Protect Covers Screen and Keyboard Cover Reviews (pics)

I received two products from "Protect Covers" (www.protectcovers.com)to review for NotebookReview.com. I was sent, directly from the company, one keyboard cover and one screen protector. These products, sold separately, are designed to protect your laptop in harsher environments. Are these products worth your hard earned dough? Here's a full review, starting off with the keyboard cover.

Protect Keyboard Covers "Notebook Skins" review

Protect covers touts this product as a must for those working in high traffic, office areas, where you would be worrying about your laptop. Seriously, how often do you worry about someone (or you) spilling coffee all over your laptop? No matter how solidly your laptop is built, it will not be able to remain in an operable condition when bathed in a hot liquid. More importantly, any liquid spilled will trickle through the keys of the laptop, making its way to the underground circuitry of the machine. In theory, everyone should own some sort of keyboard cover. Who doesn't like to enjoy a nice beverage while typing away on their portable computer? You shouldn't have to worry about spills or other accidents that can occur -- nor should you take any chances by putting your expensive investment on the line. I think that the main reason why people refrain from using covers such as the one I am reviewing is because it detracts from the usability of the machine. This will be discussed later on in greater detail.

Keyboard protector in place (view larger image)

Putting on this protective sheath isn't terribly hard, but it must be done right. All there is to do is remove the adhesive cover along the borders to reveal the surface, coated with some sort of bonding agent. I had to take it off a few times and re-apply it because it wasn't straight. The cover is perforated with the proper keys, hence they make a cover designed to fit your laptop "like a glove". The product is looser fitting than I would like it to be. Typing wasn't so much of a chore as using the touchpad is. Because the cover is on the loose side, when you navigate using the touchpad, your finger drags the cover with it. It's hard to explain, but in essence, the friction between your finger and the touchpad is increased, and thus it requires more pressure to operate. Decreasing the pressure required in the Synaptics control panel proved to be slightly helpful, but using the touchpad is still annoying. Tapping the touchpad to register a click isn't hard, but doing a lot of scrolling -- as I like to do -- has certainly proven to be troublesome. This is one of the issues I have run into while using this cover that needs to be addressed by the producers. Despite this, however, if I were using an external mouse, like many workers probably do at offices, I wouldn't have this problem.

Dell 700m With keyboard protector on

(view larger image)

Typing is fairly easy -- it's a little harder to push down on the keys, but it would be impossible to create a skin that replicates the material of the keys on the keyboard! The skin has been molded so it contours to the keys perfectly, but I can still type more efficiently without the cover. You can definitely feel its presence on the machine while typing. Perhaps it is because I am not used to it, but I have found myself using the "backspace" key more often while writing this review because it is harder to differentiate one key from another with the skin on.

Now that I have discussed the specifics of this product while in use, I'd like to allude to some of the issues I've had with this product as a whole. Firstly, I have noticed that dirt has accumulated under the skin. I think most of the dirt has accumulated from taking it off and putting it back on again for a better fit. Also, the borders of the skin seem to be more adhesive than the rest of the surface. I never put the skin on my floor or anything, and I washed my hands before using it. Despite this, the borders of the skin are blackening and are beginning to be encrusted with visible dirt. I don't fully blame this on the manufacturers, but they need to change it somehow so that it doesn't attract as much debris and lint. Moreover, the skin wasn't cut as precisely as I would have liked it to -- next to the buttons under the touchpad, there are two small holes on my machine to accommodate the latches for the lid clasp. The skin doesn't directly go around these small holes, it is sort of cut on an angle, leaving a small piece of the laptop exposed.
The company touts this cover as being "flexible, transparent, and durable." I will have to agree with them for the most part, I can see through it and the product appears to be durable enough to withstand to be stretched and battered. Flexibility isn't a problem either really -- if it were any more flexible it would feel cheaper. I do wish the feel was improved though as the touchpad is harder to operate.

