I have been a fan of Power Support products ever since I got my first iPhone on Day One (that’s June 29, 2007, in case you were wondering).  To protect my precious First Generation iPhone, I picked up the Power Support Clear Air Jacket Set, which included a thin case and two screen film protectors (one crystal (i.e.,  clear) and one anti-glare).  When I upgraded my iPhone to the 3GS, I did not hesitate to buy a Clear Air Jacket Set for it, as well.  And I am a believer: the case protected my phone from the impact of a few drops, and the film protected the screen from a very nasty potential scratch that would have made you weep.  The scratch marred the film, but did not penetrate the film.

When it came time to protect my iPad’s gorgeous screen, my first instinct was to go straight to Power Support.  The website listed the screen film, but they wouldn’t be in stock for a few weeks.  Not wanting to risk a scratch, I went looking elsewhere.  There are a few iPad screen protectors out there.  A friend went with the Clarivue brand, and he likes it.  I was close to ordering the ZAGG invisibleSHIELD because of the claim of ultra scratch resistance – even when subjected to a rotary sander.  Check it out:

The ZAGG film offers impressive protection, but I didn’t like the idea of using a spray adhesive to apply the film protector.  A product by Bodyguardz uses a similar installation procedure and offers similar power-tool resistant scratch protection.   In the end, I decided that I would wait for Power Support.  I’m glad I did.

The Power Support screen protector may not offer the same level of ultra scratch protection as some other brands, but it is sufficient (I don’t have power tools around the house or office).  More importantly, I wanted easy installation (the Bodyguardz product may require up to 48 hours for haze to disappear from beneath the film).

I received my Power Support Crystal Film iPad screen protector today.  It took less than 2 minutes to install (including the minute I spent meticulously wiping the screen to ensure that it was dust-free), with no air bubbles or other imperfections.  It couldn’t have been easier.  The film is very clear and you can’t even tell it’s there.  I decided against the anti-glare version of the film, even though I have noticed that the iPad screen is very reflective – sometimes to the point of distraction.  However, I just wasn’t sure I wanted to alter the iPad experience by changing the way the screen appears.  I really wanted to keep it as close to film-less in appearance as possible.

I was able to experience the anti-glare film, however – on my iPhone.  I remembered that the Clear Air Jacket Set for iPhone that I purchased last year came with an anti-glare film and a crystal film.  I had installed the crystal film on my iPhone last year, but due to that nasty scratch I mentioned earlier, I thought it was time to replace it.  Instead of getting another crystal film, I tried the anti-glare film.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Like the iPad film, it installed quickly.  And as the name implies, it definitely cut the glare on the iPhone screen.  The film has a sort of “micro texture” to it — this is apparently what diffuses the light and cuts the glare.  This texture also allows your finger to slide a bit more freely across the screen than the crystal film.  It feels dry and smooth – almost like it prevents any oils from your fingers to impede their movement on the screen.  The anti-glare version does “soften” (I wouldn’t go so far as to say “blur”) the screen images a bit.  This is the apparent trade off for cutting the glare.

Bottom line: I highly recommend the Power Support Crystal Film screen protector for the iPad.  It installs quickly, looks great, and does not change the feel of your finger movement on the screen.  The anti-glare version would be good, too if you are really annoyed by the highly reflective nature of the iPad screen and don’t mind a slight softening of the screen image.

What iPad screen protector do you use?  Please let us know in the comments below.

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