Product Review:
Radtech's ScreensavRz
by Mitchell Levine
Today's mobile computers pack a lot of power and multimedia performance into their compact chassis. But there's a price to pay for those streamlined form factors. Compressing all of those components into a miniaturized scale, while still providing benchmarks on a par with their desktop colleagues, usually involves a trade-off in terms of heat production, an often-deadly by-product. Similarly, to produce graphics with high resolution and color depth, active-matrix screens must be equally sensitive instruments.
As is the case with CPUs as well, the natural enemies of a laptop screen are dust, dirt, and what is often referred to as "gunk." Even light exposure to these adversaries can quickly snap an LCD into a steep downward spiral over reasonably short periods of time. Keeping a screen free from environmental toxins can be a formidable task, and a potentially dangerous one for the screen. According to research, typical cleaning mishaps; i.e., using Windex and a sponge, frequently results in damages averaging around $900 to $1000-if the injured screen can be repaired at all.
There are some excellent cleaning solutions available commercially, but they'll cost you. Optical grade cloth swiftly degenerates with usage, and therefore loses its efficacy and safety factor. Specially formulated cleaning solutions are highly effective, but spray your mobile's screen with them every time it needs an application, and the expenses start mounting fast.
Radtech's ScreensavRz accessory defines a new class of problem-solvers by simply and cost-effectively preventing the problem from developing in the first place. A light, ultra-sheer microfiber polishing cloth that fits over the keyboards of most popular brands of laptops, ScreensavRz protects the display surface by shielding the screen from oils, dirt and abrasion when closed. It even repairs certain types of pre-existing damage: dampen the ScreensavRz with water, and most light scuffing you may have can actually be wiped away.
The synthetic cloths are not only durable, they're specifically designed not to leave oily residues, allowing the user to polish virtually every surface on a typical notebook. The product is not limited to only portable computing, however. The company manufactures variations on the item for Power Macs, iBooks, iMacs, and even iPods. Although the cost will vary according to the particular model you're looking to protect, the laptop version averages out at about $15 (educational pricing is available for accredited institutions)-a sum far below what a year of spray 'n' wipe solutions cost. For those that need additional octane for their screen maintenance, Radtech also produces Ice Creme, a potent brand of cleaning solutions for acrylics.#
For more information, log on to the company's site at www.radtech.com.
