A reader wrote in telling us his screen had gotten quite a few scratches on the text area. A common problem, PowerBoard Hostess Claire Pieterek has compiled a list of useful suggestions. Of course, we always suggest caution when working with such delicate items as your PalmPilot screen.

"Cook Top Cleaning Creme" or similar ceramic-topped stove cleaner containing silica. You can use this to polish the scratches out. Work slowly, use minimally, and press lightly to achieve best results. This will polish out the scratches, but the area on which it was used will not be shiny. I have used Cook Top with success after trying toothpaste, jeweler's rouge, and similar types of polish with no effect.

My local lapidary (gemstone cutting and polishing) supply shop told me that tin oxide is what the professionals use to polish glass. However, they couldn't sell this to me in quantities less than several lifetime supply, so I never did try that...sounds like a marketing opportunity, huh?!

PDA-specific polishing products
There are a number of commercial products on the market which are PDA-specific and purport to polish out minor scratches. These include Tim Warner's PalmPilot Polish and Concept Kitchen's Karma Cloth. I haven't tried either, so I can't say anything for or against. Some people on the PalmPilot mailing list have reported using Meguiar's car wax products successfully. Search the Pilot mailing list archives at http://www.ultraviolet.org for more info on this.

Now that you've learned about friction, erosion, and similar lessons in physics, buy and use screen protectors on a regular basis. You can cut overhead transparencies to size, or use Scotch #811 removable tape on the Graffiti area. It's the one that comes in the blue box. Make sure it says "Removable" tape, not "Magic" tape. It will also say something like "same adhesive as Post-It Notes" on the package. You can get this at Wal-Mart, OfficeMax/Office Depot, etc. You could also purchase PDA-specific products, like Concept Kitchen's WriteRights.

Although WriteRights are exorbitantly priced for what they really are, spending $24.95 on those can prevent your having to spend $100 for an out-of-warranty screen replacement. In my experience, the newer textured product lasts much longer than the old shiny-surfaced product, which I managed to scratch up within 2-3 weeks of application. The textured WriteRights last me 2-3 months on average.