To Protect Or Not Protect...? [Archive]

Brad Adrian

06-07-2002, 11:56 PM

I've been thinking a lot lately about screen protectors (Sorry, such is my mundane life). I used to ALWAYS have some form of screen protector in place, for fear of scratching the screen surface. But a few weeks ago, I wanted to watch a movie on my iPAQ and I realized what an incredible difference it made when I removed the screen protector. The colors were more brilliant and everything seemed snazzier. <br /><br />Since then, I've been using the iPAQ "without any protection," and haven't noticed a bit of scratching. I know that there are tons of horror stories out there about damaged screens, but I'm more interested in the flipside of the story: How many people out there have used a Pocket PC on a regular basis without any screen protectors WITHOUT any visible damage?

Jason Dunn

06-07-2002, 11:58 PM

I tend to avoid the screen protectors. The WriteSheilds from Times2Tech are excellent, the best I've seen, but it does dull the colours quite a bit. I go "unprotected" most of the time, and haven't noticed any serious damage. Then again, it's not like I use a Pocket PC for a whole year or anything. ;-)

Richard S

06-08-2002, 12:09 AM

I've been using my iPaq with an unprotected screen since 8/00 without so much as a scratch. I guess I've been lucky so far :)

klinux

06-08-2002, 12:28 AM

I go naked most of the time too. Oh, I mean my PDA. :P

Trade Wind

06-08-2002, 12:29 AM

Similar story as Richard here. Since 7/00...not a scratch.

helios

06-08-2002, 12:33 AM

I've used my EM-500 for over a year now without having used a screen protector and it still looks brand new.

The two things that can cause scratches are small particles of dirt that get dragged on the surface of your screen by your stylus, and using a stylus with a scuffed up tip, both of which are easily avoidable.

If you keep your screen surface relatively clean by brushing it every so often and don't drop or mar your stylus' tip, you should never get a scratch while it is unprotected.

I have never liked how screen protectors make the screen look.

kagayaki1

06-08-2002, 01:09 AM

I used to use them on my Casio E-125, but for a month I didn't, and there were no problems.

Similarly, I didn't use a protector on my iPAQ 3870 for 6 months, and I didn't have any problems. I guess it's just a matter of how clean you keep your screen in general, as well as how hard you write. Left-handed writers, like myself, are said to write with 7 times more pressure than a right hander. If that's true, 7 times more pressure doesn't seem to affect it. I use a protector now after reading a glut of horror stories, but after my recent movie watching on a plane, I'm really reconsidering. <shrug> I don't think they're that bad when you're doing normal PIM activities; when watching movies and reading e-books at night, it can be hard to use a protector. They seem to distort small fonts. Forget playing Argentum.

IpaqMan2

06-08-2002, 01:25 AM

Holy cow...

I have been using a pda condum, I mean a screen protector on my ipaq ever since I bought it over a year agao. I actually bought the screen protectors before I bought my ipaq and never used it without the screen protector.

I took mine off so I can try it for a few days without one after reading the article and the screen actually looks brighter crisppier. I am surprised that the screen actually looks cooler.. Now I just have to get use to writing with out the pressure the screen protector use to give.

Though even still.... I think I may go back to a screen protector in a week or 2. I have heard way to many horrior stories of screens getting scratched. I don't think it's worth it my opinion and would rather have the added assurance that nothing I may do will scratch the screen from writing on it.

hhollick

06-08-2002, 01:42 AM

I was addicted to Solitiare for a while and managed to darn near wear a hole in the screen, especially up in the left hand corner where you would slide cards off the deck. It was scratched pretty badly from repeated wear.

I had the screen replaced and used a protector for a while thereafter. Fortunately, while the iPaq was in the shop I was able to break my addication to Solitaire. :)

I took the protector off a few weeks later and have never looked back. The bare screen is much crisper.

Paragon

06-08-2002, 02:09 AM

I have never used a screen protector in the 2 1/2 years I have been using PDAs. But, to quote Jason it's not like I keep one for a whole year. In that time I have had 1 Visor, 1 Palm IIIC, 2 Palm M100s, 4 Ipaqs, and 4 Jornadas. :roll: I use my sleeve to clean the screen. All this and I have never had a scratch.

