Screen Protectors for E-Ink Displays

[Brianrh]

I'm looking to buy a new touch screen ebook reader soon and I've been reading in this forum reviews and comments on several devices. I've yet to come across anyone saying about having fitted or having the need to fit screen protectors to E-Ink displays.

These are fairly common in the smartphone world so I'm surprised that this has not been written about as far as I can see relating to ebook readers.

Have any of you touch screen ebook reader users out there found the need?

Thanks.

Brian

[EowynCarter]

I've managed to scratch my resistive cell phone screen, and my IT5.
But, none of my 4 readers ever had scratch on the screen.

Unless you're living somewhere with sand or other nasty stuff, and use a cover, you should be fine.

[CommonReader]

Most users have some sort of cover to protect the reader when it is being stowed away. I always take my reader along with me in my jacket pocket - have even taken it to the beach in summer - and haven't discovered even a single scratch so far.

[Nexutix]

Capacitive touch-screens don't usually scratch as they are used with soft skin part of your fingers; although accidents may scratch the screen. I recommend you get one.

[Zetmolm]

Spend money on a good cover rather than a screen protector. I've had my reader for almost two years now, never had a screen protector, and there's not a scratch on the display. And anything you put between your eyes and the screen is likely to deteriorate the contrast.

@Nexutix: accidents are more likely to break the screen than to scratch them! A screen protector won't help against breaking the screen.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by Brianrh

I'm looking to buy a new touch screen ebook reader soon and I've been reading in this forum reviews and comments on several devices. I've yet to come across anyone saying about having fitted or having the need to fit screen protectors to E-Ink displays.

These are fairly common in the smartphone world so I'm surprised that this has not been written about as far as I can see relating to ebook readers.

Have any of you touch screen ebook reader users out there found the need?

Thanks.

Brian

I have the Kobo Touch, and I don't have a screen protector specifically. The main reason for that is that I have a case. The biggest risk to the screen is impact, not scratches - the screen isn't as tough against impact as smartphone screens. So it makes more sense to have a case. If you have a case, there's not really any need for a screen protector.

I have an M-Edge "book cover"-style case that's actually for the Nook Simple Touch, but it fits the Kobo Touch well.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Brianrh

Have any of you touch screen ebook reader users out there found the need?

I have, but not because of the risk of scratches.

I have eczema, which means my skin easily dries out and is very sensitive to pretty much anything. My hands are particularly exposed to symptoms, due to them being used to touch lots of things around me every day. Washing my hands dries them out, and the easiest way to prevent an eczema outbreak is to keep my skin moisturized and pampered, so I use lotion on my hands several times a day. Several times a day.

Until I developed a solid habit of always using the stylus and never my fingers on the touchscreen of my PRS-950, I kept getting lotion residue on the screen itself, and over time a thick film of grease built up on the screen. Without a screen protector, I was very paranoid about how to clean the screen without harming it, and spent a lot of time in the Sony forum looking for advise. A screen protector would have made cleaning a lot easier.

[toddos]

Originally Posted by Nexutix

Capacitive touch-screens don't usually scratch as they are used with soft skin part of your fingers; although accidents may scratch the screen. I recommend you get one.

Personally, I recommend you don't, and don't put one on your capacitive-touch smartphone/tablets, either.

Screen protectors made sense back in the days of resistive touch screens used with pointing styluses, requiring excessive pressure to register inputs. Modern touch screens are either capactive (on smartphones and tablets) or infrared (current e-ink touch devices).

Capacitive screens do not require the pressure needed to register input on a resistive screen, and as Nexutix said are manipulated with the fleshy bits of fingers. More importantly, they're covered with scratch-resistant glass as opposed to the flimsy plastics used on resistive screens (by their very nature, resistive screens must flex, or they could not complete the circuit that causes them to detect input). The risk of scratching a modern capacitive screen is miniscule and even the best screen covers cause a loss in sensitivity (it's one more layer between your nice, conductive finger and the capacitive elements that sense it).

Infrared screens also do not require the pressure of an old resistive screen, and have the same durable coating as non-touch e-ink screens. The IR grid is projected on top of the screen and touch points are calculated by occlusion of the IR beams. The IR transmitters and receivers are built into the bezel of the screen and project micrometers above the face of the screen. Apply too thick of a screen protector and you'll lose all touch functionality (or worse, send the device into an epileptic seizure when it thinks it's being touched everywhere all at once, all the time). If you must use a screen protector on a touch e-ink screen, make sure you buy a protector designed specifically for that screen.

In either case, you're pretty much only going to risk the occasional smudge and even that can be minimized with clean hands. But then I also believe that if device manufacturers wanted you to use screen protectors they'd ship the devices when them already installed. They don't, so I won't compromise my usage by installing one. In 3+ years of smartphone/tablet/touch e-ink ownership I've not yet scratched any screen despite not using any screen protector or case on any of my devices.

[SmokeAndMirrors]

Originally Posted by toddos

Personally, I recommend you don't, and don't put one on your capacitive-touch smartphone/tablets, either.

Screen protectors made sense back in the days of resistive touch screens used with pointing styluses, requiring excessive pressure to register inputs. Modern touch screens are either capactive (on smartphones and tablets) or infrared (current e-ink touch devices).

Capacitive screens do not require the pressure needed to register input on a resistive screen, and as Nexutix said are manipulated with the fleshy bits of fingers. More importantly, they're covered with scratch-resistant glass as opposed to the flimsy plastics used on resistive screens (by their very nature, resistive screens must flex, or they could not complete the circuit that causes them to detect input). The risk of scratching a modern capacitive screen is miniscule and even the best screen covers cause a loss in sensitivity (it's one more layer between your nice, conductive finger and the capacitive elements that sense it).

