Thoughts on screen protectors

Bob Russell · 01-28-2006, 11:23 PM

If you own a mobile device with a touch sensitive screen, then plain and simple you should get a screen protector. If you don't you will probably regret it because even a stylus will leave scrape marks and scratches on the screen eventually. Even more so if a piece of dirt gets on the stylus to make it act like a diamond tipped engraving tool.

So how to know what to choose? A Google search will get you plenty of reviews of specific brands, but I'd like to point out a few things that may not be so obvious unless you've personally tried multiple types of screen protectors (like I have).

First of all, the basic idea is always to lay a slightly sticky transparent plastic sheet on top of your screen surface. It should not decrease the clarity or brightness of the display, and it should be pleasant to use the touch sensitive screen with your finger or stylus.

Some screen protectors are called washable, but I don't advise washing and reusing them because they will never be like pristine condition after they are used once. Even applying and removing multiple times can get dust on it, stretch it in places, and generally make it less than perfect.

Secondly, be sure to not destroy it when you apply it. You'll need to make sure the screen is very clean (I use a lens cleaning cloth or an eyeglasses cleaning wipe), and that you apply it from one side of the screen to the other. Preferably by pulling it only partly away from the backing paper and then laying it down and carefully smoothing it flat with a piece of hard paper or business card or credit card.

The idea is to make it lay straight and uniformly flat, and to keep bubbles out. Other than signs left by applying and removing and reapplying too much in the process due to improper alignment (some adjustments are okay if you catch it before you go too far), bubbles and dust are your main enemies. Keep smoothing out the bubbles and making sure the screen is clean before you start will give you much better success.

Does it have to be applied perfectly? No, not at all. And it probably never will be applied perfectly. But the better you get it on there, the less "defects" you will see. If you use it all the time, it's worth a little care to do it reasonably well.

What are the differences between screen protectors? Several main factors come into play. First is the hardness or softness. A hard protector will probably last longer, but it can tend to give you less "feel" when you use the touch screen. It seems to spread out the touch point a bit. One good hard protector I've used is from Boxwave. It lasts fairly long, is very clear, and applies well to the screen. I don't care for the "touchability" but it's not bad, and isn't a big deal with a Treo because you don't use graffiti on it, so there's really not that much stylus work anyway. They are a bit more expensive, but they last longer, so it probably works out not bad in the long run.

Soft protectors are sometimes too rubbery, and can tend to stretch when you push too hard when dragging the stylus across the screen. They also tend to collect bubbles more on the original application, and when you try to get the bubbles out you leave little stretches, and leave other small bubbles. Not a big deal, but noticable. The bargain protectors I bought from eBay really cheaply were this soft kind. I like them, but they may need to be replaced every few months or so.

The other factor you need to take into account is the affect on display quality. It should be very clear and transparent. A friend of mine had extras and gave me a few. I tried one and it left a grid sort of like a graph paper overlay on top of the screen. And even worse it ended up slightly off kilter so with that protector on, the screen always had this optical illusion of being very crooked! It was actually the best protector I've ever used except for that grid that ruined the screen. Both soft and hard protectors can be clear, so it's often just a matter of quality. You don't want one that introduces more glare (already a problem using pdas outdoors), or decreases the brightness. But that's something that you can only learn from experience with a particular brand or by reading reviews.

I just recently removed my "grid" screen protector and replaced it with my eBay cheapee. I had been considering separate cell phone and a T|X recently, but with the new screen protector I've rediscovered the beauty of the Treo display once again. It's like I've fallen in love with the device all over again. I can't tell you enough how much it's worth your while to make sure you are not stuck with an inferior protector. If you are, you definitely want to do a little research and find another option. Maybe some of our readers will share their experiences with various brands in this thread also.

