Review: Martin Fields OverlayPlus Screen Protectors
By Brad Isaac, editor-in-chief
One of the physical problems people have with their pocket PCs can be the delicate screen. The screen is easily susceptible to screen scratches from stylus pressure or foreign matter. This typically requires one of two solutions to lessen the likelihood of a screen scratch or crack.
One is a protective case. Cases can be a nice addition. However, many of the quality cases are cost prohibitive. Others are bulky and difficult to use, requiring the user to slide their Pocket PC in and out of the case itself to sync.
The other alternative is the screen protector. There are many to choose from with the main advantage being screen protection with minimal bulk. The main disadvantages are decreased screen resolution and writing degradation.
I've personally tried both methods. For a year or more, I carried my trusty Pocket PC on my belt with a detachable belt-clip. It was nice enough, but bulky and in the way of my right arm a lot of the time, where I would brush it while walking or actually flip it off my belt when entering a car sometimes.
The screen protector route allowed me to simply carry my Pocket PC 'Naked' in my pocket, dramatically reducing the size and obtrusiveness of the Pocket PC. However, there was some considerations for writing surface, glare, and less screen resolution that I had to cope with.
Martin Fields is a company that offers a new screen protector that is supposed to offer the best of both worlds. They claim, "durability and perfect clarity". Do they really offer the protection and clarity we've been dreaming of? Read on to find out.
When Martin Fields sent me their
OverlayPlus screen protector, I'll admit I was not sure what if any difference there would be. I have tried all sorts of screen protectors from the type you make at home out of projector laminates, to write writes and write shields from
PPCTechs. (My prior screen protector). Most had more cons than pros. But the writeshields were pretty good in that you apply one and forget it for 6+months, take it off, clean it and it's good for another 6 months.
Martin Fields is based in Singapore, so their delivery time was exactly one week. Not bad for it travelling half-way around the world. It arrived in a sturdy blister pack and in perfect condition.
After opening the pack, I noticed there were just 3 parts to the instructions.
1. Clean your screen,
2. Peel back the screen protector
3. Carefully apply
Seems easy enough, I thought for this review I would mimic a "below average" user to see just how smoothly the install went. I half heartedly cleaned the screen and pulled back the laminate off the screen protector and applied it to my hp2215 screen, quickly and with ONE HAND. I actually shot a few pictures of myself removing the laminate and applying the protector, but they didn't come out very well see below.
The end-result from this "ho-hum" effort was not bad! The Martin Fields went on straight and near perfectly the first time. There were a few bubbles and specs of dust under the screen but it was definitely acceptable. I've pointed out the worst of the dust in my screenshot. Interestingly the dust was not visible with the unit on.
When I turned on the ipaq, that is where I was stunned. The backlight actually seemed to blaze through compared to what I was used to with the WriteShields! I had to actually turn down the backlight a bit to adjust it to what I was used to.
The clarity is also superb, and although my eyes aren't as young as they used to be, I cannot see any difference in clarity at all!
So now the consideration turns to screen surface. The MF mimic the actual screen of the ipaq in feel and texture. Unlike the Writeshields that feel more like writing pen on paper. This took a little bit of getting used to, but after a day or so, I was entering text using Fitaly and transcriber just like normal.
Now, let's explore the installation a bit more. There are some perfectionists in our midst and some are actually wearing my clothes! So how about the "perfect, no-dust, straight as a pin" installation. Is it possible? Well, in a short word, the answer is "Yes - BUT..."
The "BUT" is this: It can take a lot of work to install one perfectly. During this review period, I really put this screen protector through abuse. Not only to apply it perfectly, but to see if it was durable to stand up to the abuse of someone who is clumsy and doesn't know what they are doing.
I removed and reapplied the screen protector no less than 8 times. Each time it did return to the screen easily. It maintained it's structure and shape. However, it appeared that each application got a little more dirty than the prior. On around the 6th time I got mixed up and tried cleaning the sticky side of the screen protector with a lint free cloth. leaving behind more lint and dirt than I care to talk about.
I really did think that that was it for the screen protector. I rinsed it with water and reapplied it. There was a huge cloudy spot in the middle of the screen that not only was blurry, it decreased the amount of light that came through.
I was seriously mad at myself for screwing up so badly ruining what had been so far a nice addition to my iPAQ. Sure, I could order another and probably would, but then I'd have another week to wait.
So, at that point, I figured it was already ruined so there wasn't anything to lose. Some people have mentioned using hand soap and warm water to wash the screen protector. I hadn't tried any soap before, so I decided to use some liquid hand soap and warm water and take my time checking carefully between rinses. It took probably 5 minutes of washing with soap, firmly, but gently rubbing where the cloudy parts were. But eventually, it did appear to be crystal clear when looking through it.
To dry it, I placed it onto a clean sheet of printer paper (glue side down) for half and hour or so.
I carefully cleaned my screen again and reapplied the MF. Wow! It applied just perfectly, like it was right out of the box! The cloud was gone and it has it's original clarity! I was happy!
In conclusion, I will say that my only complaint with the Martin Fields is that when I was using the WriteShields, I had to wipe off my screen about one time a month. Martin Fields are like a naked screen, so every smudge or fingerprint becomes very apparent. So, I am back to wiping the screen a lot more than I used to. Other than that though, Martin Fields is a screen protector bordering on perfection. It is durable, forgiving, and extremely clear.
Pros:
* Possibly the clearest screen protector on the market
* Very durable
* Forgiving of dumb installation mistakes
* Like going back to a 'naked' screen
Cons:
* Can be difficult to install for some people
* Shows more fingerprints and smudges than other screen protectors.