nerdy_me

There's a mistake in the earlier poll, so I decided to start a new thread...MODS: pls delete the old thread

I've read through Stevenator65(-->you rock!) screen protector thread, and i've narrowed down my options to 3 screen protectors. The Boxwave Crystal, Boxwave Anti-Glare and lastly the InvisibleShield.

Can anyone tell me how long these products last on normal usage, the texture of the protector(glass-like, tacky, paper-like, slippery, etc)? Also which(in your opinion is the best screen protector of the three. MOST IMPORTANTLY- Do these protectors reduce the sensitivity of the touchscreen? I wouldn't want to have a well-protected, scratch-free touchscreen that ísn't a touchscreen any longer.

I''ve read through numerous threads and it seems the invisibleshield can be difficult to write on and that the boxwave crystal gets scratched easily. In your experience, is this true?

And Great Prophet kulnet...please, please come and spread the InvisibleShield gospel to me! At 12 bucks(I think) a piece and lifetime warranty, this product sounds great.

jevans64

I can't comment on any of those protectors since I am using PocketPCtechs WriteSHIELD C^2 protectors. Those are hands above the Dell ones I was using. I ordered the $36 AG/C^2 kit but didn't like how the text was blurred on the AG protector. I would guess that the Boxwave protectors are similar to the PPCtechs.

All of these protectors are thicker than the el-cheapo ones, so a little more pressure is needed to get the touchscreen to respond. It took me a few days of double-tapping to get used to the feel of the PPCtech protector.

I believe there was a thread on AximSite about the Boxwave ones getting scratched, but that is the extent on what I know.

beckp

PPC Techs are far superior (clear, not AG) than Boxwaves. The boxwaves have bad edge adhesion. You need to add them to the poll, other than the price (but they last) I have never read one bad complaint about them.

jevans64

My PPC Tech C^2 is missing some adhesive along one side ( about 0.5mm ) and a little on the bottom corners ( 1.0mm ) but it is not a big deal since that is how big the border is around the LCD anyway. I did crease mine a little bit because I had to remove some trash that got between my LCD and protector and I bent it up a little too much. Again, it isn't a big deal since you can't see the distortion when the LCD is on.

nerdy_me

Originally Posted by beckp

PPC Techs are far superior (clear, not AG) than Boxwaves. The boxwaves have bad edge adhesion. You need to add them to the poll, other than the price (but they last) I have never read one bad complaint about them.

MODS: Is there any way to add it to the poll/ could you do it for me? Thanks?

Frenchy

Forgot the Brando clear

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Frenchy

rlarson_mn

I do not use any of the purchased screen protection you have mentnioned in your poll. Back when I had a Palm III I started using .008mm clear plastic purchased from a local fabric store. Its the material used to put over the top of table cloths to protect them. There were three thickness's to choose from .010mm, .008mm and .006mm. The .008mm was the best for durability and yed flexability. I purchased a square yard of the material for less than a buck, made a cutting template out of cardboard. The result is a screen protector that is washable, reappliable, and stays in place through static. Bubbles can be smoothed out at any time. The material lasts me about a year with heavy use if my PDA's as my primary inputting device not the PC they sync to. I have used this type of screen protector on a Palm III, Palm V, Palm T3, Clea T415, Clea T665, two Ipaq 4150's and not my X51V with only a positive result. I still have over half of the original square yard of material left.

rlarson_mn

I do not use any of the purchased screen protection you have mentnioned in your poll. Back when I had a Palm III I started using .008mm clear plastic purchased from a local fabric store. Its the material used to put over the top of table cloths to protect them. There were three thickness's to choose from .010mm, .008mm and .006mm. The .008mm was the best for durability and yed flexability. I purchased a square yard of the material for less than a buck, made a cutting template out of cardboard. The result is a screen protector that is washable, reappliable, and stays in place through static. Bubbles can be smoothed out at any time. The material lasts me about a year with heavy use if my PDA's as my primary inputting device not the PC they sync to. I have used this type of screen protector on a Palm III, Palm V, Palm T3, Clea T415, Clea T665, two Ipaq 4150's and not my X51V with only a positive result. I still have over half of the original square yard of material left.

rlarson_mn

Sorry for the repeat I only clicked one time!