One final important comment relative to the Treo screen in particular. It's the smallest screen of any Palm device. Why is that important? Because it means you have an option that is not available to the devices with big screens. You can pretty much take any screen protector for any device and cut it down to size and use it on your Treo. That means you can find some on sale really cheap, or even use protectors that you have left over from your previous pda.

It may or may not be worth the aggrevation of the cutting to save a few bucks. After doing that cutting myself a bunch of times now, I guess I'm going to keep cutting, but sometimes I think it might just be worth ordering them the right size!

But for now, I have a bunch of protectors left over, so I'm doing the cutting. The method I use is simply to lay the old one down on the new one and draw a line around the outside of it. Then I cut the new one to barely remove the line and it makes for a good fit. But I've ruined a couple also, so it doesn't always work.

The Treo came with a "universal" screen protector that was large enough to work for any size Palm device and guide lines for where to cut for each model. I suppose it might be helpful if I could make a copy at 1:1 ratio with now magnification and lay it on a protector. But I haven't really found that to be useful yet. I've also tried measuring the screen and using that to mark the new one before cutting. But I always run into trouble with the width of the mark. Do I cut outside or inside? Did I measure right? Etc.

I'd be interested to hear how other people have successfully cut them down, or if they just leave it with a flap where it hangs over.

So there you have it. Some thoughts on screen protectors. Time for you to add your own thoughts now.

Dick Tracy · 01-28-2006, 11:47 PM

Trimming tips: A photocopy of the Palm cut-to-fit is excellent when trimmed near to size needed on two sides, precise on other two and aligned in one corner of a spare oversize. Tape to the screen surface (so you don't grime it up and have to wash it) with the tape on the discard portion. Hold with thumb on copy while scissoring. This works particularly well with better screen protectors that have a pull tab so you don't have to struggle with separating the layers when it's time to apply (in a clean environment, of course).

I prefer the Boxwaves, especially on the TX's 320x480 screen. Since there are no more glasstops, the stiffness gives a less saggy feel. Unfortunately I didn't have any spare oversized screen protectors for this unit, so I had to purchase new ones.

paulkbiba · 01-29-2006, 12:03 AM

Gee, I'm a holdout on this, I guess. I've had many, many Palms, and currently have a Palm III, aTX, a Tungsten C, a Zodiac 2, a Clie and a Treo 650, along with 3 Pocket PCs. I have never used a screen protector with any of them (with one exception I'll mention later) and in all those years, since I first got my Palm III, I've never had a scratch or other major mark on the screen. I've tried a lot of protectors, but simply don't think they are worth the trouble or money. The key is in cleaning. Like cleaning a lens, make sure the screen is free of dust and dirt before polishing it.

The only protector I would recommend is the Boxwave Anti-Reflective one. This is useful when you have your machine in the car and are running a GPS program. Then the sun shining on the screen will either wash it out or cause so many reflections you can't see it. Other than this I'm not in the protector-crowd.

By the way, I got an iPod Video 60GB for my birthday, and talk about scratches! It scratches if you just look at it. It's the only machine I've ever had that I'm a bit afraid to use. A full-coverage case is really a necessity for this baby.

gadgetguru · 01-29-2006, 12:22 AM

Oftentimes, it is better to buy the exact size, since it fit so much better and leaves no space unprotected. Unless, of course, as you stated, you are trying to utilized unused protectors from other handhelds. Cutting it yourself, takes some trial and error and experience to get it right, so the first few times, you often get an oversized one or undersized one. With oversized one, the uninitiated sometimes, try to tuck the very small excess betwen the case and the scren - bad idea, since it is a touchscreen, such extra pressure, often tend to lead to wild touch sensitivity. User-cut screen protector also often ends up with jagged side or corners which diminishes the look of an expensive device - sure, it is cosmetic, but still... And finally, whatever is left over is seldom enough for a second one, mostly, it is just enough for a small screen cellular phone.

