Martin Fields what a crock of ####

[marlinspike]

Martin Fields protector came today. The cut out for the click wheel is slightly off, the protector for the back is slightly too small. It is quickly frankly the ####tiest product I have ever seen.

[Insimbi]

Doh! I just ordered mine today. Is it that bad?

[marlinspike]

Yes, it's complete utter crap

[marlinspike]

Oh, and it's an air bubble magnet too. The adhesive isn't quite strong enough, so when I push the air out, after a few seconds it pulls up and gets air under it.

[random person]

Not to mention that it's a fingerprint and dust magnet too! And then you have to wash it, dry it with a hair dryer, try applying it again -- only to get more fingerprints on it! And when you try to get out the air bubbles you scratch your screen!

I am definitely not a fan.

[Insimbi]

Maybe you guys just didn't install it right. Other people say how awesome it is. Oh well, to each his own.

[marlinspike]

Well I know my problem isn't an install problem since it's physically the wrong size. The one on the back is too small and the one on the front the click wheel cutout is slightly off. Honestly, this would be a good home made product, but not something that should be sold by a company.

[btvsrocks]

Do you maybe have some pics of the offness of the Martin Fields pieces?

I was seriously considering this as a viable option for my iPod... it would be disappointing if I had to wait until Thanksgiving (US) for the Power Support Crystal Film one.

Maybe cause it's a just recently released product, that there are some kinks such as wrong measurement? Shrugs

[uicandrew]

having the wrong measurements is simply inexcusable. They only had 2 things to get right. Length and Width. That's it. They didn't have to worry about thickness.

that is truly sad. I am still a big proponent of getting pda screen protectors and cutting them out myself. Especially if they cost 10 cents to make and they charge $4 to ship.

get a refund.

[mpb2000]

That sucks. This guy seems to like it and the pics look great.

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=126097

[justblaize]

I dont mean to be a #### here, but it seems like you guys are over reacting.

[marlinspike]

No, I don't have any pics since I got fairly fed up with it and chucked it. It's close, but it's off, and when you pay $13 for 5 cents of plastic, you expect it to be at least cut well.

[TheFly]

The InvisibleShield is a bit more in cost. But it seems to be the best-reviewed shield so far. I got mine on and was absolutley amazed at how well cut it was. It's a real pain to install. At every step, you think you've screwed up and can't possibly expect it to go on properly. After giving it a few minutes to dry, it goes on really nicely.

I showed it to co-workers today and they couldn't believe it was on there. I'd give it a 100% endorsement!

[marlinspike]

Yeah, I'm going to order one, but I'm a bit confused by your let itdry statement. I thought you have to make it wet to make it go on easily?

[rockykabir]

My iPod (fitted with the InvisibleShield) doesn't look to dissimilar to the one fitted with MartinFields posted by that guy in the other thread.

My main worry when buying the InvisibleShield, apart from the crazy installation method, was the problems people had with the texture of the surface and the possibilities of distorting the screen.

But I am very happy with the result and the screen is not distorted at all.

Don't take this the wrong way marlinspike, but I get the feeling you might not like the InvisibleShield either as the installation is a pain. I mentioned somewhere in these forums how I nearly severly messed up my installation & my iPod....but somehow it all worked out at the end - it just needed plenty of time and patience.

But IMO give it a try as the cut is very good.

[TheFly]

marlinspike, I put the IS on the front surface of the ipod and let that set. Then I moistened the edges of the tabs that fold over the sides and kept gliding my fingers along it until it began to hold down. After letting that sit a little longer, until more of the water seemed to evaporate, I was able to press the edges down until they stuck. Now, it's securely in place.

I think the water is there to help you position the shield and maybe to get the adhesive to activate. But it sticks better as the water evaps away.

[alch3mlst]

I ordered the Martin Fields Overlay plus, because it is cheaper, doesn’t require water and seemed easier to install. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try something else out.

The problem with decals which require water (such as the InvisibleShiled), is that generally they peel up around the edges as the plastic starts to dry out... especially when wrapping around a curved surface. Honestly I don’t think any of these overlays are going to last more than a couple months. So I’m getting the cheapest one until something good comes out… worst-case scenario, my iPod gets scratched.

[TheFly]

alch3mlst, you may be right about the edges curling in a few months. I don't think the IS is going to be a problem. I guess we'll all know by mid-summer. For now, it really seems to be quality.

[ehrgeiz]

I think I'll stick to getting a case