Screen Protectors -> Perfect application?

[Myrddin]

Hey all.
This is just a question to those of you who use screen protectors!

When you apply the protector how perfect does it have to be before you accept it and leave it? I mean how many tiny specs of dust trapped and how many strange streaky things under the protector before it drives you nuts!?

I personally regularly annoy myself thoroughly by refusing to put up with the tiniest spec of dust under one my (fairly expensive) Brando screen protectors. I've really annoyed myself by damaging 2 or 3 of these expensive protectors (bent) and having to buy new ones.

On my new PDA I've already damaged one and finally got one on to a standard that is semi acceptable to me. It has 2 tiny dust specs and one "streaky thing". The problem is that these are invisible inside a house or on a cloudy day -- however 75% of my PDA usage is outside on sunny days which really shows up the trapped dust! I know I'm really anal about this but I can't help it :P

So, my question is: what standard is acceptable to you with screen protectors? What makes you tear it off and try to re-apply when putting yours on?

Thanks for tolerating a crazy man! :D

[Dalantech]

I recently tried, and reviewed, the screen protectors made by Javo Edge. Toward the end of this article (http://www.dalantech.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/76129/Main/76129/#Post76129) I talk about how good the screen protector is, and how easy it is to apply (even though I'm pretty much all thumbs). I cleaned the screen really well before I put the protector on, and there are absolutely no air bubbles in it!...

[martin_ayton]

Oddly, I find that if I can stand the odd spec and bubble for a few days, then it just goes away. I'm guessing that the protectors I use (I bought them from O2) are at least partially gas permeable and soft enough for the dust specs to just sink in over time. I use my PPC in and outdoors and I have to look really closely to even see the screen protectors.

[caubeck]

I hated screen protectors. I would destroy one after another as I tried to lay them flat without weird dust particles and bits of cotton or dandruff appearing beneath. It was such a miserable task. I'd clean the screen like someone from CSI, get the new screen protector ready, start to apply as per the instructions, notice in horror how specks of fluff or dust had settled on the PDA in the intervening two or three seconds, clumsily try to knock or wipe them off, accidentally stick the protector to my finger, peel it off carefully only to find my hand wasn't as clean as I thought it was, swear a great deal, and start over... It pushes you over the edge, and then, if you suddenly find one of your own head hairs hanging from the tacky plastic you've cradled so gently in your hand, you scream.

Later I discovered that the expensive brands of screen protectors you see on sale around the internet are not just a way of exploiting the masses but are much, much easier to apply. They are stiff, unsticky, and washable. They don't curl up in your hand, they last months (or over a year) and are barely noticeable when they're on. You can clean your PDA screen and lay one in place quickly with a minimum of effort and foul language, and if you find a bit of dust you can just lift it up, wipe it off and carry on. I don't even have to use the "smoochy smoothy card" or whatever it's called, I just allow the screen protector to attach itself. Air bubbles aren't trapped for long.

I use Proporta. I have also used Boxwave. There must be many brands I haven't tried, but the good ones all sound alike in reviews. It seems to be where screen protector technology is heading, these mighty packs of 1 (rather than 5 or 10 of the cheap ones, most of which end up in little crumpled balls on the table an hour after I bring them home). Proporta is the best I've found so far.

We all have this problem, you're not alone. But you'll wish you lived in a vacuum until you find a product that's right for you.

Chris


Go go gadget ARMs

[G M Fude]

When you apply the protector how perfect does it have to be before you accept it and leave it? I mean how many tiny specs of dust trapped and how many strange streaky things under the protector before it drives you nuts!?

It has to be absolutely perfect: no dust specks, no bubbles, and aligned precisely. I haven't actually destroyed one yet in getting them applied 100 percent, but there have been occasions where several attempts have been necessary, accompanied by rising blood pressure and increasing levels of profanity (I think I even invented some new invective).

Two observations:
I agree with the above posters that the quality products, for example the Brando, are much easier to apply;
there is also an element of dumb luck involved. The guy I sold my Tungsten T to, who has never owned a pDA before, replaced the ageing Brando on it with a new one, and I warned him to send the wife and kids out of the house etc etc when tackling the job. Took him less than 2 minutes, he got one speck of dust which was quickly eliminated by lifting a corner of the Brando and removing the speck with some sticky tape. 'Nuff said...