Besides my wife is Catholic, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to use any protection.... Hmmm... I never thought maybe Dale could answer that question for me :D

Dave

Timothy Rapson

06-08-2002, 02:13 AM

My 8 month old Ipaq has had hundreds of pages of documents (thousands of screensworth) entered on screen with FITALY. I can see a pattern of the places I hit on the screen (never have used a screen protector. $20 to protect a screen on a $60 PDA? No.) But the markings can be rubbed clearer with polishing cloth. The same with the tracks on the right side where the slider bars are always being dragged on.

I have some definite numbers scratched on the screen when I imput them in Notes Draw function. I am almost certain I didn't accidentally write with my Stylus with the paper writing pen up (I use a Pentopia pen with the hook stylus on the end, that works as a regular pen or stylus). I believe a grain of dirt got between the end of the stylus and the screen and YUCK. I am not taking any chances on any PDAs I pay real money for.

Steven Cedrone

06-08-2002, 03:03 AM

When I bought my first Jornada, I made my own protectors (using templates from PocketPCPassion). I used them faithfully until just a few months ago. I finally decided to go without and I don't regret it for a second. Things look much better and I have not seen any damage to the screen whatsoever......

Steve

shilmover

06-08-2002, 03:36 AM

i have one of the original 3600 series (the one with 32MB ROM), a 3870, and a 568. I leave them around and my 2 boys love playing with them (2 yrs and 4 yrs old).

They see daddy "writing" on the screen and have grabed a pen and written on the screen! No visible damage on any of my units.

B

Sven Johannsen

06-08-2002, 04:39 AM

When I had my 454 and 458 Jornadas I always had protection. I bought HP's and really like them. They got scratched u and I periodically replaced them. When I moved up to a J568 when they first came out, Back in Sep 01 I think, I found that HP didn't make a protector for the 560 series. I figured I'd wait until they did, because I couldn't decide what to go with. There were good and bad reviews on every one out there. Well, HP never released on, so my J never got one. Seems fine. Besides these things only last less than two years before the uncontrollable urge to get a new one is overwhelming anyway :)

Marc Zimmermann

06-08-2002, 06:24 AM

I don't use screen protectors on my devices due to the look and feel. There are no scratches or other damage, except a few on my wife's iPAQ where she plays a lot of Solitaire and Cubicle Chaos. Ensuring that both the screen and stylus tip are dust free and avoiding dragging (not using character recognition but the keyboard) significantly reduces the risk of scratches.

Dave Beauvais

06-08-2002, 07:25 AM

I use screen protectors from PDA Screen Protectors (http://www.pdascreenprotectors.com/). These are the clearest, toughest protectors I've ever used, but I still notice a very slight degradation in the display under certain lighting conditions.

However, I consider that to be an acceptable trade-off for the peace of mind offered by the protector. I don't have to worry about wiping off a smudge with a rough napkin, having a friend scrach the display when they play around with my E-200 (http://www.casio.com/personalpcs/product.cfm?section=19&market=0&product=4146), or dragging a piece of dirt into the surface while using Transcriber. In a pinch, I can even safely use objects as a stylus that I'd never dream of using on a naked screen. (Toothpicks, the end of a spoon at McDonald's (http://www.mcdonalds.com/), etc.)

Dave

Carlos

06-08-2002, 09:09 AM

I've been living with a PDA since the first Newton arrived at the local Mac dealer via FedEx (that's like, 157 in PDA-years). And I mean *living* with it. I've always carried it 24x7, everywhere I go. I have never used a screen protector. I've also never damaged a screen. I've even done crazy things like using a pen cap for a stylus, plastic spoons, and of course, fingernails.

I recently tried one for a few weeks. The writing feel is my big complaint. I'd pay handsomely for a protector that would give me the feel that I had on my Newton (no PPC or Palm has duplicated its "paper" feel), but so far all of them make the screen feel much worse and be much harder to use.

Pony99CA

06-08-2002, 09:10 AM

I didn't use a screen protector on my old Sharp Mobilon HC4500 handheld PC. I literally wore a hole in the screen from playing Emerald Hunt.

When I got my iPAQ 3650, I bought screen protectors from http://pdascreenprotectors.com based on cost and the fact they didn't use a sticky side which I worried would gum up the screen. Every time I change the screen protector, I'm grateful that crap isn't on my screen.

