How bad are (2016) infrared touchscreens on e-readers?

avid01 · 10-14-2016, 11:41 AM

I wrote the question into Google, haven't really find anything relevant, so I had to be the first to ask it this way.

ottdmk · 10-14-2016, 12:05 PM

My H2O has an infrared touch screen. Although the driver crashes on rare occasions, the touchscreen overall I find quite good. Very responsive. And, I can use it wearing normal gloves! :-D

AnemicOak · 10-14-2016, 12:24 PM

Don't know about "2016 IR touchscreens", but the screens on my Aura HD (2013) and Kindle Touch (2011) work great and always have. AFAIK there have been no real changes to the IR Touch tech since it was introduced.

avid01 · 10-14-2016, 12:43 PM

Okay. Here let me drop into the conversation that I'm a heavey user of the dictionary and highlight feature. With this in mind, will an IR device as good for me as a capacitive one? If IR is so good, then why do manufacturers distinguish between models that they add strictly IR only to their cheapest models, and capacitive touch to anything a little more fancy?

On a side note, maybe I should get a Kindle 5th while I can. It still has buttons, and the one clearly benefit it has over my aging Kindle 4 is the brighter screen. Do you know some secret store where I can still get it cheap? Some places I have found sell a new one for much higher prices than it was sold for in its heydays. Smart. In the US or Europe. Am I a caveman for still wanting a device with buttons?

(For reasons and details, see the linked thread).

JSWolf · 10-14-2016, 12:54 PM

I've used IR on a Sony Reader PRS-650, Sony Reader PRS-T1, nook STR, Kindle Touch, and Kobo Aura H2O. No problem at all.

barryem · 10-14-2016, 08:38 PM

I have Paperwhites and a Voyage all with capacitive touch screens. Also some Kobo Auras. I used to have a Kobo Glo with infra-red. My neighbor has a Kobo HD with infra-red and another neighbor has a Nook Simple Touch with infra-red.

I've used all of these at least a little bit in the past 2 weeks and some of them a lot. I use mine regularly and my neighbors when I show them how to do things on them.

I've never actually tried to tell the difference going from infra-red to capacitive but I've never noticed any difference. All of them seem to work as well as the others.

I'm sure there is something each will do better than the other but it's not something I've run into. To me it's a non-issue.

Barry

meeera · 10-15-2016, 12:42 AM

If you are highlighting a whole lot, some people find the Kindles are better for this. My first Kobo (original Touch) "trained" me how to use an IR screen, and I have no issues with it for my everyday uses - selecting a book, turning pages, keyboarding in a quick search term, adjusting fonts. However it is a different technique from jabbing/swiping quickly on a cellphone, and I think that's where some people can decide, in their first five minutes, that 'IR sucks'.

GERGE · 10-15-2016, 05:12 AM

I prefer IR. I can use it much easily outside, it is around -20C here sometimes. Turkey is not all beaches and such =)

induna · 10-15-2016, 11:29 AM

IR screens are fine until insects land on them and turn the page for you. Perhaps the insects could be trained to turn pages on command?

kacir · 10-15-2016, 12:31 PM

Capacitive display can be flush with the bezel.
With IR display you have to have rised bezel, so the display is "sunk" in. The bezel can cast a shadow when the display is lit by a light source positioned at a shallow angle.

My experience with IR touch display is positive. It is surprisingly precise.

IR touch display can be handled in any gloves.

Capacitive touch display can be operated through a thin layer of plastic, so you can put your reader to a ziploc bag when you go to the beach.

dordale · 10-16-2016, 12:22 AM

I've had several devices with IR touch screens (Sony PRS-350, PRS-650, Kobo Aura HD) and haven't had any problems using them. I do use the dictionary quite a bit with each of them, but don't use the highlighting feature.
I also have a couple capacitive screen devices (Kindle PW2 and Voyage), and for my use I really don't notice a difference--except when reading outside and as induna mentioned the occasional bug lands on the IR screen and turns the page for me.

HarryT · 10-19-2016, 02:57 AM

Having used both, I've generally found capacitive touchscreens to be more accurate. Also, my preference is for a flush screen and you can't have a flush IR screen for obvious reasons.

10-14-2016, 11:41 AM	#1
avid01 Addict Posts: 300 Karma: 2000410 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	How bad are (2016) infrared touchscreens on e-readers? I wrote the question into Google, haven't really find anything relevant, so I had to be the first to ask it this way.

10-14-2016, 12:24 PM	#3
AnemicOak Bookaholic Posts: 14,391 Karma: 54969924 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Minnesota Device: iPad Mini 4, AuraHD, iPhone XR +	Don't know about "2016 IR touchscreens", but the screens on my Aura HD (2013) and Kindle Touch (2011) work great and always have. AFAIK there have been no real changes to the IR Touch tech since it was introduced. Last edited by AnemicOak; 10-14-2016 at 12:41 PM.