One last issue I have noticed is that keyboard area is much hotter than usual. I think this is because of the reduced air circulation caused by the skin. I will probably take it off later when I want to type because it is getting hot. It is not uncomfortable by any means, it's just that you can feel the heat, and it's kind of annoying. I do not want to pour liquid over my machine for obvious reasons (unless the company agrees to send me a new laptop if mine gets damaged in the process =D ), but when they say that it protects against liquid spills, food, and oil, I believe them. They also say it protects against pet hairs and dust, but I'd have to disagree as I have two dogs in my house, and there are a lot of pet hairs under the sheath even though I never let any of my dogs near the laptop. I can see little particles of dirt lodged under the cover. However, let's say you were to have a whole handful of pet hair in your hand and you were to throw it onto the keyboard of a normal laptop, a lot of the hairs would get inside, but with the cover, they won't. In that sense, I think the makers have done their job as my laptop is mostly protected from pet hairs and dust. Again, I have not tested it by pouring harmful chemicals onto it, but the brochure says it is ideal for hazardous environments. The cover can be cleaned with soap and water. I found it somewhat difficult to secure the lid into the base of the laptop because of the cover -- it required an extra "push".

The brochure says that this cover has earned the governments highest "A" grade quality rating 13 years in a row and that it has been used in the military. They are offering a 30 day money-back guarantee. The cover costs $14.95. Is it worth it? I'd say yes. Even though this product doesn't suit me because I feel the environment I work in isn't as high traffic as others', I am sure a lot of people could benefit from this product. I am not 100% sure that this will protect your machine against everything you'd like it to, but if something does happen, the results will be ten million times prettier than if you didn't have the skin on! If you're looking for a relatively low cost, quality cover, get one of these. If you run a computer lab with a lot of laptop computers, you may want to consider one, it'll keep the laptop clean even though there will be many, many people coming into contact with it. If you work in a lab and work with liquids a lot, you could use this to protect your laptop. A mechanic would use this to protect the keyboard from oil, which would most likely damage a bear keyboard. There are many, many uses for this, so if it suits you, go ahead and buy one. Their order/contact info is available at the end of the review.

Rating : 8/10 if you have a use for it, otherwise 7/10.

Screen protector

(view larger image)

Simply put, this screen protector is excellent, in every sense of the word. PDA screen protectors are flimsy in comparison (maybe because they use touch screens, I'm not too sure), but this screen protector is solid and leaves no bubbles or residue. It is 100% clear and transparent and guards against scratches. It's on right now and I can only tell it's on because I see it on the bezel of the screen (It was cut slightly larger than needed to so it's easier to remove I assume). The screen is the most important part of the laptop and it is often the part that gets damaged because it is always left exposed. Obviously, you can't punch the screen and expect it not to shatter -- this screen protector is not designed for that -- but if you spill something on it or you're using it outside and it starts to rain or something, you'll be thankful it was on. I can also touch the screen if a piece of lint gets on it and wipe it right off without smearing the rest of the display. I also think that it doesn't detract from the natural beauty and the glossiness of the screen. I found that the screen protector slightly reduces glare that is caused by my glossy display. The protector leaves no residue when removed.

The screen protector is hardly noticeable (view larger image)

That's all there is to say about this screen protector- it's easy to apply (and very forgiving if you make a mistake the first time while putting it on -- it can easily be re-applied) and works great, exceeding my expectations. I don't notice any dust that got under the protector during application. And at $14.95, it's a pretty good deal -- I think this will last me around 8-10 months before needing a replacement. I recommend this product to anyone, regardless of their working environments. I am always worrying about my screen and I shout at people when they touch it, so this should resolve that issue. My praises go to the makers of this product, it's fantastic. Here is their contact information, where you can order both products. Shipping is also relatively fast.

Rating: 10/10

Pricing and Availability

www.protectcovers.com

 

The screen cover is quite interesting - I may order one, but no need for the keyboard

Very descriptive review queshy!

 

The screen cover sounds like a good thing, and I will definitely look into getting one. I just hope someone in Toronto can provide me with one.

 

I just received one of these in the mail for my Dell Latitude D610. I bought it on the recommendation of this thread. The 14.1" size from the website fits perfectly to the screen and it arrived in a padded envelope sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard in a reasonable amount of time. The cost for the cover was $14.95 and the shipping was $5.00.

