"The next best thing to going naked." Some handheld users choose not to put a screen protector on the touchscreen of their PDA mainly to avoid the usual cloudiness that come with anti-glare screen protectors. Unfortunately, this practice most often results in permanent scratching of the touchscreen, and the absence of the "pen on paper" feel on a naked screen. BoxWave offers us their ClearTouch Crystal screen protector to address this need.

HARDWARE:

The BoxWave ClearTouch Crystal used for this review is for the Palm Tungsten E, currently having a retail price of USD 12.95. The ClearTouch Crystal is also available for other Palm handhelds, Sony CLIEs, Fossil PDAs, Garmin iQues, and Tapwave Zodiacs.

The BoxWave ClearTouch Crystal is a handheld screen protector that promises glass-like clarity, bubble-free application, 99% visual transparency, protects the screen against scratches, durable and long lasting, reduces 99% of UV rays, washable and reusable.

The screen protector package includes a single screen protector, cleaning cloth, and ClearTouch applicator (squeegee). The screen protector was already pre-cut for the specific handheld model, and in this case, the Palm Tungsten E.

EVALUATI0N:

Installation:
Applying the ClearTouch Crystal was fairly a walk in the park, thanks to the included tools (lint-free cloth and squeegee). As with the installation of any screen protector, the most important step is to make sure that the touchscreen is as clean as possible, free of dust and lint. Prevention of bubbles was a cinch, as I used the included applicator (squeegee) to apply the protector starting from the top part, making the protector attach carefully down to the bottom part of the screen.

Protector:
The ClearTouch Crystal was indeed very clear and transparent. The screen did not exhibit any noticeable cloudiness due to the protector. As a result, the colors of the screen display appeared clean and bright. A nice "pen on paper" feel was evident, making Graffiti data input pleasant. Moreover, touchscreen sensitivity and responsiveness was sustained when using the stylus. After a month of use with extensive Graffiti input (I use my PDA for making drafts of review articles), just a few very light scratch marks were a little noticeable (but you have to look hard, though) at the Graffiti area. I guess this is a small tradeoff between screen clarity and scratch visibility.

CONCLUSION:

The BoxWave ClearTouch Crystal is a magnificent screen protector that provides remarkable clearness and transparency, making it almost look as if no protector is installed. Furthermore, comfortable "pen and paper" feel and great screen responsiveness add to its positive qualities. In my opinion, this protector could probably be the closest you could get to the look of an unprotected touchscreen.

Most probable target users for this product would be just about any user who would like to add a "pen on paper" feel to their handheld's touchscreen, while maintaining the clearness of a "naked" screen.

Special thanks to Cho of BoxWave for providing the ClearTouch Crystal review unit.