Do you use a keyboard cover?

Message

stkim · #1 Post by **stkim** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 12:53 am

i was just wondering if any of you use a keyboard cover to protect the screen when your notebook is closed. are these really necessary?

dansu · #2 Post by **dansu** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 12:59 am

If you put pressure on the laptop with the screen closed, the trackpoint can leave marks on your screen. So if you carry your laptop in a bag where it might get squeezed, a peice of cloth over the keyboard can prevent the marks from occuring.

Kenn · #3 Post by **Kenn** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 2:07 am

Nice timing. I just today ordered a Radtech ScreensavRz for the 14" as keymarks have begun to appear on the LCD.

stkim · #4 Post by **stkim** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 3:22 am

let me know how that radtech works out for you, kenn. do you know if it fits okay? i remember reading reviews of some screensavers that are too thick for the thinkpad.

Kenn · #5 Post by **Kenn** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:20 am

I'll let you know. I got the 14-17" standard (non-widescreen) edition, which sounds a bit dubious, but it's the one they recommend for the 14" ibook, which should have the same keyboard/screen size as the 14" t42.

I think it'll be pretty thin - a friend of mine has the sleeve version for his 15" PB, and that doesn't seem excessively fluffy.

seguetester · #6 Post by **seguetester** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 2:44 pm

Anyone ever try these: http://www.shaggymac.com ?????????????

MadeInJapan · #7 Post by **MadeInJapan** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 8:59 pm

http://www.compucover.com/new_index.cfm ... StartRow=1

NikoJR · #8 Post by **NikoJR** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:03 pm

seguetester wrote:Anyone ever try these: http://www.shaggymac.com ?????????????

The Shaggymac screen protectors are superior to radtec. There is a unique model for each different screen size.

http://www.shaggymac.com/index.php?main ... 73d39b9163

Initial D · #9 Post by **Initial D** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:27 pm

Kenn wrote:I'll let you know. I got the 14-17" standard (non-widescreen) edition, which sounds a bit dubious, but it's the one they recommend for the 14" ibook, which should have the same keyboard/screen size as the 14" t42.

I think it'll be pretty thin - a friend of mine has the sleeve version for his 15" PB, and that doesn't seem excessively fluffy.

I got the (14-17" standard) same one for my T43. RadTech has PERFECT fitment for a 14.1" T43. I don't even see how it would fit a 17". lol

Kenn · #10 Post by **Kenn** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:51 am

Initial D wrote: I got the (14-17" standard) same one for my T43. RadTech has PERFECT fitment for a 14.1" T43. I don't even see how it would fit a 17". lol

I initially thought the reason was because the cover just needed to be wide enough to cover the keyboard (which is responsible for all the scuff marks on the screen). But that doesn't explain why there's a 12" version or separate 15" and 17" widescreen versions. I think they just got lazy on the PC side and deemed the 14" ibook version a "one size fits all" for the whole of the non-mac world.

hoya · #11 Post by **hoya** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 12:42 pm

I have both the Shaggy Mac and RadTech keyboard covers and I like the RadTech better. the cloth appears to be higher quality and it is also thinner (btw, Shaggy Mac's cover smells very strange).

I also like the fact that the RadTech cover doubles as an LCD cleaning cloth. the cleaning solution they sell is also superb, much better than KlearScreen.

#12 Post by **Kyocera** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:09 pm

Kenn, just out of curiosity how do you normally tranport your thinkpad? I ask because I have a T42 also and have the leather thinkpad case with the shock pads in it. After almost a year of lugging it around I have not noticed any blemishes on the screen, but if there is even the remotest possibility of this occuring after time I will get a pad. Is the t30 prone to this also?

Kenn · #13 Post by **Kenn** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:55 pm

Kyocera wrote:Kenn, just out of curiosity how do you normally tranport your thinkpad? I ask because I have a T42 also and have the leather thinkpad case with the shock pads in it. After almost a year of lugging it around I have not noticed any blemishes on the screen, but if there is even the remotest possibility of this occuring after time I will get a pad. Is the t30 prone to this also?

Normally transported inside of a Zeroshock sleeve, inside of a backpack with a dedicated laptop compartment. The 14" has been sleeveless before, and has had a fair amount of airline travel. The marks on the screen are just starting to become noticeable after just over a year, but I am pretty careful, as it seems you are.

There are hundreds of T4x's at my school however, and I've seen some that have almost as many deep scuffs as powerbook screens (and that's saying a lot). I think it has a lot to do with how you lug it and if you tend to slap the LCD closed quickly.

My 15" has absolutely no problems with the keys touching the screen, and that one gets carried around a lot more imo. I believe there's definitely a bit more space designed into the 15".

thedonnybrook · #14 Post by **thedonnybrook** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 1:31 am

i use a shaggymac screen protector for my t42p, fits perfect. its bassically just a piece of microfiber. nice and thin, black so it matches everything. i like it a lot.

huntzer · #15 Post by **huntzer** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 2:33 am

i put 2 soft stubs beside my touchpad and 1 at the each side of the screen.
That way, my screen will not touch my keyboard.

naro · #16 Post by **naro** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:08 am

i dun use any keyboard cover..

now my keyboard is a bit faded...

keku · #17 Post by **keku** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 10:33 am

well if you have extra money .... buy some nice gadget .. like ipod etc.

for this purpose. take a foam sheet or battery packing (IBM packs battery in white color foam type pouch) usually other electronic items lik TV, VCR, DVD players are also wrapped into such kind of packing take that cut it in size of keyboard and place it over keyboard when you close the lid. it will protect LCD from scratch .. problem solved. ....... how much you paid ..... nothing.

