Just got my new Axim, need screen cover advice!!

[spinedoc]

I just go my Axim, love it (cant understand why people think its big).

I picked up the Belkin screen overlays and I am quite dissapointed. The screen has tons of tiny bubbles in it even after I squeegied it. It also takes away the lustre of the screen and dulls and darkens it quite a bit.

Are all overlays like this, or did I just buy a cheap company? Any suggestions on what to pick up?

Thanx much.

[grohl]

Yeah, I'm too lazy to use the search function here, but I know there are some protectors that are kind of pricey that everyone swears by. That doesn't help much, does it! :oops: I too use a cheap film overlay (Ebay, $4 for 3) and now see that I need to be using something else. The problem is the last time I checked they didn't make sizes for Dells, and they were pricey ($30 for 3 sounds right).

You guys know the brand I'm talking about?

[pocketpc67]

I just got mine yesterday!! I will be using the Writeshield screen protectors. Best ones. If you want I can sell one to you that way you don't have to buy three for $29 + 6.00 shipping. Let me know. website is

www.pocketpctechs.com

[QYV]

I tried the WriteRight screen protectors from Fellowes when I got my iPAQ 3600 two years ago, and found them to be horrible from a visibility standpoint and awful to write on (I use Transcriber all the time so this is important). I swore off screen protectors as a result and went "naked" of protectors for two years. During that time I actually had to stop playing Solitaire because a tiny - but visible - pattern of scratches developed where the deck sits on screen. I also accumulated many small, almost invisible scratches from Transcribing, but thankfully nothing major since I was super-paranoid about keeping the tip of my stylus clean. I could definitely see an argument for screen protectors, but there was no way I was going back to the WriteRights.

Then, on this site, I began to hear recommendations for a new kind of screen protector called the WriteSHIELD, from PocketPCTechs. At first I ignored it, thinking that screen protectors were not worth the trouble. Then I heard people who said it felt similar to writing on paper, and really didn't impact visibility at all. So I finally decided to take the plunge in December and spring for a box of WriteSHIELDS.

Let me be up front about this: these things are not cheap. A box of three is $30. But for me, they are the best investment I've ever made for my Pocket PC, and I will never use a device without them ever again. When I got my Axim, I literally didn't touch the screen until after I'd applied a WriteSHIELD. Yes, they are that good. They can be a little tricky to apply, but I've done it twice and never had any problems with bubbles or dust underneath that couldn't be fixed by lifting them partway off and smoothing them down again. Once they are on you can hardly tell they are there, except they make the surface feel slightly textured like paper when you use the stylus. I'd say my Transcriber recognition improved 10% based on that. Better yet, having a screen protector actually allows me to do things like play Solitaire, or use my fingernail to dismiss alerts when I don't want to bother getting the stylus out - I've even taken to carrying my Axim in my pocket without a case (so far so good, but YMMV).

I don't have the slightest association with PocketPCTechs - I just want to spread the word about the WriteSHIELDS because I'm glad others did the same for me, and I wish I'd known about them years ago!

(btw, I've only seen one person's Axim with the Dell protectors, and they may have applied them wrong, but they looked AWFUL!! It was like a big slab of transparent plastic was on the screen. If I showed you my Axim, you'd need to be within a few inches to have any idea there was a WriteSHIELD on it.)

[grohl]

Now THAT was helpful! Yes, that was the brand I was thinking of.

As soon as I can free up $30 from my tight fists to spend on tiny plastic sheets, I'M THERE.

Thanks for a great post.

[MPSmith]

Ditto on the WriteShields. I love mine. My only complaint is that you must buy 3 at a time (@$33 shipped). I only wanted one, so I sold the other two to my Dell-owning friends.

If someone is willing to sell you one, jump on that deal. Of course, they'll have to give you a cleaning wipe and dry cloth to go with it. And have them photocopy the two pages of installation directions. Make sure you are buying the one specifically for your device or make sure it is the correct size (some devices are the same exact size).