The actual USPS First class shipping cost was $1.92. In bulk the Jiffylite Cushioned Mailers #7 it was shipped in costs about $0.62 a piece. The cardboard pieces likely don't add much more in cost. In other words they are making some money off shipping but not a grotesque amount.

The actual screen protector is a solid piece of transparent plastic that is shipped covered on one side (the side that goes towards your laptop screen) with a thin plastic sheet. On that sheet are mounting instructions. When you peel it away it reveals a 1/8" strip of double-stick tape that remains on the protector and appears to be what secures it to the monitor.

Application is fairly straightforward. The protector is rigid so you can line it up on one long edge of your screen and simply lay it on your screen. No dreaded air bubbles like are commonly seen with a PDA screen protector.

However the double-stick tape is neither transparent nor of good quality. Some of it actually came off when I peeled away the thin plastic sheet with the mounting instructions. Additionally it is pretty glaringly visible once attached to the monitor and has already begun to attract dust.

I'm not sure I'll continue to use it but I'll give it a week. For $19.95 I'm not sure I can recommend this product.

 

hey Trinal, thanks for that input. Always good to have more opinions, let us know what the eventual fate of the screen protector is.

 

I've used the laptop mainly for a lot of word processing over the past several days. The outline of the double-sided tape was very visible and intrusive.

I peeled the cover off and thankfully no tape residue was left on the monitor. Debating whether to send it back or not I decided to make one more attempt at it by peeling off the double-stick tape carefully, making sure I got all of the sticky residue off with it.

And then I put it back over the screen. Static cling is keeping it attached to the monitor and it lacks that annoying double-sided tape border. However, now looking at the material more closely I can't see ANY reason why I would pay $20 for this screen protector when buying a nice archival quality sheet protector from OfficeMax and cutting it to size would accomplish the same reason.

Overall, I got it to work for me. But it's not worth $20. Definitely not a recommended buy for anyone.

 

I decided to give this screen protector further chances to prove its merit. For reference I'm using it with a Dell Latitude D610, mainly for work-related matters. Since my last post I have used it under several different lighting conditions and work conditions. With little direct/indirect light (dark room) the screen protector is essentially invisible. You don't get any glare or distortion from it. However, if you work in a room with overhead fluorescent lighting (i.e. most office situations) depending on how you're seated and how you've got the screen angled you'll end up getting a lot of severe glare. You can often correct this by adjusting the angle of the screen but if you tend to move in your seat a lot that's an issue.

I had removed the adhesive strip around the periphery of the cover after several days of usage because it was quite intrusive. At the time that I removed the strip it had already collected a significant amount of dust which could potentially have been an issue later on. As a result the only thing holding the cover on now was gravity and static cling. This worked as long as the laptop was open and powered up. However when you fold the screen down to transport the laptop invariably the cover will slide off.

In and of itself this is not a problem as it's very easy to replace the cover. However, the cover tends to pick up various amounts of dust, debris, etc. on both sides in this process. That means that not only will there be stuff adherent to one surface but also to the surface that will contact your screen directly. I'm guessing that in the end this will lead to scratches on the screen.

As a result I decided to contact the company yesterday to request instructions to return the cover for a refund (it wasn't clear to me what the return policy was).

I received the following email in an expeditious manner. I will let its contents speak for themselves. I will make the following comment however that the adhesive is not invisible, unnoticable or otherwise non-intrusive. I would recommend that anyone browsing this thread considers carefully the implications of a purchase from this company based off the original reviewer's and my comments.


Hi

Your are not to remove the adhesive that is what it is there for to secure it in place
When your computer is on you don't notice the tape, I have had mine for three years you did not even give it a chance and you ruined it and we can't resale it

Thanks

Gil Workman
GM
Protect Computer Products
www.protectcovers.com

x
Simply put, this screen protector is excellent, in every sense of the word. PDA screen protectors are flimsy in comparison (maybe because they use touch screens, I'm not too sure), but this screen protector is solid and leaves no bubbles or residue. It is 100% clear and transparent and guards against scratches. It's on right now and I can only tell it's on because I see it on the bezel of the screen (It was cut slightly larger than needed to so it's easier to remove I assume). The screen is the most important part of the laptop and it is often the part that gets damaged because it is always left exposed. Obviously, you can't punch the screen and expect it not to shatter -- this screen protector is not designed for that -- but if you spill something on it or you're using it outside and it starts to rain or something, you'll be thankful it was on. I can also touch the screen if a piece of lint gets on it and wipe it right off without smearing the rest of the display. I also think that it doesn't detract from the natural beauty and the glossiness of the screen. I found that the screen protector slightly reduces glare that is caused by my glossy display. The protector leaves no residue when removed.