nerdy_me

Originally Posted by rlarson_mn

I do not use any of the purchased screen protection you have mentnioned in your poll. Back when I had a Palm III I started using .008mm clear plastic purchased from a local fabric store. Its the material used to put over the top of table cloths to protect them. There were three thickness's to choose from .010mm, .008mm and .006mm. The .008mm was the best for durability and yed flexability. I purchased a square yard of the material for less than a buck, made a cutting template out of cardboard. The result is a screen protector that is washable, reappliable, and stays in place through static. Bubbles can be smoothed out at any time. The material lasts me about a year with heavy use if my PDA's as my primary inputting device not the PC they sync to. I have used this type of screen protector on a Palm III, Palm V, Palm T3, Clea T415, Clea T665, two Ipaq 4150's and not my X51V with only a positive result. I still have over half of the original square yard of material left.

Wow that's pretty amazing! Does the material affect the visibility of the screen, and does it stick really well? I just tried to fashion a screen protector out of a thin sheet of plastic(it's really smooth) but it just won't stick to my axim. How did you get your's to work?

rlarson_mn

Originally Posted by nerdy_me

Wow that's pretty amazing! Does the material affect the visibility of the screen, and does it stick really well? I just tried to fashion a screen protector out of a thin sheet of plastic(it's really smooth) but it just won't stick to my axim. How did you get your's to work?

Visibility is just fine and it clings with static. Does not move or come off unless you pull it off.

kulnet

I would highly recommend theinvisibleshield. I've had one for my x50v for quite some time now and I absolutely love it. For the price, with lifetime replacements, I don't see how you can beat it. It's the best deal out there in my opinion.

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Paul

rlarson_mn

I was asked to expand a bit on the material I use. Again I got it as a fabric store named JoAnne Fabrices. There was no brand name but they had it labled as 'Table Cloth Protector'. They carried three thickness's .010mm, .008mm and .006mm. The .008mm was what I got for $.085/sq yard. Feeling all three thickness's led me to believe that the .008mm would not wrinkle like the .006mm seemed to want to do and it was more flexable then the .010mm was. The material I have clings to the screen through the static it has and will not slide around once applied but will allow the smoothing out of any bubbles that are left. It does not scratch from use of any stylus I have had in the last 5 years. It can be removed and wiped down with a damp cloth and reapplied when dry. Guess thats it.

rbmiller

After reading this post I had to give it a try...

I stopped by the local JoAnne store on the way home, indeed they had 4 different weights of clear plastic "table cloth protector" 4, 8, 12, 16. I also chose the 8 weight as it did seem to feel and look the best compared to screen protectors’ I've tried, 1 whole sq yard costs under $2.50. I may go back and get some of the 4 weight and see how it performs.

While this is not a perfect screen protector this stuff does work.

Pro's:

• Can be cut to about any size
• VERY cheap
• It appears pretty durable so far, I believe the "stretchiness" of material actually helps keep it from scratching (better than some protectors I bought on ebay for more $)
• Can be removed and replaced easily
• Can be lifted and reapplied and smoothed of most all bubbles
• Pretty clear, though not 100% clear does seem to do a bit of anti-glare I've not had an anti-glare screen protector to compare it to.
• Can be removed and washed
• Still have very good tactile response from pda
• Doesn't show fingerprinting near as much as naked or some clear screen protectors

Cons:

• Small Inconsistency/variance in the material thickness can cause bubbles very hard/impossible to smooth out(big deal cut another piece)
• ever so light increase in drag/stickiness in writing with stylus, mostly due to the softness of this material
• Since there is no glue the edges can lift, how bad this lifting happens depends on how well you install it and if you stretch the material during the install and smoothing

So to sum up this stuff is pretty usable, the only major downside at this point is that the material is not perfectly smooth on either side and this does cause some bubbles and inconsistent look and feel to both sides of the surface. However I was more distracted by the scratched appearance of my cheap ebay screen protectors than the imperfections in this material.

I'll post back again in a few days after removing and replacing this a couple times and after I write on it for a few days to judge whether it is going to wear or not. Maybe I'll cut a few more pieces to see if maybe the roll is more consistent towards the center. I bought half a yard and that’s probably enough to make almost 100 screen protectors’. Though I must say it is already outperforming what I was using. If there were safely a way to do a wet install with just a drop of water or two this would probably go on better.