As to type of screensaver, I no longer use the soft kind - like those that comes free with some Palm branded PDA. They last, as you stated, less than a week or two. And even on a Treo, playing a few games of say, Bejeweled, will ruin those kind big time. And being make of some kind of rubber, it tend to make the stylus use less smooth.

For hard type, I prefer the Ultraclear kind. Earlier protectors are of the glazed kind, but newer ones if installed properly, just blends in perfectly, and you wouldn't know if it's even there. I don't notice any less sensitivity with it on. And it really last a long time. I am in Asia, and Brando and Capdase, are mnore popular here, both of them seem to be of similar make.

Fopr me, the soft kind last at most a month, while the hard kind will last six or more... so in the end, the hard type ends up cheaper...

Laurens · 01-29-2006, 05:14 AM

I've never used screen protectors and I'm not especially careful either. (I do use leather cases and flip covers, though.) All four of my PDAs still work fine.

gekk0 · 02-05-2006, 10:54 PM

I'm a big fan of the hard screensavers. I've used Boxwaves for over two years, and have not had any problems with screen sensitivity. The one now on my Zire 71 has been in use for over a year now and shows no signs of wear.

zoid · 02-06-2006, 06:20 PM

I applied the screen protect that came with my Treo 650. It has 2 bubbles. So now I want to remove it but it's seems glued to the screen. how do I remove it with out scratching up the screen

Bob Russell · 02-06-2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoid

I applied the screen protect that came with my Treo 650. It has 2 bubbles. So now I want to remove it but it's seems glued to the screen. how do I remove it with out scratching up the screen

Good question. How bad are the bubbles? If removed and replaced, it may not be clear anymore. If the bubbles are near the edge you might be able to push them out with a business card or credit card.

The tip I've heard is that you should use a piece of tape in the corner to pull it. Personally, I've usually used a business card to lift up the corner. But depending on the screen protector type, it may or may not go back down well. I've seen more that don't go back down well than are good to replace.

You may be best off if you buy a replacement. If price is an issue, try finding a cheap pack on eBay, or a cheap one that you can cut down. You might even share some from a pack with friends to save money.

Good luck!

johnnaryry · 02-10-2006, 09:01 AM

I have always used screen protector on all of my touchscreen devices. The only exception is my ePod (haven't been able to find one big enough yet). My favourites have been WriteRights, I've used them since before Fellowes acquired them.

I just 'upgraded' from an m515 to a Tungsten T and bought a pack of Incipio screen protectors from the same vendor. After applying one I was quite shocked to discover that it causes a 'fault' when the slide is closed, the protector is too thick and puts constant pressure on the input area. That prevents the unit from accepting any input from screen taps or button presses while the slide is closed, very strange. So, I'm off now to see if I can snag some WriteRights at my local CompUSA...

Chaos · 04-19-2006, 12:05 AM

Just to pitch in a new thought on an old thread... I just got a few Boxwave protectors for my T|X, and they're truly wonderful.

Applied almost perfectly (two small specks of dust under it near the edges of the screen - my fault, probably - but barely noticable), covers the entire screen completely (I mean no space around the edge), and only took me about 15 minutes to get it on, with my first try (I'm relatively new to screen protector application - my Zaurus never needed one, as I only tapped on the screen and used the thumboard for text input, and my old Clie already had one on, that I never took off as it worked well).

The adhesive isn't as strong as the Palm ones, which is good. It holds very well, but easily peels off to reapply it, need be, and doesn't seem like it's going to tear the screen off. It feels similar to peeling a post-it note off a piece of paper, except a little stronger.

The ones I have, the Anti-Glare ones, have a very nice tactile feel when writing on the screen, almost like paper feels like with a pencil. To me, at least, it seems to make writing Graffiti on the screen much easier and more accurate. Probably becase I'm incredibly used to writing with a pencil.

(All those hundreds, no, thousands of math questions over the years.)

So, although your milage may vary, I'd suggest at least looking at Boxwaves, if you don't mind the slightly-steep (although in my mind worthwhile) pricetag.

