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Screen Protector Shootout: BoxWave Crystal Screen Protector

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Truc Bui continues his fantastic Screen Protector Shootout series, turning his focus to BoxWave’s Crystal.

 

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– Truc Bui

 

Summary:

Pros:

Only screen protector so far that maintains the brilliance of the Fujitsu screen.

Excellent coverage. Corner to corner coverage is on par with NuShield. The entirety of the protector adheres to the screen.

Probably the best solution for standard notebooks if you want to add an extra layer of protection over your LCD screen.

Cons:

Scratched very easily. It was as bad as the ProtecT for scratch resistance. Basically, once you ink, you’ll scratch.

Price point is on the more expensive side at $40 for one and $70 for two.

Application process is prone to picking up debris since the entire protector is adhesive. Be sure to work in a very clean environment. Lint-free gloves are recommended.

For the second part of round four of the Screen Protector Shootout, I take a look at Boxwave’s Crystal Clear screen protector. Unlike its anti-glare brother, the Crystal series is completely clear and boasts a 99% transmittance level. Adding on this screen protector should not affect image quality in any way. I’m having high hopes for this screen protector. If the AG film was any indication, Boxwave has a winning one-two combination that addresses the needs or wants of the tablet PC segment.

Initial Impressions:

The Boxwave Crystal film came in a nicely packaged envelope with clear instructions on the back cover. There aren’t any unnecessary frills. In the package are a cleaning cloth, an applicator card, and the screen protector itself. The screen protector had a great feel to it right out of the envelope. The protective backing that covers the adhesive comes with a tab that allows for easy peeling and installation. Additionally, another layer of protective plastic overlays the screen protector itself so the crystal clear properties will be protected. Installation should be on par with the AG screen.

Installation:

Having experience with the AG screen helped tremendously. Instead of fighting with the included applicator, I went straight for the wide width 3M squeegee. Since most people won’t have access to a 3M applicator, a decent replacement can be had with some thick poster board or matte board.

Preservation of Luminosity:

Optical quality with the Crystal line was phenomenal. It was like not having any screen protector on at all. The Crystal moniker is truly deserving here. I’ve almost forgotten how wonderful the native screen is with all the AG protectors I’ve used.

Writing Feel:

Where the AG shines, the Crystal falls flat. Smooth writing with just the right amount of resistance is now a catchy, squeaky unpleasantness. To top it off, the screen scratches. After a night’s worth of inking and browsing in slate mode, the screen protector introduced visible scratches even when the screen was on and impeded viewability.

Outdoor Viewability:

Due to the scratching, outdoor viewability was skipped. The video shows how much of the scratching you can see with the screen off. Taking it outside where the light intensity is greater would only exacerbate the problem.

Screen Protector Removal:

Removing the screen protector was relatively easy. The trickiest part was getting a corner to come up. Since there is no adhesive layer to increase the thickness of the protector, it took some careful prying to get it to release. I couldn’t find my roll of tape to see if removal that way would have worked.

Conclusion:

At $40, the Boxwave Crystal is pricey, especially considering it is prone to scratching. For non-tablet notebooks where inking is not involved, the Crystal is an ideal solution. If you’re at all an inker, I recommend the AG instead.

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