[PetiteFlower]

Anyone want to split a box?

[grohl]

Yeah, I'm in! Now we need one more...

[Kati Compton]

I also tried the WriteRights temporarily and found them unsatisfactory. Even after the bubbles "went down" after a couple days, it was still uneven looking, and had a tendency to make my writing skip.

The WriteShield was easier to install, and I was actually able to get it perfect. It's a much nicer surface, too. Feels a lot less like wearing a raincoat in the shower.

[spinedoc]

Cool thanks guys, ordering a box right now!!

[pocketpc67]

I have a box of Writeshield right now if anyone wants to split. Just let me know

[Xander]

YGPM

[PapaSmurfDan]

Writeshields are allmost the perfect screen protector!. However, I really recommend holding on to a whole box, becuase they still wear down and scratch. Speaking from experience, your screen protector will wear down (eg get a major scratch down the middle) when you have no more remaining and can't get any immeidaltly. I do have a few minor scratches on the writesheilds (only visible outside) from sketching on my Axim. If you do want to draw and sketch, the surface feels better than paper :) From how they are currently holding up from my abuse, I guess about 3-4 months of use is what I will expect to get out of each one. Then again, I now have no worries about using my fingernail to change songs, stop a movie, or even look up something quick.

BTW, WriteRights were crap even back in the days of the Newton. I just can't believe they still exist. Overhead transparancies work better than WriteRights (and thats what I did on my Newton)!

[subBlue]

Do pocketpctechs.com ship to the UK, or is there anyone over here that sells the writeShields?

[Jonathon Watkins]

Guess what subBlue, Expansys do! :D OK, they are not cheap, but there are availible now:

http://www.expansys.com/product.asp?code=WSDELX502-3

It's almost 30 quid though for a pack of 3!!! 8O (Around $48 )

edit - OK - that's the delux price. The normal price is £22.

[Polly]

Yeppers, use WriteShields!!! When I ordered mine, I put in pocketpcthoughts as the discount code and saved 10%...you might give it a try.

They aren't difficult to install...just be patient...and I barely notice a texture. The only difference I see is that they cut down on the glare. Other than that, it's difficult to tell that it is even on there. In hindsight, which is always 20/20, I wouldn't have used my new baby without one had I known how great these things are. I have one teenie tiny scratch at the bottom of my screen from an overly exhuberant Cubicle Chaos game. It isn't noticeable with the WriteShield installed.

Polly

[UCLArocks]

I've been using overhead transparencies that I cut myself (from an idea that someone had posted in this forum). They've been working great. But I've never used anything else. Can somebody compare them to the expensive WriteShields that everyone is talking about?

[Jonathon Watkins]

Yeppers, use WriteShields!!! When I ordered mine, I put in pocketpcthoughts as the discount code and saved 10%...you might give it a try.

Tried it - did not work. :cry:

[hgwte]

I ordered the screen protectors from DELL and was very please with what I received. The fit the device perfectly and the view is quite nice to the eye. The price of them is only 19.00 for 12.

[spinedoc]

I received my writeshields the other day and have installed one. I am quite dissapointed, although I think that there probably is no better cover out there. I highly prefer the original screen, but will force myself to use the shields so Idont mess up the screen.

I just think no one has made a killer screen cover that is truly invisible.

[Jonathon Watkins]

Well, I got my writeshields today and I am very happy with them. They are clear, low glare and look quite hard wearing. I like them! :D

[socrguy74]

A co-worker of mine was quite disappointed with the screen protectors that he ordered from Dell. He said that the screen was dulled, even bubbly at times, and the stylus didn't move across the screen all that well.

He hated them...until he removed the protective sheeting. What he got was a crystal clear protective cover that slides easily onto the screen.

[Jonathon Watkins]

When all else fails - read the instructions eh! :lol: Is it really that hard to see that the covers have a protective backing? 8O