I now use them on my iPAQ 3870, too.

Steve

Carlos

06-08-2002, 09:13 AM

BTW, there is a product called "Honda Polish" that you can buy at any Honda motorcycle dealer. It's universally considered the best plastics polish among riders of all brands. It is amazing for cleaning your PDA screen, eyeglasses, anything plastic, fiberglass, or painted.

marlof

06-08-2002, 12:05 PM

I've always used the HP screen protectors with my 548, but since I received the 565 I don't use screen protectors anymore. I did try several on, and there still are good ones out there, but wihtout the protector it still looked and felt better to me. I'm just being careful not to get addicted to games or text entry methods where you use the same part of the screen all of the time.

dma1965

06-08-2002, 07:45 PM

I use my PDA about 50 times a day, since I am a Network Adminstrator for a retail establishment with about 33 locations I have to visit regularly, as well as corporate headquarter of about 30 desktops. My iPaq goes with me everywhere I go, and I am constantly using it to update spreadsheets when I replace equipment, logging service calls, looking up numbers, Telneting to routers and configuring them, testing network connections, etc. The point I am getting at is this:

I had a 3870 with the dreaded backlight problem that I used "naked" because of the gorgeous crisp colors, and, in only 3 months, it was covered with tiny little hairline scratches, and one major dull spot in the upper right hand corner where the close/minimize/ok button is. When I returned it during the brief period Compaq was accepting units for the backlight issue (I have a CarePaq, so they overnighted me another unit), I had a brand new screen again, so I put a WriteShield protector on it. Now, only a few short months later, the WriteShield is covered with tiny little scratches, but my screen is still nice and new underneath. I also have a difficult time using Calligrapher on a none protected screen, since it is just to slick to write on. Do I like the look of the unprotected screen better ? Absolutely! Will I remove my protector? No way! :!:

TomTanida

06-08-2002, 08:40 PM

I use my iPAQ 3650, which I bought in Feb 2001, seemingly constantly. I used screen protectors up until about this past December, until I got tired of paying for them and dealing with trying to get them fitted correctly. At first I bought the Fellowes protectors, but then I started cutting them out of clear plastic, and eventually I gave up.

Today, I notice a few small stratches in the writing area, but only when I hold it at an angle to look for them. They don't bother me and now I figure that by them time enought scratches appear that they would bother me, I'll probably upgrade to a new iPAQ anyway (I have my eye on the new 39xx series). :wink:

Incidentally, I've lost all my styluses and often use my fingernail or a mechanical pencil with the lead retracted (and without one of those metal tubes that comes from the tip- in fact, that's how I scratched my iPAQ one time- I stupidly used a mechanical pencil with the metal bit).

-Tom

QYV

06-08-2002, 08:51 PM

I can't understand how anyone with screen protectors can stand the feel of them! I tried to use a WriteRight two or three times and gave up each time within 24 hours because using Transcriber with them on drove me crazy. In a year and a half of essentially constant use (I'm one of those who takes their iPAQ everywhere they go), the only scratches on the screen that were visible without holding the iPAQ up to the light at a certain angle were in the Solitaire deck area. So, be warned if you play a lot of Solitaire! :D Otherwise, just be careful to keep your stylus tip clean and you should be fine.

merlin

06-08-2002, 10:04 PM

I used to use protection, but I was missing out on the 65,000 colors that the 3870 has. Everything seemed hazy.
I guess it depends how much wear and tear you put on your device.

johnm

06-08-2002, 10:14 PM

When I first got my Ipaq I used character recognizer mode all the time. One day I got some grit embedded in the stylus and scratched that area up so bad I can't form characters in it any more. So I had to put a protector on it. It also forced me to switch to transcriber which I don't regret. But I'll never run un-protected again. It's easy to say just be careful, but it only takes once to change your mind. It's like backing up your hard drive, no one really cares about it until they get burned. - Expensive lesson to learn.

Dave Beauvais

06-08-2002, 11:00 PM

I can't understand how anyone with screen protectors can stand the feel of them! ...
Not all of them feel like that. The WriteRights are really bad in terms of stylus resistance and screen distortion. The ones I use from http://www.pdascreenprotectors.com/ are as smooth as the naked screen. I really like the surface.

