Dell DJ Screen Protectors
May 2, 2004
Review By: Rhtrevino, Dell DJ Site Member
Manufacturer/Vendor: Mike Hughes GadgetShield.com
Product Webpage: Click Here
Suggested Price: US $6.00 (2 Pack), US $9.00 (4 Pack), US $11.50 (6 Pack)
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Introduction
The Dell DJ has been an appealing DAP because of its reasonable price, modern styling, and solid build. Despite the fact that the DJ is geared toward the budget conscious, it does not mean that DJ owners consider their player inferior to any of the higher echelon players. They want to know that their investment is going to be safe and sound. A Gucci case may be out of the question, but Mike Hughes and the guys at GadgetShield.com have crafted a great little product to help alleviate one of the main problems facing DAP owners
.scratches.
Why Protect Your DJ?
Dell and Creative did a fine job designing the DJ with a matte finish aluminum back plate and front bezel. This largely helps to give the DJ a certain scratch resistance. However, the area around the scroll wheel and buttons and the screen itself are areas that are prone to scratches. In fact, unbeknownst to some DJ owners, the entire face is crafted from one piece of acrylic with the face being masked off during painting. A shot of the DJ in total darkness illustrates this. Notice the blue LED backlight shining through the grey portion of the faceplate (Figure 1). Over time, this paint could get scratched leaving an unsightly gash on the DJ's exterior.
Figure 1
How Can You Protect Your DJ?
It's a given that the best way to protect your screen is to buy some form of screen protection. Most of the average grade screen protectors are made from a thin sheet of plastic with a semi-tacky adhesive backing. You can find several vendors on eBay offering DJ Screen Protectors that are, in fact, just PDA screen protectors that have been cut down to fit the DJ Screen. You will find that most of these protectors only protect the screen. The protectors offered at www.Gadgetshield.com are different in the fact that they cover the entire DJ face, providing protection for all parts of the DJ that are prone to scratching.
What You Will Get...
The DJ Screen Protectors come well packaged via USPS in a hard cardboard mailer directly from the source (Figure 2). My demo package contained three (3) protectors, but you are able to order quantities of 2, 4, or 6 screen protectors with the cheapest being the package of 6 for $11.50 (under $2 per protector). All prices include shipping.
Figure 2
The protectors themselves, admittedly, are not much to look at. However, upon closer inspection you can see the precision with which they were laser-cut from sheets of .008 thick static-cling vinyl. One benefit of static-cling material (as opposed to adhesive) is that the protectors can be washed and re-applied many times. Mike (the creator) informs me that under normal use you can expect to get several months use from each protector. Application of the protectors could not have been easier. Simply peel the protector from the backing and apply to the face of the DJ, being careful to align all the openings with the buttons on the DJ face. I found that the best way to ensure proper alignment is to start from the bottom of the face and work up. Using a credit card (or any stiff card) to smooth the protector helps to eliminate air bubbles that may appear under the face. The screen protectors are cut with great precision and the gaps around the buttons are minimal offering superior protection to the DJ face (Figure 3). While I did not manage to eliminate the smallest air bubbles from the face, I did not notice them when using the DJ. In fact, these bubbles are not even noticeable from normal viewing distance (Figure 4).
Figure 3
Figure 4
Conclusion
The Dell DJ Screen Protectors offer exceptional screen protection for your Dell DJ. They are currently the only screen protectors that offer full face coverage for the DJ and, because they are crafted from anti-static material, they can be removed, washed, and re-applied. The only negative I could find about these protectors was the presence of air bubbles under the protector surface, but this can be easily addressed by smoothing the protector with a credit card or other similar implement during application. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for an affordable, attractive way to protect their DJ.
