If you look very closely to the N800 and N810, you can see that what's actually so scratched is the default factory screen protector. I know because mine still has it and looks like that. I can also say that my previous screen (that died and I replaced) had no protector and didn't get any scratch in more than 6 months.
I second that, if you look carefully especially on the n810, u'll notice there's a screen protector on it (not sure if it's the original protector that comes with the device tho). On a side note, someone actually posted a n97 scratch test video on youtube and the screen looks pretty durable to me. So I would expect n900 to have a similar resistance to scratches if not better.
Wait for the Boxwave Anti-Glare. They're really good.
Boxwave makes the best I've seen. But don't go with the antiglare. It will affect screen clarity, and doesn't block glare that well. Crystal clear Boxwave only for me. There's also the JAVOedge and Martin Fields ones.
I like the Invisible Shield, but you have to cut out the screen area and apply a custom cut Boxwave for the screen only to avoid the bad glare issues.
Boxwave makes the best I've seen. But don't go with the antiglare. It will affect screen clarity, and doesn't block glare that well. Crystal clear Boxwave only for me. There's also the JAVOedge and Martin Fields ones.
I've tried both, the anti-glare does worlds of good for the glare and it also reduces smudges and improves screen texture. The effect on screen clarity is barely noticeable in a side-by-side comparison (it mostly affects brightness).
As someone who's used the N900 quite extensively and yet to put a single scratch anywhere on the device, I will say again that his experience is not normal.
Agreed. Mine has been exposed to abuse (not my fault! not my fault!) and not a single scratch anywhere. Yeah, the screen smudges... so I wipe it occasionally. Ok, frequently.
I have a Palm Pre with a capacitive screen thats scratched. Its all about screen protectors. Unless its glass, with obvious down sides, screen protectors are a must.
I'm going to sulk now. Clearly no-one reads my posts. I've been saying almost since I registered that I prefer resistive. In fact, as part of my device selection, I went and tried devices with both: I could hardly use the capacitive.
Reason? two things: I have long girlie fingernails. They get right in the way if you're using capacitive, and you have to use your finger or thumb at a really odd angle, whereas they provide ready made stylii on every finger. Secondly, the last touch screen I made any long term use of was resistive, so there's a 'natural, intuitive' feel for me that capacitive doesn't have.
Now, you read this, right? I do exist other than in my own head? Don't I?
I'm going to sulk now. Clearly no-one reads my posts. I've been saying almost since I registered that I prefer resistive. In fact, as part of my device selection, I went and tried devices with both: I could hardly use the capacitive.
Reason? two things: I have long girlie fingernails. They get right in the way if you're using capacitive, and you have to use your finger or thumb at a really odd angle, whereas they provide ready made stylii on every finger. Secondly, the last touch screen I made any long term use of was resistive, so there's a 'natural, intuitive' feel for me that capacitive doesn't have.
Now, you read this, right? I do exist other than in my own head? Don't I?
don't worry. there is so much haze around because everybody wants their n900s that nobody remembers anything correctly and everybody senses the feelings of majority wrong
I have tried capacitive touch screen, my present phone has one and I hate every single minute of it, the lack of precision especially while browsing the web is really annoying... I've had my phone for 4 month and I'm sure that I will never get another capacitive touch screen ever again.
About the scratching on the screen, it will happen on any phone if you don't protect it, I have friends with iPhone 3G and 3GS and their screens and in an horrible state whereas when I sold my N800 that I had used for 1 year it didn't have a single one... so I guess it also depends a lot on how you use it.
One thing I used to do with my N800 and after that my 5800 is to take short notes on the screen, it's really convenient when you are in a hurry and need some details, I've been missing that a lot.
Resistive touch screen are getting better just look at the difference with the N900 compared to older technologies!
I bet you would like a device with a glass screen which is very hard to scratch but then you get this slightly varied equation:
deal = screenbreaker
Glass is still scratchable. For example the higher end phones use a sapphire coating like high end watches as only something of the hardness of a diamond will scratch it, but there are still particles in brickwork, for example, that have this hardness and can scratch the sapphire crystal. I believe sand may have something similar but I forget offhand.
