Scratch @ Center of X200 Tablet Screen :: Being Left-handed a Risk Factor? :: Screen Protector and Stylus Recommendations?

Within a few days of receiving my new X200 Tablet, I discovered a roughly one-inch diagonal scratch at the center of my screen (you can get the best sense of its depth by clicking through twice and looking at the highest resolution).

This artifact was most obvious at black color levels and definitely palpable when the stylus crossed over it. At first, I was ambivalent towards getting this fixed, because my past experience with Dell has been that when the whole machine must go back (as opposed to a part being sent out for self-service), there is no way of knowing how many new problems the technicians will create. I don't know if Lenovo is any more competent in this regard? I ultimately decided I didn't want to compromise over such an eyesore (and an expensive one at that), so off it went.

Because of how recent the purchase was and the distinct possibility the display was shipped that way, Lenovo authorized for the display to be replaced under warranty (something I would have otherwise come out of pocket for because I am not enrolled in the accidental protection plan). So far the service has been expedited much faster than what I thought a depot plan provided for (the RMA box was overnighted to me and they paid for overnighting back to the repair facility) and have been told to expect the machine back next week. Before this hopefully fully-repaired machine gets back to me, and to head off a future incident that I would be repairing at my expense, some of my most pressing concerns follow.

Are screen protectors a worthwhile investment against future scratches, like the one inflicted on my screen? From what I could gather on the forum (much of it dates to older-generation tablet models), there are not any consistent recommendations? Although there seems to be consensus that the X-series built-in scratch protection should be all that is necessary (at least as marketed), some individuals have made use of third-party films. EXiM Screen Protectors, Zagg invisibleSHIELD, and NuShield were all mentioned as possibilities, but Strong Engineering was the only recommendation that currently produces a cover for the frame-less X200 tablet. Unfortunately, it is not clear why the users adopted the protection in the first place: whether this is being dictated by past history with other manufacturers versus scratches already appearing on their current machine and whether this reflects underlying erratic defects in their individual displays / the model manufacturing itself versus how they are using it?

It doesn't seem worth the effort soliciting answers from these disparate threads, especially with such a small sample size in play, but I'm really curious about that last bit; how a certain population's "normal use" might put their screen more at risk. For instance, I am a left-handed overwriter and consequently push the stylus into the screen much more than either a right-handed person or any lefty attacking the screen from a neutral or underwriting position (All of this jargon and the following photography come courtesy of ' The Left-handed Writer's Page,' which seems to answer all my questions for a non-electronic world):

Overwriting:



Underwriting:



Also, my writing style dictates resting the outer edge of my palm on the tablet's surface while moving across the page. This is normal with left-handed writing, and I do not know how much the physiology actually varies, but I have always noticed that this edge of my hand becomes blacker from pencil graphite much more quickly than other cursed southpaws I have observed. I don't think my pencil tip or palm resting pressure are anything excessive to the point of damaging the LCD itself, but does the "push" factor and sweeping my palm across the screen likely scrape the surface to the point of these scratches, and/or is it being effected by dust particles, essentially trapped and swept across like sandpaper? As a side note, it would be interesting to determine if tablet markets, where the language script being used is written right-to-left (Arabic, Hebrew, and Urdu come to mind) and other applicable variables are controlled, have a higher display RMA rate than in left-to-right countries. Assuming the same proportions of left-hand and right-hand consumers, the onus would now be on Righties pushing across the paper.

As it relates to this, the tablet came with five replacement stylus tips, and I don't quite follow how their hard plastic material becomes worn out? Is it simply an issue that as time goes on, the blunting of the plastic registers unwanted broader and broader strokes? Or that the plastic will get gnarled to the point that it becomes a scraping hazard (in its own right or in dragging dust along with it), and if so, what's a good time frame so I do not have to learn by experience? Seeing as the cap and pen tip are roughly the same feel, why does the eraser head not have replacements? Are there third-party stylus models I should be looking to supplement with, that would incorporate softer pen and eraser tips, greater ergonomics, etc?

So, to reiterate, there are a few areas of inquiry here, I'm sorry I haven't more conveniently separated my own needs from curiosities, but the most important open question involves preventing further scratches. Any takers?

 

bump.. i have all the same questions.

 

I've had my x200 Tablet (285 nit LED Frameless) for over a year, without any added protection. I use it extensively in both laptop and slate mode and have not had any noticeable problems with scratching. Granted, I am right handed and have a relatively normal style. I'm not sure what effect, if any, being left handed would have on the display's resilience.

As far as the tips go, they simply become a little rough over time. They still produce the same quality line (this is all in the inductive sensor, the tip has little effect). However, they won't glide as easily and will feel less natural. I just change them based on feel (usually every 1-3 months). Wacom also sells other tips ( link), I've not tried them but you may get a better and/or smoother feel with some of them; stroke is the standard type used with the x200T.

There are other digitizer pens that offer greater ergonomics (better grip, heavier weight, etc). Look for anything labeled as Penabled. There are supposed to be some decent Cintiq model pens that work nicely with Tablet PCs. I've looked quite hard for the discontinued Wacom Cross Executive Capless (the most penlike of all the options); however, I've not had any luck in locating one. Also note that any replacement pen will NOT fit in the silo. All this being said, the stock pen is perfectly adequate albeit a bit light.