01-28-2006, 11:23 PM	#1
Bob Russell Recovering Gadget Addict Posts: 5,381 Karma: 676161 Join Date: May 2004 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Device: iPad	Thoughts on screen protectors If you own a mobile device with a touch sensitive screen, then plain and simple you should get a screen protector. If you don't you will probably regret it because even a stylus will leave scrape marks and scratches on the screen eventually. Even more so if a piece of dirt gets on the stylus to make it act like a diamond tipped engraving tool. So how to know what to choose? A Google search will get you plenty of reviews of specific brands, but I'd like to point out a few things that may not be so obvious unless you've personally tried multiple types of screen protectors (like I have). First of all, the basic idea is always to lay a slightly sticky transparent plastic sheet on top of your screen surface. It should not decrease the clarity or brightness of the display, and it should be pleasant to use the touch sensitive screen with your finger or stylus. Some screen protectors are called washable, but I don't advise washing and reusing them because they will never be like pristine condition after they are used once. Even applying and removing multiple times can get dust on it, stretch it in places, and generally make it less than perfect. Secondly, be sure to not destroy it when you apply it. You'll need to make sure the screen is very clean (I use a lens cleaning cloth or an eyeglasses cleaning wipe), and that you apply it from one side of the screen to the other. Preferably by pulling it only partly away from the backing paper and then laying it down and carefully smoothing it flat with a piece of hard paper or business card or credit card. The idea is to make it lay straight and uniformly flat, and to keep bubbles out. Other than signs left by applying and removing and reapplying too much in the process due to improper alignment (some adjustments are okay if you catch it before you go too far), bubbles and dust are your main enemies. Keep smoothing out the bubbles and making sure the screen is clean before you start will give you much better success. Does it have to be applied perfectly? No, not at all. And it probably never will be applied perfectly. But the better you get it on there, the less "defects" you will see. If you use it all the time, it's worth a little care to do it reasonably well. What are the differences between screen protectors? Several main factors come into play. First is the hardness or softness. A hard protector will probably last longer, but it can tend to give you less "feel" when you use the touch screen. It seems to spread out the touch point a bit. One good hard protector I've used is from Boxwave. It lasts fairly long, is very clear, and applies well to the screen. I don't care for the "touchability" but it's not bad, and isn't a big deal with a Treo because you don't use graffiti on it, so there's really not that much stylus work anyway. They are a bit more expensive, but they last longer, so it probably works out not bad in the long run. Soft protectors are sometimes too rubbery, and can tend to stretch when you push too hard when dragging the stylus across the screen. They also tend to collect bubbles more on the original application, and when you try to get the bubbles out you leave little stretches, and leave other small bubbles. Not a big deal, but noticable. The bargain protectors I bought from eBay really cheaply were this soft kind. I like them, but they may need to be replaced every few months or so. The other factor you need to take into account is the affect on display quality. It should be very clear and transparent. A friend of mine had extras and gave me a few. I tried one and it left a grid sort of like a graph paper overlay on top of the screen. And even worse it ended up slightly off kilter so with that protector on, the screen always had this optical illusion of being very crooked! It was actually the best protector I've ever used except for that grid that ruined the screen. Both soft and hard protectors can be clear, so it's often just a matter of quality. You don't want one that introduces more glare (already a problem using pdas outdoors), or decreases the brightness. But that's something that you can only learn from experience with a particular brand or by reading reviews. I just recently removed my "grid" screen protector and replaced it with my eBay cheapee. I had been considering separate cell phone and a T\|X recently, but with the new screen protector I've rediscovered the beauty of the Treo display once again. It's like I've fallen in love with the device all over again. I can't tell you enough how much it's worth your while to make sure you are not stuck with an inferior protector. If you are, you definitely want to do a little research and find another option. Maybe some of our readers will share their experiences with various brands in this thread also. One final important comment relative to the Treo screen in particular. It's the smallest screen of any Palm device. Why is that important? Because it means you have an option that is not available to the devices with big screens. You can pretty much take any screen protector for any device and cut it down to size and use it on your Treo. That means you can find some on sale really cheap, or even use protectors that you have left over from your previous pda. It may or may not be worth the aggrevation of the cutting to save a few bucks. After doing that cutting myself a bunch of times now, I guess I'm going to keep cutting, but sometimes I think it might just be worth ordering them the right size! But for now, I have a bunch of protectors left over, so I'm doing the cutting. The method I use is simply to lay the old one down on the new one and draw a line around the outside of it. Then I cut the new one to barely remove the line and it makes for a good fit. But I've ruined a couple also, so it doesn't always work. The Treo came with a "universal" screen protector that was large enough to work for any size Palm device and guide lines for where to cut for each model. I suppose it might be helpful if I could make a copy at 1:1 ratio with now magnification and lay it on a protector. But I haven't really found that to be useful yet. I've also tried measuring the screen and using that to mark the new one before cutting. But I always run into trouble with the width of the mark. Do I cut outside or inside? Did I measure right? Etc. I'd be interested to hear how other people have successfully cut them down, or if they just leave it with a flap where it hangs over. So there you have it. Some thoughts on screen protectors. Time for you to add your own thoughts now.