Dave

Carlos

06-09-2002, 01:01 AM

Dave Beauvais

06-09-2002, 02:19 AM

... The argument being that it keeps the seats looking new. But if you never get to actually enjoy those new seats, what's the point?
I understand your point of view, but I think of it this way... A screen in perfect condition may increase resale value a bit. I'd certainly be more likely to buy a used PDA on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/) that has a like-new screen, than one that's got scratches all over it from the owner playing Solitaire or scribbling on the screen. Also, if your screen protector does happen to get scratched to the point that it hinders interfacing with your PDA, you can just replace the screen protector for a few dollars. If you didn't have one, you'd have to deal with a scratched screen for as long as you keep your PDA. I think of it as a simple $10 insurance policy on my $600 digital companion.

I'm just being careful not to get addicted to games or text entry methods where you use the same part of the screen all of the time.
That's exactly why I use a screen protector. Why should I feel the need to limit my input methods or the types of games I can play because I'm worried about scratching the screen?

Oh, and for the record, I have never used seat covers in my decrepit, almost-thirteen-year-old car. :lol:

Carlos

06-09-2002, 02:49 AM

I see that point of view, I just don't see the point. I'd rather pay $100 for a new screen if it gets damaged or lose the resale value. If I was so concerned with it that I'd sacrifice my device's performance and visibility, I would just buy a low-end machine.

I go by experience, also. If I'd been buying screen protectors for as long as I've owned PDA's, I would almost be able to buy a PDA for the money I would have spent. Meanwhile, I would have been annoyed the whole time.

Paragon

06-09-2002, 03:27 AM

Brad Adrian

06-09-2002, 04:52 AM

Thanks for all the information and replies. I guess, like most things Pocket PC, it all depends on how you use your device. I honestly had absolutely no trouble at all with the slight muddiness that the protectors add UNTIL I tried to watch a full-length film while on a long airline flight. That's about the only situation (for me) in which the effect of the protectors is unacceptable.

Thanks.

Pony99CA

06-09-2002, 03:22 PM

I'm curious--do the screen protector users also have seat covers in their car? Screen protectors always reminded me of people with sheepskin car seat covers. The argument being that it keeps the seats looking new. But if you never get to actually enjoy those new seats, what's the point?

I think that's a foolish analogy. If I would compare any car accessory, I'd have picked a bra, but that's not much better.

First, I thought seat covers (like sheepskin) were for comfort, not for preserving value.

Second, even if seat covers are for preserving value, that's not what screen protectors are for. Screen protectors are meant to protect the most visible piece of your PDA. Probably 99.9% of your output comes from the screen (the rest being audio or VGA hookups). A scratched display will be harder to read, in my opinion, than the slight distortion I may get from a screen protector.

Steve

Pony99CA

06-09-2002, 03:52 PM

Well after reading this whole thread, I think I saw only one person who does not use protection who has regrets. They said they thought a spec of dirt got on the stylus and caused damage. Everyone else who goes without say they have no regrets. Several people have stopped using them because of loss of viewing quality. It seems that most people using protectors are doing so for piece of mind.

You really read the whole thread? I count at least six people who probably wish they had screen protection.

The person you refer to is probably johnm, who had to switch from Character Recognizer to Transcriber because he scratched his display. But it could be Timothy Rapson, too, who also got something on his stylus.

But what about dma1965, who had hairline scratches and a dull spot on his screen?

And what about Marc Zimmerman's wife, who has bad spots from playing Solitaire and Cubicle Chaos?

Another one might be hhollick, who wore out his screen playing Solitaire and had to send it in for repair. Yes, while it was gone, he broke his "addiction" to Solitaire and doesn't use them now, but I'd wager that he regretted not using one at the time.

Oh, yes, what about my posting where I said I cracked my Sharp Mobilon's display playing Emerald Hunt so frequently? Did you discount that because it's not a Pocket PC? Or was mine discounted on a semantic issue because I do use screen protection now?

I haven't really noticed much viewing degradation, but even if I did, my display with a screen protector is more than good enough for what I do.

