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alligator · Aug 30, 2007, 07:35 AM

I just received my MacBook Pro. There was a thin piece of foam between the keyboard and the screen when it arrived. Do I need to keep this to protect the screen from keyboard scratches?

ghporter · Aug 30, 2007, 07:37 AM

Not from scratches, but from the skin oils you'll leave on your keyboard. I've had my MBP for about a year and diligently use the foam sheet to keep my screen from getting marked up. It also seems to help keep the lid slightly tensioned while it's closed, so that's another plus.

ibook_steve · Aug 30, 2007, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Not from scratches, but from the skin oils you'll leave on your keyboard. I've had my MBP for about a year and diligently use the foam sheet to keep my screen from getting marked up. It also seems to help keep the lid slightly tensioned while it's closed, so that's another plus.

This was a problem with the old Titanium machines. I've never seen it on the MBPs, mine included. The screen doesn't touch the keys. If you're still seeing this with a current machine, I'd be surprised and report it to Apple immediately. The foam sheet is simply to protect from vibrations during shipping.

Steve

jamito · Aug 30, 2007, 05:30 PM

My old ibook has tons of markings from the keys onto the screen. When I upgraded to a powerbook and now a macbook pro, i use a screen protector from radtech (http://www.radtech.us/Products/NotebookScreenSavrz.aspx). My screens look so much better than the screen on my ibook.

ghporter · Aug 30, 2007, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by ibook_steve

This was a problem with the old Titanium machines. I've never seen it on the MBPs, mine included. The screen doesn't touch the keys. If you're still seeing this with a current machine, I'd be surprised and report it to Apple immediately. The foam sheet is simply to protect from vibrations during shipping.

Steve

It's a habit I picked up a long while back, and not with an Apple notebook. The sheet does help keep the dust off the screen (it sort of brushes it when being put in or taken out), and as I said it seems to cushion the lid somewhat. It's apparently not harmful. My wife does the same with her G4 iBook, and I think that does let the screen get that close to the keys.

SierraDragon · Aug 30, 2007, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by alligator

I just received my MacBook Pro. There was a thin piece of foam between the keyboard and the screen when it arrived. Do I need to keep this to protect the screen from keyboard scratches?

Your choice, depends on how anal you are about such things. Personally IMO it is a tool to use and I do not baby it. Every Mac I have had (lots of them since the 128k Macs) has been replaced due to tech obsolescence rather than due to some hardware part showing cosmetic wear.

-Allen Wicks

Moonray · Aug 30, 2007, 09:01 PM

If you want to keep carrying something around to protect the screen from the keyboard, use a micro fibre cloth instead of that foam.

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powershaker · Sep 2, 2007, 03:24 AM

Ummm, has anyone ever thought about doing what I do? Buy an i-Skin and forget about the screen protector. I bought these screen protector things, and they didn't do much for me. I also noticed the screen protector getting dirty as well and aggravating me with little specs of junk. One day, I just said screw it and tore the thing off. I just use the regular ole screen. Wipe it down once in awhile. As for the iSKIn. I think someone who buys a Macbook Pro without purchasing an iSKIN for the keyboard is a complete total dork and they deserve to have their Macbook fried by residue and watery materials... Nah. Just kidding. Anyway, buy an i-Skin. It will save you a lot of heartache down the road and you'll feel safer. Also, I have noticed on YouTube a guy with a video about Apple not covering his warrant because it had spills. Well, ummm, the dude doesn't have an iSkin. He's also an engineer. Now, I wonder if he knows anything that spills down in that keyboard can possibly damage the circuitry, no matter how minute? And, no, Apple doesn't cover that.

powershaker · Sep 2, 2007, 03:25 AM

By the way, I-Skins are also cool to touch. I just love how smooth and silky the keys feel. You can get them in three or four different colors. I prefer the clear frosted though.

ghporter · Sep 2, 2007, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Moonray

If you want to keep carrying something around to protect the screen from the keyboard, use a micro fibre cloth instead of that foam.

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What are the advantages of microfiber over the foam?

Moonray · Sep 2, 2007, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

What are the advantages of microfiber over the foam?

Easier to fold and you can use it to wipe the screen.

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Appleman · Sep 2, 2007, 05:52 PM

I went to iSkin and had a look. US$25 for a ugly piece of silicon?
With my old TiBook you saw the keyboard after a while but only when glancing from the side.
I agree with SierraDragon that it is a tool in the first place, and as long as it continue to function well I do not like to change the feel and look of it. It;s like with mobile phones: the industry tries to make a nice sleek design and some people wrapp it in a fat plastic or leather case making it again look like a brick.

ghporter · Sep 2, 2007, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Moonray

Easier to fold and you can use it to wipe the screen.

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Folding would be a definite plus-I don't fold my foam because I don't want to damage it. I'll be getting with a seamstress friend of mine to see what can be whipped up... This is promising and apparently inexpensive.

alligator · Sep 2, 2007, 08:43 PM

I'm just curious if anyone's keyboard had bumped their screen and left a mark? I've had a Dell this happened to, and it destroyed that part of the screen. Very distracting.