The screen protector is hardly noticeable (view larger image)

That's all there is to say about this screen protector- it's easy to apply (and very forgiving if you make a mistake the first time while putting it on -- it can easily be re-applied) and works great, exceeding my expectations. I don't notice any dust that got under the protector during application. And at $14.95, it's a pretty good deal -- I think this will last me around 8-10 months before needing a replacement. I recommend this product to anyone, regardless of their working environments. I am always worrying about my screen and I shout at people when they touch it, so this should resolve that issue. My praises go to the makers of this product, it's fantastic. Here is their contact information, where you can order both products. Shipping is also relatively fast.

Rating: 10/10

Pricing and Availability

www.protectcovers.com


x

 

Actually, I'd say that the keyboard protector serves more purpose, as it will keep gunk from getting stuck underneath your keys. The screnn protector will prevent dirt on the screen, but the dirt will still get caught on the protector, leading to the same effect.

 

Any thoughts on using the screen protector for those with matte screens?

Thanks,
Howie

 

Trinal - who has the Latitude D610, he posted above - has the screen protector. His is a matte screen.

 

Hi everybody,

Here's an update on how these two accessories are doing:

The screen protector has acquired lots of dust and dirt and was starting to get really noticeable...so I took it off. Didn't leave any apparent residue on the screen - the screen was in perfect tact, not damaged, marked, or anything. It looks like the screen protector can be put back on after a cleaning, but I'll probably just pass because not that the screen protector is off, the screen looks noticeably brighter and more vivid! I guess you just stop noticing once it's been on for so long.

As for keyboard protector...the after affects are much uglier. First off, I removed the protector because the edges of the notebook (around the white bumpers) were getting all grimey and dirt was getting stuck under the protector, as it appeared. I decided to remove it. Once I removed it, I noticed the laptop looked much much sleeker - teh keys were more black and you could appreciate the looks of the laptop much more. Although I don't really care if it looks nicer, it's something worth noting. BUT, to a much greater extent, typing is MUCH easier and using the trackpad is MUCH easier and more comfortable, however the notebook was still very useable with the protector on. Here's what it gets bad though...peeling off the cover left so much sticky residue it took me nearly an hour to get off using a rag and warm water. The sticky residue was very gross because you could feel it stick to your wrists while typing. Yuck. They shoudl work on making it cleaner and less adhesive to the notebook. There was also the black logo "Protect Covers" embossed in the silver of the notebook! Arg...it was quite the job getting it all off. I must say, though, that the notebook was so well protected and kept while having hte cover on....even after almost a year of having this laptop, it seems so new, and I think it might be due to having the cover on.

To conclude, it is obvious that these covers last for quite a long time. I think that unless you're working in an environment where you feel your notebook is at risk of getting something spilled on it, don't purchase this product, it's not really necessary, for most people. I'm surprised on how long it lasted, and after a cleaning, I could probably put it back on for more use. But I've had enough of it for now, at least.

 

For screen protectors, it is best to get those that "sticks" onto your screen rather than around the beveled edges. After using quite a few of these, I've noticed that those that are held by double-sided tape have the following problems:
- Dust build up after sometime in the space between the screen and protector.
- Reduced light transmission (screen to air to protector and air again).
- Sticky patches around the beveled edge of the screen when removed. Some are so sticky that they peels off paint.

There is another type of protector which uses adhesive on the entire protector - much like a piece of clear sticker. Some of these protectors tend to leave sticky blotches on the screen.


The better protectors I found are those that does not use adhesive or sticky tapes. This is one shop that sells the non-adhesive based protector with scratch resistant coating on the top of the protector - www.purplemoo.com
You can also get them to customize the protector to your size which is what I did.