Infrared screens also do not require the pressure of an old resistive screen, and have the same durable coating as non-touch e-ink screens. The IR grid is projected on top of the screen and touch points are calculated by occlusion of the IR beams. The IR transmitters and receivers are built into the bezel of the screen and project micrometers above the face of the screen. Apply too thick of a screen protector and you'll lose all touch functionality (or worse, send the device into an epileptic seizure when it thinks it's being touched everywhere all at once, all the time). If you must use a screen protector on a touch e-ink screen, make sure you buy a protector designed specifically for that screen.

In either case, you're pretty much only going to risk the occasional smudge and even that can be minimized with clean hands. But then I also believe that if device manufacturers wanted you to use screen protectors they'd ship the devices when them already installed. They don't, so I won't compromise my usage by installing one. In 3+ years of smartphone/tablet/touch e-ink ownership I've not yet scratched any screen despite not using any screen protector or case on any of my devices.

Thanks for the info! I giggled at the seizure line.

I don't use one for my smartphone either. I did manage to acquire one small scratch on the screen, but this was a result of dropping it from 3 feet up, screen-down, onto gravel. If that's what it takes to make a tiny scratch... I'm not going to worry too much about it. The screens on these things is really tough. I have no idea how people manage to break them.

I do use a case for my KT... but that's because it spends most of its time living in my work/school bag and I worry. It's so thin, ya know? I'm always a little more careful with my bag when my KT is in it - even more so than my laptop (which has taken so much abuse that I'm convinced it's just immortal). Peace of mind is worth $15.

[Brianrh]

Thanks for all your views and comments. From what you have said and my experience with a touch screen phone, I think I might have more problems with greasy finger prints than scratches. I suffer to a lesser extent to ScalyFreak (rather a cruel handle to give yourself I would have thought), from dry skin at times especially with hands and fingers and regularly use hand cream.

So the next question is do you ever clean your screens and what do you use? For my cheap phone I use methylated spirits to clean the screen protector but an with an ebook reader I don't know if you have to be a bit more gentlel? I've never had to clean the screen of my Sony PRS300 but then I don't have to touch the screen.

Thanks again for you all your advice.

Brian

[carpetmojo]

Micro-fibre cloths with no cleanser usually does the trick, dampen slightly if needed.

Interesting point about the bad old days withy poinyed stylusi - all Sony's have a stylus, so theoretically a greater chance of "impacting" with a grain of sand and scratching the screen ?

And I tell you what, SmokeandMirrors - I wouldn't go hurling your reader around too much - they simply aren't unbreakable ...

Read this Forum for examples - a good way would seem to be take to bed for a good read !

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by Brianrh

I suffer to a lesser extent to ScalyFreak (rather a cruel handle to give yourself I would have thought)

"Freak" is a positive thing to me. Who wants to be normal? As for "Scaly"... well, that's what the eczema looks like when it comes out to play, so why not?

Originally Posted by Brianrh

So the next question is do you ever clean your screens and what do you use? For my cheap phone I use methylated spirits to clean the screen protector but an with an ebook reader I don't know if you have to be a bit more gentlel? I've never had to clean the screen of my Sony PRS300 but then I don't have to touch the screen.

The 90% rubbing alcohol I use for cleaning cooling paste from CPUs worked just as well on lotion grease on a 950 screen.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by Brianrh

Thanks for all your views and comments. From what you have said and my experience with a touch screen phone, I think I might have more problems with greasy finger prints than scratches. I suffer to a lesser extent to ScalyFreak (rather a cruel handle to give yourself I would have thought), from dry skin at times especially with hands and fingers and regularly use hand cream.

The greasy fingerprints are pretty much the worst part of the touchscreen experience. I've had a touchscreen phone for a while now, and a Nook Color for other touchscreen fun. I've not had many (if any) scratches on the screens, but I constantly have to contend with smudges and prints (darn you lotions!!!). When the microfiber cloth doesn't cut it, I use this screen cleaner I tried from Monoprice (http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...seq=1&format=2). Works like a charm, and I've had no ill effects.

[Brianrh]

Thank you all for your comments and advice. I am tending to look towards a Kobo Touch but I am keeping an eye on the possible firmware update for the Sony T1 for a few days before deciding. Which ever way I go I will look for a good case to buy at the same time.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by toddos

Personally, I recommend you don't, and don't put one on your capacitive-touch smartphone/tablets, either.

Screen protectors made sense back in the days of resistive touch screens used with pointing styluses, requiring excessive pressure to register inputs. Modern touch screens are either capactive (on smartphones and tablets) or infrared (current e-ink touch devices).

Capacitive screens do not require the pressure needed to register input on a resistive screen, and as Nexutix said are manipulated with the fleshy bits of fingers. More importantly, they're covered with scratch-resistant glass as opposed to the flimsy plastics used on resistive screens (by their very nature, resistive screens must flex, or they could not complete the circuit that causes them to detect input). The risk of scratching a modern capacitive screen is miniscule and even the best screen covers cause a loss in sensitivity (it's one more layer between your nice, conductive finger and the capacitive elements that sense it)

I'd say the opposite. Always put on a screen protector. Always. Even when you only use your finger, you can have some abrasive material between your finger and your screen which can scratch your screen (for example, sand). I've read enough people saying they scratched their "scratch resistant" glass so it's not that scratch resistant after all. And about a loss of sensitivity I've never heard of nor have any experience with myself.