01-29-2006, 12:03 AM	#3
paulkbiba Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 45 Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: United States Device: Nokia e61i, iPhone	Gee, I'm a holdout on this, I guess. I've had many, many Palms, and currently have a Palm III, aTX, a Tungsten C, a Zodiac 2, a Clie and a Treo 650, along with 3 Pocket PCs. I have never used a screen protector with any of them (with one exception I'll mention later) and in all those years, since I first got my Palm III, I've never had a scratch or other major mark on the screen. I've tried a lot of protectors, but simply don't think they are worth the trouble or money. The key is in cleaning. Like cleaning a lens, make sure the screen is free of dust and dirt before polishing it. The only protector I would recommend is the Boxwave Anti-Reflective one. This is useful when you have your machine in the car and are running a GPS program. Then the sun shining on the screen will either wash it out or cause so many reflections you can't see it. Other than this I'm not in the protector-crowd. By the way, I got an iPod Video 60GB for my birthday, and talk about scratches! It scratches if you just look at it. It's the only machine I've ever had that I'm a bit afraid to use. A full-coverage case is really a necessity for this baby. Last edited by paulkbiba; 01-29-2006 at 12:10 AM.

02-06-2006, 06:20 PM	#7
zoid Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2006	How to remove the screen protector I applied the screen protect that came with my Treo 650. It has 2 bubbles. So now I want to remove it but it's seems glued to the screen. how do I remove it with out scratching up the screen

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01-28-2006, 11:47 PM	#2
Dick Tracy Detective Posts: 109 Karma: 4455 Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: California Device: Palm TX	Trimming tips: A photocopy of the Palm cut-to-fit is excellent when trimmed near to size needed on two sides, precise on other two and aligned in one corner of a spare oversize. Tape to the screen surface (so you don't grime it up and have to wash it) with the tape on the discard portion. Hold with thumb on copy while scissoring. This works particularly well with better screen protectors that have a pull tab so you don't have to struggle with separating the layers when it's time to apply (in a clean environment, of course). I prefer the Boxwaves, especially on the TX's 320x480 screen. Since there are no more glasstops, the stiffness gives a less saggy feel. Unfortunately I didn't have any spare oversized screen protectors for this unit, so I had to purchase new ones.

