My new GW M280 had just been unpacked, and I had

[Railfanner]

My new GW M280 had just been unpacked, and I had just converted to tablet mode to try out the stylus after getting thru the MS initiation rites. I thought the pen wrote "OK" - I noticed that I needed to use a little more pressure than writing on my old M275. I also noticed that when I wrote fast, or drew fast, their were little breaks in the drawn lines or written words.

The glass looked clean, but I decided (mainly from what I read earlier on this forum) to clean it anyway, and I told my 5 year old daughter (avidly watching) that we would need to clean the glass on the display. I then went back into the living room to retrieve my cleaning cloth from the GW box, but it took a minute to find it. On my return to the kitchen, imagine my horror when I saw my daughter with a bottle of Windex she had retrieved - and the display well sprayed! She was so happy to be "helping" daddy! (gulp!)

There was nothing to do but chuckle (with my heart in my throat) and wipe off the display and the exposed bezel, etc. Since it was in Tablet mode the spray did not get into the keyboard (whew!)

I really cleaned the display - and then took the wipe away - the display was gorgeous! Although it had looked clean before, it was sparkling! The bezel and other plastic was unchanged. No filmy haze, no cloudy display, HOOORAY!

I picked up the pen and tried to write. The effort was noticibly less - and less "drag" on the tip. I did NOT have to bear down. I wrote fast - the pen did NOT have any skips! YEA!

I am here to say to all with questionable pen action - clean your display (even if it looks clean) and try it again. I bet you will like it better after you clean it. While I don't recommend shooting it with Windex, I will say there is absolutely NO damage caused by this glass cleaner. Since it cleaned so beautifully, I think spraying it into a rag first and then using the rag on the glass is how I will do it (when it needs a really good cleaning).

Anyway, just wanted to pass on this "disaster" and the unexpected great results!

[rbushway]

I can also testify that cleaning the glass is a MUST. I struggled through a lot of frustration and cleaning the glass thoroughly helps a tremendous amount.

[Big Wes]

Cleaning the screen is a must and the included cloth works great. Kudos to Gateway for this nice little extra. I would also like to add that their are a few issues with the first run of styli, but Gateway will replace them for free if you take the initative to contact them. This might help improve ink experience even more!

[krypticide]

Weird. Except for unsmooth pen action, cleaning the screen shouldn't really help with the pen accuracy.

[saahmed]

Well, the reason you have to clean the screen when you first get it is because Gateway has added some sort of film to the screen, I guess for protecting it. This film must be removed. It is easily done with the cloth and after a little use it will just wear away. This film is the cause of the 'drag' felt with the pen and the extra pressure needed to write. After the film has been worn away, the inking works great.

[Eraserflying]

quote:Originally posted by saahmed

Well, the reason you have to clean the screen when you first get it is because Gateway has added some sort of film to the screen, I guess for protecting it. This film must be removed. It is easily done with the cloth and after a little use it will just wear away. This film is the cause of the 'drag' felt with the pen and the extra pressure needed to write. After the film has been worn away, the inking works great.

So, if I remove the layer, does that mean the screen lost the protect from scratch?

[WNewquay]

Eraserflying,

If you can remove the 'layer' with the cleaning cloth (you can)... then it would not have protected against scratches anyway. If anything, if it makes it easier to use the digitizer, then removing that 'layer' is probably better because you probably won't press as hard with the pen to get things done.

[saahmed]

well, I dont think the film was put there for scratch protection I guess. In fact, I dont really know why it is there. And it is not even really a layer. It is kind of thick at some areas and non-existent at others. You kind of have to get it off there in order to experience good inking.

[flibbertigibbet]

Kinda off topic of the layer of film on the screen... but cleaning your laptop screens with windex is not a bad thing... I've even done it on non glass ones. There is really nothing to bother behind the bezel with liquid, but I try to stay away from the edges, just in case. Spray it directly on, or on a cloth... it's all good.. also try using a lint free microfibre cloth, they're really somthing. I put a 8 1/2x 11 transparency film on my M275 to keep it from scratching... the wacom pen scratched the screen, with my girlfriend playing a game that repetitivly tapped the same spot for hours! plus transparencies are cheap!

I have used the windex method on many occasions and it works with any computer screen.

Also don't be afraid to use it as a mouthwash... J/k!
-James

[Eraserflying]

quote:Originally posted by saahmed

well, I dont think the film was put there for scratch protection I guess. In fact, I dont really know why it is there. And it is not even really a layer. It is kind of thick at some areas and non-existent at others. You kind of have to get it off there in order to experience good inking.

I believe it is an Anti Glare/Anti Reflection layer

[Railfanner]

I just talked with a GW engineer on this "film" or gunk, or whatever on the display. It is not a glass protection layer. He was extremely upset with the display glass supplier to GW. The supplier of the glass was found deficient in that the parts had a dirty film on the glass that was supposed to be cleaned off. Apparently, this film allows each glass shield to separate from one another more easily after being shipped, for easier production handling. Anyway, it was caught before initial production, and the result was supposed to be the supplier to eliminate (clean off) that film. But in post production product audits, they have still found it on several samples. So now it is being cleaned off on the assembly line, but he said this issue had earlier been shipped to customers - and that's why he was so upset.

He said the shield is glass, and it is .5mm thick (That's pretty thin!) He also said no protection layer is necessary for normal use, but if you pecked away at the same spot for a long time, you would see a bit of wear, but still this would only show up when the display was off (dark). He has informed GW tech support to tell people to clean their display off with the cloth, and he told me that windex or other glass cleaner would not hurt anything, as long as you didn't use way too much, inundate or sop down the display, etc. In other words, use common sense!

Anyway, he said this is supposed to be fixed now with the cleaning happening at the production line.

[Eraserflying]

Cleaning is a MUST!!!

[psj]

on a slightly differennt slant. How is the glare on the screen? Can it be used in tablet mode in a normal work lighting environment?

[mochant]

I did a before and after test on the S7200c I got on Friday - cleaning makes a marked improvement in pen performance. The glare isn't bad at all. I've used it in a number of brightly lit rooms (sunlight through windows and a skylight, bright flourescents, incandescent lamps) and had no visibility issues. I did notice that reflections can be a bit distracting if, for example, you have a bright window behind you.