Apr 27 2009
The Elemental Road Warrior– Part I– Earth
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Compatibility Legend
G3 iBook G3 iBook G4 PowerBook G4 Titanium PowerBook G4 PowerBook |
12″ 
14″ 
12″ 
15″ 
17″ In this edition of Road Warrior Wednesday, we’ll take a look at products designed
to protect your portable. Not baggage, mind you — that we’ll discuss sometime
down the road a way. No, I’m talking about protecting your iBook or PowerBook
from the rigors of everyday use. There are those who believe that a notebook
computer should always look like it’s been through Hell a few times and survived
to show its souvenir stickers. If you are one of those people, maybe next week’s
RWW will be more your kinda thing.
For the purposes of this article, we will categorize the forces of nature thusly
— earth, wind, fire and water. This week we’ll be looking at …
Earth, as in dirt and scudge. It can come in many forms and
it gets on your screen, in your keyboard and on the case of your portable. It
sucks. Wipe it off.
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– Check out the fine products from KlearScreen.com. The Singles 12-pack is compact for carrying with you in your pack and contains little moistened towelettes that have been marinaded in iKlear, an anti-static, alcohol and ammonia-free solution that is also non-toxic, non-damaging and non-flammable …sounds like water, but it works a lot better. You can use the various iKlear products to clean any portable’s screen or the case and trackpad of your iBook.
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– Do you have an iBook with some fairly deep scratches. Ice Creme is a two part skin care system for iBooks that helps bring back the luster.
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– TiPaint is a specially formulated touch up paint for the scratches and blisters that have plagued the Titanium PowerBooks since their release. The paint is available in either Light Silver and Titanium to closely mimic the color of the inner and out case surfaces.
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Now that your ‘Book is clean, keep it that way a bit longer by investing in
a screen protector. Your ‘Book’s screen is the most expensive part. I have learned
by experience that any damage to any part of the screen, lid or latch that necessitates
service, means the replacement of the entire top component of your portable
— everything from the hinge up. Once the screws that fasten the case to
the screen bezel are removed, your warranty is void. Apple will authorize no
service that includes the separation of those parts. I’d take that to mean that
the wiring and hardware in that thin little top is a bit touchy. Try to protect
it, will ya?
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– I’ve reviewed these before and I still recommend them. They protect both the screen and the keyboard (another component that is more expensive to fix than replace) and come in many fashion colors including the snazzy new Snow and Asphalt opaque models. I should warn you that you do have to clean them regularly or you will simply be transferring finger oil to the screen from the iSkin just the way you would have with the keyboard
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– This is just too simple. If you’re having a problem with your keyboard touching your screen and getting it dirty, don’t let them touch. Duh! Wildeepz are small squishy rubber cushions that help maintain distance between the screen and keyboard when you close your ‘Book. A guide is provided with the Wildeepz that help you apply them properly so that the cushions themselves do not touch the keyboard and cause other problems.
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– No, that wasn’t a typo. The product name is “ScreensavRz” and it’s a lint-free, ultramicrofiber cloth intended to be used between the screen and keyboard when your ‘Book is not in use. It can also be used as a cleaning/refinishing cloth for minor blemishes and since it is washable, you can use one ScreensavRz for double duty. An excellent product that is even better when used in conjunction with iSkins or Wildeepz.
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Why would you want all three? My personal reason: the iSkin prevents hair,
crumbs and dust from getting in the keyboard, the Wildeepz help align the top
and bottom portion of the ‘Book and prevent uneven wear on the hinge and the
ScreensavRz add extra protection for the screen while coming in handy as a screen
cleaning cloth when the need arises — all things I need.
With the gadgets I’ve recommended here, you should be well equiped to protect
your portable for our first force of nature: earth.
The BookEndz are docking stations for the Mac laptops. They are available for quite a few different models including the MacBook Pros, MacBooks, and Powerbooks. I had the chance to test the 17″ MacBook Pro model. It has connecters for all the ports on the laptop, and a special area for the MagSafe power adapter.