Kenn · #18 Post by **Kenn** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 12:41 pm

keku wrote:take a foam sheet or battery packing (IBM packs battery in white color foam type pouch) usually other electronic items lik TV, VCR, DVD players are also wrapped into such kind of packing take that cut it in size of keyboard and place it over keyboard when you close the lid. it will protect LCD from scratch .. problem solved. ....... how much you paid ..... nothing.

I would be very wary of this suggestion. There are two major problems that make this an unattractive option to me. First, the typical plastic foam material is abrasive to the LCD, which is why dedicated screen protectors are made from soft microfiber cloth. Second, theat pouch material is very thick, and will create even more pressure on the LCD. Taken together, the screen is not likely to be better off than without the foam.

Nolonemo · #19 Post by **Nolonemo** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:07 pm

Shaggymac here.

Kenn · #20 Post by **Kenn** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:26 am

As promised some pics and quick first impressions of the Radtech "ScreensavRz":

High-res and close-up pics (5MP) here:
http://www.pbase.com/kenn/radtech

If you've seen the Radtech sleeves before, these are pretty much the same. Micro-fiber, VERY fine and soft, almost to the point where it feels leathery. Won't damage the screen and is great for wiping it. From pic826, you can see the screen isn't quite pristine right now

whereas I swear my 15" looks like it's brand new off the factory floor.

The 14" ibook version is the same as the 14-17" standard (nonwidescreen) for PCs. From the pics, you can see it fits the 14" thinkpad perfectly. The only area where you might get a little trouble is the LCD-closed tab by the top-left of the keyboard. Don't mind the half-closed latch on pic 827, that was just me being careless - the cloth is very thin and doesn't interfere with closing the LCD.

dssjon · #21 Post by **dssjon** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:35 am

i use the shaggy mac.. its good enough.

JKGuru · #22 Post by **JKGuru** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:14 pm

Just got my first accessory for my new T60, its the the ShaggyMac 14.1" laptop screen protector. They increased the size and have a great new fit. Anyway, the T60 is an amazing work of art, and these screen protectors keep it nice and clean.

#23 Post by **bill bolton** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:46 pm

I'm using the orange keyboard cloth that came with the Biolithic carry sleeve, works a treat..... no mark from the trackpoint cap in the middle of the screen!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/bitolithic-sleev ... dZViewItem

Cheers,

Bill

dr_st · #24 Post by **dr_st** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 2:47 am

I'm not using any covers. No need for them.

danny_isr · #25 Post by **danny_isr** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:29 am

me neither .

the laptop suppose to work for me - not the other way around

equinoxx · #26 Post by **equinoxx** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 4:53 am

I used to use a Fellowes Perfect Clean cloth with my old i Series. I just got my new T40p (Certified Used) on Thursday, and upon unpacking, spotted a mark from the Trackpoint cap on the screen... it's barely visible with the machine off, and utterly unnoticeable when it's on, but I do think I'll be picking up another Perfect Clean for the new rig.

davidspalding · #27 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:09 am

I've noticed that the soft rim TrackPoint cover leaves a slight "fingerprint" on my work T41's screen. Since that's finger oil that it's smudging there,....

Rather than spending the price of dinner on a special cloth, I'll just use a good lens cleaning cloth (also good for CLEANING the screen). Search on Amazon for B00009PSZ2, the price is unbeatable.

#28 Post by **JaneL** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:09 pm

danny_isr wrote:me neither .

the laptop suppose to work for me - not the other way around

This made me laugh - how true! I love mine, but's it an appliance like a refrigerator.

christopher_wolf · #29 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:00 pm

I don't use a keyboard/lid cover for my T43 since I haven't been noticing any smudges lately; when I carry my Thinkpad, however, I usually carry it like a clipboard/tablet might be carried (inclinced postion and being cradled with one arm with the lid pointing towards me) and not with the lower part of my arm across the lid as one might carry a book with the book's spine parallel to the ground.

Plus, I would also get a bit bothered by carrying around one of those covers and constantly putting it on and off whever I open and close my Thinkpad; I move around alot and just close the lid of the T43 if I go from building to building or room to room for example.

davidspalding · #30 Post by **davidspalding** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 3:14 pm

Just for laughs, I tried my 3M precise mousing surface as a "cover" and closed the lid ... fits just fine. And less likely to have smudges, oil, etc on it than a "cleaning rag."

I think I only find a Trackpoint "footprint" when I've carried my T41/43 in a bag, slipped into the padded compartment. Probably gets mildly smushed, but no so much that anything is bent.

All said and done, though, the only time I *see* the little print is when the thing is off and light is glancing off the LCD. It doesn't diminish the image near as much as my 41's previous owner's second hand smoke did!

Do you use a keyboard cover?

Do you use a keyboard cover?

Who is online