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| Covertec screen protector for TomTom Go review |
23rd October 2004 |
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Review by Mike Barrett
Ever since the TomTom Go was released there have been calls from the Users for screen protection and anti-glare coatings. Well Covertec have heard your requests and have produced an Anti-Reflection screen protector specially tailored for the TomTom GO. Priced at £10.38 it is available directly from the Covertec website (click here for details)
We have reviewed some Covertec products in the past, Covertec are well known for producing high quality cases. They are moving into a different market with screen protectors so how do these measure up? |
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What's in the box
The TomTom GO screen protector package contains two gloss finished screen protectors.
Quote from the Covertec site:
Our filters reduce the strain on your eyes by blocking 99% of ultraviolet rays radiated from LCD screens. In addition, our filters allow 90% of light transition while protecting the LCD screen from degradation as a result of strong sunlight and other natural lights. High Scratch Resistance. Easy to apply. It is removable, durable,reusable and washable.
Extend the life of your PDA screen!
 Removable
Anti-Reflection
Anti Dust and No bubbles
Anti UV
So the question is do the TomTom GO screen protectors live up to the marketing claims?
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The review
Although the Covertec TomTom GO screen protectors are priced at £10.38 if you order them from the Covertec site you will be charged £8.73 for postage. So it is probably better to get them from the UK. Widget have just become a distributor for Covertec in the UK so will be considerably cheaper (£11.64 inclusive of P&P and VAT) when they have stock.
The TomTom GO screen protectors come in the normal plastic presentation pack that just about all products come in. The great thing about this pack was that you didn't need a pair of scissors or knife to try and open the pack risking serious cuts. Other manufacturers please take note.
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Opening the pack revealed the two screen protectors and of course the instructions on how to fit them (which, of course, I ignored).
The screen protector is the exact size of the TomTom GO aperture, which makes it extremely difficult to apply correctly. The screen protector comes with a backing which need to be peeled away as the main protector is being applied.
When I first tried the screen protector slipped under the casing, this meant that the protector was not on square. I had to remove it and replace it twice before I managed to apply it successfully. The image to the left shows the screen protector being applied a second time. This is not the suggested method of application.
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So did I manage to fix the screen protector without any bubbles or other problems. Well no I didn't, in the end I gave up trying to apply the screen protector as it was and trimmed a fraction of the edge. Now I don't know if my failure to fit the protector was my clumsiness, or if the dimensions of the protector were so tight that it is almost impossible to fit it correctly, but the result is the same. I tried about 3 times to fit the unmodified screen protector before giving up and cutting it down to size.
Apart from this small niggle the screen protector works well. It appears to retain the sensitivity of the unprotected TomTom GO screen, whilst providing the security and peace of mind that you will not damage your expensive new gadget.
As can be seen from the picture to the left the screen protector does cut down on glare and reflections a lot. This picture would have been impossible to take before, with a camera's flash gun. I haven't been able to give it a true test in the car as we are suffering from typical British overcast weather at the moment.
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Issues and Problems
Whilst I was fitting the screen protector to the TomTom GO I had great difficulty aligning it correctly. This resulted in the protector overlapping in places, or worse just sliding under the frame. Why was this worse? Well when the protector was under the frame it was activating the touch screen and TomTom go was continually trying to process screen taps.
This highlighted the fact that as the protector is exactly the same size as the screen opening that great care has to be taken to get it aligned correctly. I have also managed to trap a few air bubbles under the screen protector, but they really don't seem to affect the performance of either the optical transmission or the ability to enter data. |
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Conclusions
The screen protector does seem to help cut down on some of the reflections that users experience wit the TomTom GO. A screen protector will help to reduce the possibility of scratching the GO. I am a little concerned with the tight fit of the protector as I feel that I could have fitted mine better if it hadn't been quite so big. After 3 attempts at fitting I got it right, but I feel that the installation should be somewhat easier. |
Pros
- Reduces reflections and glare
- Protects the screen from scratches
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Cons
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