Everything worked, but the screen was unresponsive. For once, I googled before asking. The problem is crud between the screen and the frame. Carefully drag the corner of a piece of ordinary paper under the edge all the way around. Yeah, I was suspicious too, but it worked!
That's interesting, I wonder what other devices might suffer in the same way?
I got a TomTom One GPS for ten dollars at a rummage sale, and the touch aspect seemed flakey initially, but after charging and some use, all seems fine. I got a PDA last year, and the touch screen (you needed a stylus) seems unrepsonsive, I was wondering what might be involved, not that it really matters, it was a few dollars and I have no real use for one.
Michael
So haul it out and try it. Surely you didn't throw it away...
How do the edges know which spot on the screen was touched? Was the bit of crud in ONE specific place that somehow allowed the whole thing to work, like a ground connection or something? Is the whole thing like a required ground connection and a bit of crud somehow breaks that connection? The website guy used paper; what if I'd used a tiny bit of toothpick sliver or wire or plastic?
I have an older Lenovo laptop with a touchscreen that I rarely use; it must have a frame. If it ever goes wonky I'll try it.
If nooks operate in the same way as kobo screens it's not actually resistive or capacitive touch at all, it's breaking a grid of infrared beams that criss-cross the screen.
Paper (or very thin cardboard) will absorb oils and grease - with special reference to skin oils. A toothpick is to coarse, and silver, wire or plastic will not.
A common practice is to clean out variable capacitors with business cards - for just that reason.
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA
That would be quite expensive in terms of battery use. And Nooks are known for very long battery life. My wife will go for over a week, easily, reading several hours per day.
Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA
Can you still get matchbooks? Similarly useful.
Apparently the nook simple touch does have an IR matrix
My kobo will too, it was apparently the last kobo model to use an IR matrix (and I expect kindles last for ages too).
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required