Complaint: why aren't they waterproof and scratchproof out of the box?!

keet · 03-23-08, 08:28 AM

I apologize if this has already been posted elsewhere, but..

Why can't they make the things water resistant and scratchproof out of the box? If a device costs $400, why can't it have a screen protector when you buy it? Perform a scientific study, figure out which protectors are really the best, and at the last give the buyer a choice to have one installed in the factory. If it costs that much, it should have some sort of internal watertight seal around the components.

I'm not an engineer or a system designer, and I know, most people don't drop their electric devices in water anyways, but.. if it costs that much, it really should have some very good protection, instead of relying on users to buy screen protectors and other such accessories. Can't they make some sort of internal, airtight seal on these things? Or an external one that doesn't interfere with the screen?

Or is this some sort of conspiracy to make ignorant buyers damage their devices so they'll need to buy new ones?

Julie · 03-23-08, 10:53 AM

Some of them are....you just bought the one that's designed for business folks!

Juniper Systems: Products - Archer Ultra-Rugged PDA

srvctec · 03-23-08, 05:38 PM

Thanks for posting that Julie! I didn't even know such a thing existed (never really looked, either). That thing looks like it's built like a tank. Learn something new every day!

Julie · 03-23-08, 06:26 PM

Here's another one....runs WM6.0:

Tripod Data Systems: TDS Nomad: Overview

They are like pocket pcs in an otterbox casing.

keet · 03-23-08, 10:19 PM

Thanks for telling us about those. I actually saw military PDA's that were like that; the stylus didn't even need to touch the screen, but worked like a clickable lightpen (is there any way of getting something like that for an X51v?). You moved it a few inches over the screen and clicked a small button. They had tons of protection, but took up tons of space, too. You couldn't fit it in your pocket or in a belt case; a backpack was more in order for those.

I guess that what I mean is that the typical consumer PDA's should have a bit more protection built in; I don't want something humongous like these, that look like a juggernaut :) , just a normal Axim or iPAQ-sized PDA that maybe costs $30 more and has better 'shielding'.

Plus, those cost well over a thousand dollars, and they're designed for professional applications.

Julie · 03-23-08, 10:28 PM

Perhaps you'd like the invisible shield for your pocket pc:

invisibleSHIELD | HP iPAQ 210 Case, Screen Protector, Cover, Shield, Skin, Invisible Shield

cmanningjr · 03-24-08, 03:44 PM

We use the TDS Rangers at work for GPS and Inspection. They cost around $2800 each. They are waterproof up to 2 meters submerged though...

Shoud be for that price huh??

Julie · 03-24-08, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by cmanningjr

We use the TDS Rangers at work for GPS and Inspection. They cost around $2800 each. They are waterproof up to 2 meters submerged though...Shoud be for that price huh??

$2800, eh? I guess that puts things in perspective....

keet · 03-24-08, 09:55 PM

I have an Invisible Shield already. It's just that after I installed it, I turned it on the next day and there was water all under the screen. I turned it off, removed the battery, and set it on the floor under some furniture (the heating heats the floor here in Korea), and now after about five days it's fine, except a faint white line which you can't see except when the whole screen is almost completely white (when in File Explorer).

Where I live in South Korea, there's dust everywhere, so installing the things without getting dust under them is impossible, and it wasn't even submerged in water, so how in the world did it go under the screen? I'd almost pay to have it installed in a dust-free environment.

cmanningjr · 03-26-08, 02:25 PM

Well..... I was just informed today that I won a NEW TDS Nomad. Valued at $3800. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. What a supprise!

kenyth · 04-04-08, 03:41 PM

$400 isn't really all that much money these day's. Your average minor car or appliance repair cost's about that much.

keet · 04-04-08, 11:27 PM

Really? I've never paid money to have an appliance repaired, and my car repairs costs about $200 to $300, though often my father and I just fix it together for the cost of parts. I'm just thinking this: if it costs $400 for a PDA, and a basically scratch-proof, lifetime guaranteed screen protector costs about $10, and a good case costs about $50, why can't they implement these into the design of PDA's themselves without charging $1500 for the thing?