flat on its back. The second time, it fell flat in its edge. Other times, the Kindle tumbled, and didn't take the full force of the drop all at once in one place.

The glass breaking isn't what breaks the device, at least not directly. The glass is there to protect the very fragile e-ink display. You could have thicker glass, but there is a tradeoff in weight. I'd like to see a device with flexible e-ink, not to bend the device, but to have a device that can flex without bending. This would mean those drops wouldn't be as risky.

[robko]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

The glass breaking isn't what breaks the device, at least not directly. The glass is there to protect the very fragile e-ink display.

Actually if you look at any of the teardowns of any of the devices you'll see that the e-ink layer is coated onto a very thin sheet of glass substrate, so I'd argue that breaking the glass is what directly breaks the device. Not sure if having a thicker glass substrate would mess with the properties of the e-ink layer. The "cover" glass is plastic in most cases but in most cases that doesn't break anyway.

@Dryhte - yes the current e-ink tech is inherently "fragile" due to the paper thin (literally) glass substrate that the e-ink layer is coated onto (search the forum for teardown pictures). Some will claim you must use a case, but you'll see posts of people with broken screens even if they were in a case. Short of direct and hard impacts on the screen surface, IMHO twisting of the device seems to be the big screen killer.

[darryl]

I've had numerous e-ink devices over the years and so far have never had a broken screen. I'm not deliberately violent with my readers, but I don't keep them in cotton wool either. Every now and then, one will have a fall, so far without mishap, which I attribute partly to luck and partly to the fact that I always use a cover.

My advice is to use a good quality cover, and treat your reader like a phone or any other electronic device you carry around. Try not to drop it but don't be too terrified of screen breakage to carry it around and use it. That's what its for.

[theducks]

3 e-ink devices
2 developed a single pin head sized crater (black splotch) on the screen. There was no marks on the surface. These units had stiff covers that were closed during backpack transit.

1 of these later died of cracked trace (not the screen) . It had been dropped and the battery cover screw pulled through. A that time IT WAS STILL WORKING. It took 6+ months of use to die.

The K4 lives near the bed and still survives