X30 issue - Screen Protectors?

[ND Bob]

I've got one issue that has been irritating me with my new X30, which I otherwise am very satisfied with:

The Dell-supplied screen protectors often prevent the screen from registering taps! But not completely... This happens most often after powering up, and the screen is completely unresponsive to taps anywhere at all. Now, here's the weird part - peeling back the protector a little bit in one corner is all it takes to get the screen to respond to taps ANYWHERE. And once it's registered the first tap, you can smooth the corner back down as best as you can, and the screen works... until the next time, when your guess is as good as mine. In other words, if the screen protector is properly applied, there's a good chance that your taps won't register at first - you need to peel back and reapply at least a small corner of the protector every time this happens. How weird is that?

I've applied half a dozen or so of these screen protectors (yes, following the instructions) with similar results. The insensitivity of the screen isn't consistent - I haven't been able to find any real pattern to it. The only thing that's stayed constant is the solution of peeling back a corner of the screen protector for the first tap to register.

Am I missing something obvious about this? Has anyone else encountered this sort of thing? I used screen protectors all the time on my iPAQ and never encountered this at all.

[Kati Compton]

Let me just be sure: all the taps register correctly when you *don't* have the screen protector on? Or could it be coincidental that it needs a few seconds to register the "first" tap, and by then you're peeling the screen protector?

A number of PPCs have an initial latency when turned on in registering taps...

[ND Bob]

Nope... it's not a latency thing, as far as I can tell. I've noticed that this model DOES have latency issues where my iPAQ didn't, but this doesn't appear related

The first time I noticed it was the first time I powered the X30 on - I had dutifully applied the screen protector immediately upon opening the package, and I wasn't able to calibrate the screen. I figured that it was just my goof, and that applying the protector first was fouling up the initial calibration, so I removed it. But the issue keeps recurring.

So, yes - all the taps register correctly without the screen protector on. I've never had a problem with a bare screen. With a protector on (and when the issue appears - like I said, I haven't been able to find the pattern yet), the taps don't register until at least a part of the protector has been peeled back, regardless of how long I tap away, or which part of the screen I tap on.

I might not have made clear one part of the "solution" before: it isn't necessary to tap on the uncovered screen once the corner has been peeled back... tapping anywhere on the remaining covered area works just as well. And once the initial tap has been made, the corner can be covered up again.

[Kati Compton]

So, yes - all the taps register correctly without the screen protector on. I've never had a problem with a bare screen. With a protector on (and when the issue appears - like I said, I haven't been able to find the pattern yet), the taps don't register until at least a part of the protector has been peeled back, regardless of how long I tap away, or which part of the screen I tap on.

I might not have made clear one part of the "solution" before: it isn't necessary to tap on the uncovered screen once the corner has been peeled back... tapping anywhere on the remaining covered area works just as well. And once the initial tap has been made, the corner can be covered up again.
Weird. Are you stretching the protector too much so maybe it's pulling at the screen?

[ND Bob]

I don't think I am... but let me describe how I'm applying it, and you can let me know what you think:

(1) I peel back about 1/3 of the card from the protector. (In other words, I bend the card back away from the plastic, so that my protector stays nice and flat.)

(2) I line up the bottom edge of the protector with the screen.

(3) I use the included card to apply the protector to the screen, smoothing it down as I curl back the card.

There really shouldn't be any stretching involved at all, as far as I can see.

Right now I'm going through a "good" phase where it's working regularly - although I've got that ugly, abused corner and lots of air pockets from having to use the peeling trick.

[BoxWave]

ND Bob,

I've heard about this problem. Usually, it's an issue of getting screen tension even which it seems you've already discovered through trial.

You may want to try laying the entire screen protector on gently without worrying about bubbles.

Then smooth the bubbles out with a credit card or something like that.

It seems that you've been smoothing at the same time as laying the screen protector which may get the protector really tight on the screen.

I hope this is of some help! Good luck!

Vanessa :D