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This is written to clear some myths and general confusion about screen protectors (aka SPs). Some of us dont understand why we have to fork out good money for a flimsy little piece of plastic, or some think that any protection is good protection, etc.
All about Screen Protectors:
1) Intro - Why do I need a SP:
i) For starters, the screen protector is easily the most important & worthy accessory that you can ever buy for your Pocket PC.
ii) Most obvious reason is to shield & protect your LCD screen from your writing stylus as well as other sources of scratches (note that without one, it is inevitable that your actual LCD screen will be scratched over time due to prolonged friction with the stylus).
iii) Make your LCD easier to clean (i.e. usually able to wipe off fingerprints, grease & dust more easily).
iv) Some supposedly improves colour of your LCD, by filtering off undesirable light emitted from the screen.
v) Some claim to have anti-glare properties = better for your eyes.
2) Cost - How much should I expect to pay:
i) Good SPs generally cost between S$12 to S$25 in Singapore.
ii) Dont bother about those ultra-cheap ones, because those low-quality ones will need replacing earlier = you may end up spending more buying another...very soon.
3) Quality - What do I need to know:
i) You might end up having to pay for extra SP replacements, if it:
- is of a poor material (i.e. scratches easily; also, an excessively scratched part may affect your stylus input),
- doesnt permit enough light to go through (i.e your LCD screen appear dull & less vibrant),
- is too hard (i.e. the digitizer under your LCD is unable to detect your stylus input = you would have to write much harder with your stylus).
ii) Check the quality of the SP:
- Especially if its of an unknown brand or its exceedingly cheap.
- Check if the SP isnt too rubbery (inferior quality) or too hard/thick (need some experience for this).
- Check that your LCD screen doesnt appear ALOT more "dull" and less vibrant in colour after the SP is applied (i.e. reject if your LCD suddenly appears like RGB instead of its 16k colours, etc).
- Some good brands claim to be anti-scratch, anti-dust & anti-glare.
- Good SPs should have no significant "scratched-areas" (or patches!) on them even after some period of usage, but the quacky ones would usually show within a couple of months = boycott that particular brand.
4) Free Professional SP Applications - Easy & Smart Way:
- ALWAYS get the retailers, where you bought your SP from to do the application for you (Note that SP application is a very tedious & time-consuming undertaking, which requires some skills) since:
i) its a FREE service (there is no point buying from them if they do not provide this service; walk away, because other retailers will do this for free).
ii) most retailers are probably more skilled & experienced than we are in removing dust/dirt & screen protection application (= less likelihood of "air bubbles under SP").
iii) in event of a poor application, you can ask them to reapply on the spot.
iv) if we D-I-Y & somehow damage the SP, we'll have to bear the cost ourselves.
v) they are better equipped than most of us. In order to thoroughly weed out dust/dirt, they use:
a) cleaning solvents - seems like some massive spring cleaning exercise.
static cloths - attracts dust away from LCD like magnet.c) paintbrushes - FBI agents dusting away for fingerprints.
d) scotch-tape - they really stick them up dust.
5) D-I-Y SP Applications - Harder & Stupider Way:
i) If for some crazy reason you like to D-I-Y, note the following quick guide:
a) Locate a dust-free environment with minimal air movements, for your SP application (if you do not work in an industrial cleanroom :sneaky:, some say bathroom is ideal AFTER a hot shower = subsided steam would have removed air-borne particles).
Carefully wipe the LCD Screen as well as its edges using a clean microfibre cloth (e.g. 3M microfibre cloth) to remove dirt, dust & grease (Note that if this is not done properly, trapped particles under SP = bubbles will result).c) Use a cotton bud to clean out the edges of the LCD screen.
d) In event of stubborn stains, use a gentle cleaning solvent (preferrably those for cleaning windows, NOT those for scrubbing floors!) or you could try using scotch-tape to zap up dust particles.
e) Tilt the device under strong light to examine to ensure ALL visible dust particles have ben removed.
f) Peel off the backing plastic at the back of the SP.
g) Apply the SP using a credit-card to carefully edge out the air bubbles under the SP.
h) Tilt the device under strong light to examine that there are no air bubbles (i.e. trapped dust particles under SP).
i) In event of any air bubbles, apply scotch-tape at one end of the applied SP. Carefully peel it upwards (it should bring up the SP as well) to expose the naked LCD screen below. Zap up the offending dust particle with some scotch-tape & edge down SP again with credit-card.
j) Repeat 'Step' h & 'Step i' if necessary.
6) Durability - How long can I expect to use one:
i) Most good quality SPs will easily last at least 6 months to a year without getting those "scratched-patches" (other than being unsightly, these will affect sensitivity of your stylus input).
ii) If your SP is of a good quality & it needs replacing all too soon, check:
a) the tip of your stylus to see if its too sharp.
your own writing mannerism (are you pressing down too hard to write on your PPC's LCD?).c) have you been using other non-stylus equipment (like pens, pencils, sharp-objects, sharp fingernails, etc) as a make-shift stylus?
7) Where to get a good SP together with a good SP application: (listed in order of pricing as on 07/09/06)
i) Retailer: DOML
- Address: New Bridge Centre, 5th Level
- Tel: 6225-2426
- SP Brand: Martin Fields SP
- Expect to pay: S$24.99 (flat rate for all PPC models).
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Brand: 09/10
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Application skills: 8/10
- Aficionado's Last Take: Quite a lot of people regard Martin Fields as the best SP brand available in Singapore, but in my opinion, it is remarkably similar to a ClearWrite.
ii) Retailer: Edpol Systems
- Address: Funan, 4th Level
- Tel: 6339-9822
- SP Brand: Marshall SP
- Expect to pay: S$22.00 (flat rate for all PPC models).
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Brand: 09/10
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Application skills: 10/10
- Aficionado's Last Take: They just switched their house-brand again, but Edpol easily performs the most thorough screen application process that I have ever seen in Singapore.
iii) Retailer: AAAs.com
- Address: Sim Lim Square, 4th Level
- Tel: 6338-6613
- SP Brand: ClearWrite SP
- Expect to pay: S$12.00 (for most).
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Brand: 09/10
- Aficionado's Rating for their SP Application skills: 07/10
- Aficionado's Last Take: Dont expect a superior SP application service, but at S$12, this branch at Sim Lim surely offers the cheapest good quality screen protector around.
Hope this helps :smile:.
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