To summarize, I'd rather pay for screen protection than be without my iPAQ while it's in the shop for repair, so I think the insurance is worth it. Even if I didn't have to pay for the repairs and got a replacement PDA, the hassle of not having to restore my data and programs is worth the cost.

Steve

Paragon

06-09-2002, 04:04 PM

I do think that some of the answers were open to some interpretation, so I'm willing to bet that we are both wrong.

I'm not so sure this thread was intended to come down to who said what. My only intent was to summarize.

After all to "use protection" is a much more philosophical debate. :)

Dave

ollie

06-09-2002, 04:13 PM

I had hairline scratches on my iPAQ 3650 within two weeks from purchasing it, and decided to go for screen protection straight away! I bought a Brando Workshop protector from http://www.brando.com.hk and have been through two of these protectors in 22 months, which I think is good.

The protection did affect the clarity of the screen, but only slightly, and it did improve the use of the stylus.

Would I remove the screen protection? Perhaps I'd be tempted to if I had an iPAQ 38xx with all those colours and a great screen! But until then I know, I'm sticking with the screen protector.

kevincam

06-09-2002, 08:10 PM

I've had my iPAQ for years too and never used a screen protector, I can't say that I don't have scratches, because I do and I have a decent amount of them. Even still I don't see the scracthes unless I'm trying too. I tried a screen protector once after not having used one and immediatly didn't like how it made the screen look, plus the screen saver seemed to accumulate scraches daily which made the screen look worst. My philosophy is before I've damaged/marred up the screen badly, I'd probably have the next latest model anyway.

Kevi Kev

Pony99CA

06-09-2002, 09:57 PM

I do think that some of the answers were open to some interpretation, so I'm willing to bet that we are both wrong.

Yep, I certainly could be wrong about a couple of those. Maybe they don't regret scratches and dull spots or having to send their screen in for repair. ;-) However, I can guarantee that I'm correct about one entry -- mine. I didn't use screen protection on my Mobilon, cracked the screen, and regret that. I do use screen protection now and am happy with it.

I'm not so sure this thread was intended to come down to who said what.

I think almost every thread that is based on opinion comes down to who said what. In fact, that's basically what Brad wanted -- people's experiences.

If someone is trying to decide whether to use screen protection, there are basically two ways to decide:

1. You either choose to believe some "authoratative" sources (Jason and other leaders), or

2. You look at all the opinions and weigh the results based on your experiences/biases.

My only intent was to summarize.

I realize that, and that may be useful to someone using method #2 who doesn't want to wade through the entire thread. However, I questioned the accuracy of that summary, so I provided another one. :-)

I think the best way to summarize the data would be to make a poll. Ask a question like "Do you use screen protection?" with answers similar to:

1. No -- I never have and haven't had any problems.
2. No -- I used to, but don't anymore.
3. No -- but I have had problems.
4. Yes -- I always have.
5. Yes -- I didn't before and regret it.

What about it, Brad? Can you set one up?

Steve

Carlos

06-10-2002, 12:47 AM

You CRACKED the screen? How is a screen protector going to defend against that?

Pony99CA

06-10-2002, 07:12 AM

You CRACKED the screen? How is a screen protector going to defend against that?

By being made out of transparent aluminum, of course. :-) (If you didn't see "Star Trek IV", never mind.)

As I mentioned previously, I played a game called Emerald Hunt a lot. It involves dragging on the screen. I can only assume that a lot of dragging took place in certain areas on the screen, gradually wearing the screen down.

One time while playing, the screen cracked in a spot that was probably worn down. I believe that screen protectors would have prevented the screen from taking all of that wear and tear.

Does that answer your doubts?

As an interesting aside, a cracked screen does not necessarily render a Handheld PC useless. As my Mobilon has a keyboard, I can still use it for most of the things I had in the past. I can't play Emerald Hunt or Solitaire, but most all of the PIM applications still work fine.

Steve

Carlos

06-10-2002, 07:20 AM

Ah, so the top surface cracked, not the glass LCD itself? I know what you mean about a cracked screen. I was rear-ended in my car once, and my Newton went flying out of its spot. Being a convertible, it ended up on the road. The glass part of the screen was shattered, but the plastic touch-sensitive overlay was not, and it was still usable. It was an interesting conversation with the insurance adjuster...