01-29-2006, 12:22 AM	#4
gadgetguru Addict Posts: 214 Karma: 6370 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Asia Device: Tungsten T5	Oftentimes, it is better to buy the exact size, since it fit so much better and leaves no space unprotected. Unless, of course, as you stated, you are trying to utilized unused protectors from other handhelds. Cutting it yourself, takes some trial and error and experience to get it right, so the first few times, you often get an oversized one or undersized one. With oversized one, the uninitiated sometimes, try to tuck the very small excess betwen the case and the scren - bad idea, since it is a touchscreen, such extra pressure, often tend to lead to wild touch sensitivity. User-cut screen protector also often ends up with jagged side or corners which diminishes the look of an expensive device - sure, it is cosmetic, but still... And finally, whatever is left over is seldom enough for a second one, mostly, it is just enough for a small screen cellular phone. As to type of screensaver, I no longer use the soft kind - like those that comes free with some Palm branded PDA. They last, as you stated, less than a week or two. And even on a Treo, playing a few games of say, Bejeweled, will ruin those kind big time. And being make of some kind of rubber, it tend to make the stylus use less smooth. For hard type, I prefer the Ultraclear kind. Earlier protectors are of the glazed kind, but newer ones if installed properly, just blends in perfectly, and you wouldn't know if it's even there. I don't notice any less sensitivity with it on. And it really last a long time. I am in Asia, and Brando and Capdase, are mnore popular here, both of them seem to be of similar make. Fopr me, the soft kind last at most a month, while the hard kind will last six or more... so in the end, the hard type ends up cheaper...

01-29-2006, 05:14 AM	#5
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	I've never used screen protectors and I'm not especially careful either. (I do use leather cases and flip covers, though.) All four of my PDAs still work fine.

02-05-2006, 10:54 PM	#6
gekk0 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Jersey Device: Zire 71	I'm a big fan of the hard screensavers. I've used Boxwaves for over two years, and have not had any problems with screen sensitivity. The one now on my Zire 71 has been in use for over a year now and shows no signs of wear.

02-10-2006, 09:01 AM	#9
johnnaryry Connoisseur Posts: 84 Karma: 194 Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Lexington KY, USA Device: 64GB Apple iPad 3 WiFi, 32GB Apple iPhone 4S	I have always used screen protector on all of my touchscreen devices. The only exception is my ePod (haven't been able to find one big enough yet). My favourites have been WriteRights, I've used them since before Fellowes acquired them. I just 'upgraded' from an m515 to a Tungsten T and bought a pack of Incipio screen protectors from the same vendor. After applying one I was quite shocked to discover that it causes a 'fault' when the slide is closed, the protector is too thick and puts constant pressure on the input area. That prevents the unit from accepting any input from screen taps or button presses while the slide is closed, very strange. So, I'm off now to see if I can snag some WriteRights at my local CompUSA...

04-19-2006, 12:05 AM	#10
Chaos Evangelist Posts: 418 Karma: 281 Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Device: Assorted older devices	Just to pitch in a new thought on an old thread... I just got a few Boxwave protectors for my T\|X, and they're truly wonderful. Applied almost perfectly (two small specks of dust under it near the edges of the screen - my fault, probably - but barely noticable), covers the entire screen completely (I mean no space around the edge), and only took me about 15 minutes to get it on, with my first try (I'm relatively new to screen protector application - my Zaurus never needed one, as I only tapped on the screen and used the thumboard for text input, and my old Clie already had one on, that I never took off as it worked well). The adhesive isn't as strong as the Palm ones, which is good. It holds very well, but easily peels off to reapply it, need be, and doesn't seem like it's going to tear the screen off. It feels similar to peeling a post-it note off a piece of paper, except a little stronger. The ones I have, the Anti-Glare ones, have a very nice tactile feel when writing on the screen, almost like paper feels like with a pencil. To me, at least, it seems to make writing Graffiti on the screen much easier and more accurate. Probably becase I'm incredibly used to writing with a pencil. (All those hundreds, no, thousands of math questions over the years.) So, although your milage may vary, I'd suggest at least looking at Boxwaves, if you don't mind the slightly-steep (although in my mind worthwhile) pricetag.

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