WriteSHIELD C² Premium Screen Protection Kit Review

Product Requirements:
One of the PDAs or Tablet PCs listed
on this page

The large gorgeous screen on the new
iPAQ hx4700 was one of the biggest deciding factors for my purchase. For the
first couple of days after I received the PDA, I did not have a screen protector
installed. Every time I went to touch my stylus to the screen, I practically
held my breath – afraid that this might be the time when I would leave a
scratch. As worrisome as using an unprotected screen was, I did grow to
appreciate how beautiful the display appeared with nothing covering it. This
reinforced my long held opinion that the clearer the protector, the better.

Since the 4700 was so new, none of my usual screen protector sources had any
available yet that would fit. Leonard with
Pocket PC Techs was kind enough to
ask me the dimensions of the PDA’s screen so that he could send out properly
sized samples in their new
C²
Premium Deluxe Screen Protection Kit. 

It has been some time since I reviewed
the WriteSHIELD line form PPC
Techs, and while I had been happy with the anti-glare of the AG line before, I
knew that I did not want anything that would dull this new iPAQ’s brilliance. I
needn’t have worried, for I was soon to find out that the C²
line is, as the name implies, crystal clear.

Billed as "The best screen protector sold in the USA,"
The Deluxe Double Pack kit comes in a cardboard presentation box that includes
two WriteSHIELD™ C² screen protectors, two Klear Screen Wet Single packs, a
3.25" horse-hair brush, three plastic applicator/removal picks, an Optical
quality Micro Fiber cloth, a 2oz bottle of Klear Screen cleaner and fully
illustrated instructions.

   

Application was a breeze because everything I might need for a lint-free install
was included in the box. I used the horsehair brush to make sure that all of the
sides and corners of the screen were free from dust, lint or other foreign
matter, and then I wiped down the iPAQ’s screen with the Klear Screen wet and
dry wipes. The last step of prepping the screen was running the blue micro fiber
cloth over its pristine area to make sure that the entire surface was dry and
lint free.

Next, I pulled back the yellow tab on the protector to expose the top, or
writing surface of the protector.

Pushing down the sides of the C²’s
borders exposed the tacky side of the protector, which was to be placed against
the iPAQ’s screen. Working slowly and without exposing too much of the protector
until it was time to actually apply it, I lightly used my driver’s license as a
squeegee to ensure a completely bubble free installation.

Like most of the high end modern protectors, the C²
does not use old fashioned adhesives that can be damaging to a PDA’s screen.
Instead, a light tacky silicone-like backing holds the protector to the screen.
Because there is no traditional adhesive, the protector can be removed and
repositioned many times. This becomes especially important should a bit of lint
somehow find its way onto the screen while you are installing the protector. You
can simply lift the C² with one of the included plastic picks, and then use a
piece of transparent tape to lift away the offending grit.

Installed, the C² has a glass-like finish that
does not provide anti-glare properties, but that also does not change the
appearance of the PDA’s brilliant screen. All you see is the true color and
beauty, which is especially important when you have splurged on a VGA PDA.

Un-retouched photo of the iPAQ 4700’s screen with a C²
in place

As you can see by the dark Today screen I use, these protectors show
everything! If I had gotten a piece of lint or grit under a traditional screen
protector during the installation process, then I would have had to start all
over again. Since I live in dusty West Texas, I did manage to get a small piece
of "something" under the protector, but I was also able to immediately remove it
with the process I mentioned.

If you do a lot of writing on your PDA’s screen, then over time you may
notice little phantom lines appearing on the screen protector in your heavily
used areas. This is where the micro fiber cloth and the Klear Screen Cleaner
will come in very handy. A squirt of the long-lasting spray (I still have a
bottle from over a year ago) onto the cloth then used to wipe down the C²
protected screen will render the protector as new.

Fortunately for me, those few unprotected days did no real harm to my screen.
However, every day that anyone goes without a screen protector on their PDA is
another day when the inevitable may happen. Why take that chance? The
C²
Premium Deluxe Screen Protection Kit is
reasonably priced for the amount of time that it lasts and for all of the extras
that it includes. Considering the price of replacing a damaged PDA or Tablet PC
screen, the C²s, available from
Pocket PC Techs are cheap
insurance.

Price: $36.99

Pros:
Crystal clear protection
Glass-like writing surface
Long lasting, reusable and cleanable
Lots of extras in the kit that can be used in the future

Cons:
None