Screen protectors

As someone who is fanatic about protecting gadgets, I have a lot of experience with screen protectors; from applying self-adhesive book wrap on my pager screen, to the current PET sheets.

Screen protectors have certainly come a long way. In the beginning, they were films, slightly thicker than the cling wrap used for food, stuck on with adhesive. My Palm screen protector had a textured surface (much coarser than today's matt screen protectors) so it would feel more like paper. At someone's suggestion, I tried sticking the removable version of 3M's Magic Tape (blue packaging) on the writing area. It worked, but writing transferred the glue onto the screen. Wanting more protection than a film, I tried cutting a transparency slightly bigger than the screen, then sticking it between the screen and the case. It was cheap and protected well, but hard to apply.
Next came the "washable" screen protectors. You can see a bit about it at http://www.spug.sg/forums/showthread.php?1960-Review-of-Securer-screen-protector. They could be removed and washed. These were quite similar to today's screen protector, but when they just came out, they cost about $20 each. Some people say they stick by static electricity, some say silicone glue. I suspect today's screen protectors can be washed too, but I don't bother since it's impossible to dry them without getting dust on them.

Tips on applying screen protectors
Sticky tape. It is essential when applying screen protectors. If you've managed to apply it perfectly, except for a speck of dust, just use 1 piece of sticky tape to lift the screen protector and another piece to stick the dust out. The dust may be sticking to the protector or the screen.
The main difficulty in applying screen protectors is avoiding dust, so pick a place with as little dust as possible. Clean the screen, check the protector for size and position, then peel off a corner of the release film and position the protector. If you peel off too little, it's hard to position correctly. If you peel off too much, you're more likely to get dust on the protector before it's applied.
The larger the screen, the harder it is to apply a screen protector. A small deviation may mean the screen protector won't fit properly. Of the 3 laptop screen protectors I've applied, only 1 fits perfectly.

Glare vs Anti-glare
I just changed my iPod Touch and Kindle screen protectors to the matt type. This type is easier to read outdoors and resists fingerprints. I recommend using anti-glare screen protectors for mobile devices. These are harder to find than the normal glossy ones. Some people prefer them for laptops too, but I prefer glossy since I don't use my laptop outdoors much.


Signs of a good screen protector
This is what I've observed about screen protectors. At the very least, they should have point 1. Most of them have points 1 and 2. Slightly better ones have points 1-3, and the best ones have all 4 points. Point 3 is quite useful during application. You can use a credit card for point 4 (and for removing bee stings).

1. Leaves no residue when removed
2. Comes with cleaning cloth
3. Has protective film on both sides to prevent scratches during application
4. Comes with squeegee (hard plastic piece to press the protector down when applying)

DIY screen protectors
Sometimes, it's much cheaper to buy a large screen protector and cut it down, or you may not be able to find a correct size/shape. MSY sells a 19" screen protector for $6. To trim it, I use a paper trimmer to get nice straight lines. If you don't have one, you can use a ruler and a penknife. One method I've just come across, but haven't really tested to make rounded corners is to use a coin as a guide.