Frozen E-Ink? Is this true?

[elizilla]

Last weekend I attended a panel at a science fiction convention, about e-readers. It was an interesting mix of good information, misinformation, personal opinions and dubious claims. The panelists knew a lot more about the publishing end than the technology end, and they mainly preferred smart phones and iPads for their own use. They gave short shrift to dedicated readers, and they never called on me so I couldn't correct any of the misinformation, or question the dubious claims.

One of the most dubious things they said was that if you let your e-ink screen freeze, it will shatter when you try to change the screen, and utterly destroy the reader. I would think that if this were so, that this forum would be full of horror stories. I mean really, how many Kindles and Sonys arrive on the UPS truck, completely frozen, and get unboxed and tried immediately? How many people carry their reader with them on winter days, and pull it out and start reading the minute they get on the bus? If this frozen e-ink issue were true, it would happen all the time! So I am inclined to not believe. On the other hand, I don't really want to test it myself, with my treasured PRS-650!

So, has anyone experienced anything like this? On the other side, do we have any stories of using a reader without issues when it's freezing cold?

Thanks!

[Penforhire]

I wonder at what temperature the E-ink suspension fluid freezes (IIRC, the pigments are solids)? There is no reason to think it happens to be the same as water, is there? I use an expensive fluorinated fluid at work at -40 C for temperature shock or just very cold electrical measurements. So freeze resistant fluids exist.

[AlbertaCowboy]

When I was working up in Northern Alberta in the winter, I would read my 505 outside while waiting for the bus. I never had it shatter in my hand as I read in temperatures nearing -35 degrees Celsius. The only issue that I noticed was the increase in battery consumption when reading in weather that cold.

[Nate the great]

It won't shatter, but I have noticed that the screen doesn't work well in cold weather. I've left e-readers in the car over night and I've had to wait for them to warm up before the screen works.

But once they warm up they're fine.

[elizilla]

See, that is what I thought. Fortunately most of the audience in that room had e-ink readers in their hands, or chattered with the people who did have them as the panel broke up. So with luck the misinformation was corrected and there was not too much harm done.

[natasha_fawn]

The only thing I've seen is dramatically increased ghosting when it's <50 or so degrees Fahrenheit. A little frustrating, but certainly not dire!

[Fayth]

Only thing I've noticed is that my page turns are slower when the unit is cold.

[wallcraft]

From wiki: E Ink Display

Operating Temperature Range: 0 — 50 C (32 — 122 F)
Storage Temperature Range: -27 — 70 C (-17 — 158 F)

If you left it in your car overnight at 40 below (in Alaska, say) and then turned it on before warming it up first I guess bad things might happen.

In previous discussions the betting was that the battery would have more problems from severe cold than the screen.

[Ervserver]

heated reader covers

[screwballl]

Originally Posted by AlbertaCowboy

When I was working up in Northern Alberta in the winter, I would read my 505 outside while waiting for the bus. I never had it shatter in my hand as I read in temperatures nearing -35 degrees Celsius. The only issue that I noticed was the increase in battery consumption when reading in weather that cold.

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It won't shatter, but I have noticed that the screen doesn't work well in cold weather. I've left e-readers in the car over night and I've had to wait for them to warm up before the screen works.

But once they warm up they're fine.

Originally Posted by wallcraft

From wiki: E Ink Display

If you left it in your car overnight at 40 below (in Alaska, say) and then turned it on before warming it up first I guess bad things might happen.

In previous discussions the betting was that the battery would have more problems from severe cold than the screen.

That is it exactly... someone was blowing smoke out their rear...
An LCD display in a cell phone or ipad is MORE likely to have problems in cold temperatures than eink will at the same temps due to the operating nature of the devices.

[Fastolfe]

Most cold-related damages I've seen on consumer-electronic devices were due to condensation on the circuit boards and connectors.

Now, as far as shattering an e-ink screen by doing a screen refresh when it's frozen solid - assuming there is a freezing temperature for the colored electrostatic goo used in those displays, that would be quite impossible: the energy involved in breaking a glass pane is way out of a low-power device's league for one thing. I expect the last image displayed before the display froze would be impossible to remove until it thawed, nothing more.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

It won't shatter, but I have noticed that the screen doesn't work well in cold weather. I've left e-readers in the car over night and I've had to wait for them to warm up before the screen works.

But once they warm up they're fine.

That's also true of LCD screens. I have a telescope with an LCD display on its hand controller. If the temperature gets significantly below freezing, the display gets very "sluggish" and eventually stops working altogether.

[JeremyR]

I actually had the LCD screen of my PSP (Playstation Portable) break when it froze. Wasn't intentional, the power went out on the coldest day of the year and the power company didn't get it back on for a few days.

I actually took it with me when I went to hang out at the library. Maybe that was it, it warmed up too quick when I went inside. But at any rate, was cracked in 3 places at least



Thankfully my laptop was okay...

[Worldwalker]

Originally Posted by screwballl

That is it exactly... someone was blowing smoke out their rear...
An LCD display in a cell phone or ipad is MORE likely to have problems in cold temperatures than eink will at the same temps due to the operating nature of the devices.

Exactly.

E-ink is, technologically, very similar to LCD. Anything that affects one would affect the other. And as for the screen shattering, rapid temperature changes could do that -- taking a frozen device inside, or activating its built-in warming system -- but LCD screens have local warming from their backlights; e-ink does not.

It sounds to me like somebody heard something someday from a friend of a friend, and adopted it forever as the absolute truth.