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10-14-2016, 12:05 PM	#2
ottdmk Wizard Posts: 1,196 Karma: 3765734 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Device: Kobo Libra 2, Lenovo Tab M10 FHD Plus, Lenovo Tab M8 HD	My H2O has an infrared touch screen. Although the driver crashes on rare occasions, the touchscreen overall I find quite good. Very responsive. And, I can use it wearing normal gloves! :-D

10-14-2016, 12:43 PM	#4
avid01 Addict Posts: 300 Karma: 2000410 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kindle 4	Okay. Here let me drop into the conversation that I'm a heavey user of the dictionary and highlight feature. With this in mind, will an IR device as good for me as a capacitive one? If IR is so good, then why do manufacturers distinguish between models that they add strictly IR only to their cheapest models, and capacitive touch to anything a little more fancy? On a side note, maybe I should get a Kindle 5th while I can. It still has buttons, and the one clearly benefit it has over my aging Kindle 4 is the brighter screen. Do you know some secret store where I can still get it cheap? Some places I have found sell a new one for much higher prices than it was sold for in its heydays. Smart. In the US or Europe. Am I a caveman for still wanting a device with buttons? (For reasons and details, see the linked thread).

10-14-2016, 12:54 PM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,969 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	I've used IR on a Sony Reader PRS-650, Sony Reader PRS-T1, nook STR, Kindle Touch, and Kobo Aura H2O. No problem at all.

10-14-2016, 08:38 PM	#6
barryem Wizard Posts: 2,459 Karma: 68781975 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Arkansas Device: Paperwhite 4	I have Paperwhites and a Voyage all with capacitive touch screens. Also some Kobo Auras. I used to have a Kobo Glo with infra-red. My neighbor has a Kobo HD with infra-red and another neighbor has a Nook Simple Touch with infra-red. I've used all of these at least a little bit in the past 2 weeks and some of them a lot. I use mine regularly and my neighbors when I show them how to do things on them. I've never actually tried to tell the difference going from infra-red to capacitive but I've never noticed any difference. All of them seem to work as well as the others. I'm sure there is something each will do better than the other but it's not something I've run into. To me it's a non-issue. Barry

10-15-2016, 12:42 AM	#7
meeera Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,658 Karma: 66420972 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra 2, iPadMini4, iPad4, MBP; support other Kobo/Kindles	If you are highlighting a whole lot, some people find the Kindles are better for this. My first Kobo (original Touch) "trained" me how to use an IR screen, and I have no issues with it for my everyday uses - selecting a book, turning pages, keyboarding in a quick search term, adjusting fonts. However it is a different technique from jabbing/swiping quickly on a cellphone, and I think that's where some people can decide, in their first five minutes, that 'IR sucks'.

10-15-2016, 05:12 AM	#8
GERGE Guru Posts: 732 Karma: 5797160 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Istanbul Device: Kobo Libra	I prefer IR. I can use it much easily outside, it is around -20C here sometimes. Turkey is not all beaches and such =)

10-15-2016, 11:29 AM	#9
induna Addict Posts: 230 Karma: 1500000 Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Vito de Coto Brus, Costa Rica Device: Sony PRS-500, 505, 600, 350, T1 Amazon Kindle PW1, PW2, Voyage	IR screens are fine until insects land on them and turn the page for you. Perhaps the insects could be trained to turn pages on command?

10-15-2016, 12:31 PM	#10
kacir Wizard Posts: 3,450 Karma: 10484861 Join Date: May 2006 Device: PocketBook 360, before it was Sony Reader, cassiopeia A-20	Capacitive display can be flush with the bezel. With IR display you have to have rised bezel, so the display is "sunk" in. The bezel can cast a shadow when the display is lit by a light source positioned at a shallow angle. My experience with IR touch display is positive. It is surprisingly precise. IR touch display can be handled in any gloves. Capacitive touch display can be operated through a thin layer of plastic, so you can put your reader to a ziploc bag when you go to the beach.

10-16-2016, 12:22 AM	#11
dordale Wizard Posts: 1,731 Karma: 3472866 Join Date: Apr 2008 Device: Sony PRS-650 & 350; Kindle Voyage; Kobo Aura HD, Aura One, and Forma	I've had several devices with IR touch screens (Sony PRS-350, PRS-650, Kobo Aura HD) and haven't had any problems using them. I do use the dictionary quite a bit with each of them, but don't use the highlighting feature. I also have a couple capacitive screen devices (Kindle PW2 and Voyage), and for my use I really don't notice a difference--except when reading outside and as induna mentioned the occasional bug lands on the IR screen and turns the page for me.

10-19-2016, 02:57 AM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Having used both, I've generally found capacitive touchscreens to be more accurate. Also, my preference is for a flush screen and you can't have a flush IR screen for obvious reasons.

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