I've owned this product for about a month now and purchased it because I was frustrated with seatmates on airplanes looking at my notebook screen for the whole flight, trying to figure out what I was doing. This screen works wonders in deterring others from taking glances at my private information. In fact, most people think I'm crazy, typing away on a computer with a blank screen, or so they think.
There are some disadvantages with this screen though. Your seatmate directly next to you will be able to see through the filter to your screen partially, because they are within the viewing angle of the screen with the filter on. But move over any farther and the screen is not visible, nor is it visible across the aisle (if sitting in an aisle seat). About the only other place that it is visible is if someone is standing directly above you, one row back. Turning down the brightness of your screen also helps immensely in blocking people from viewing your screen through the filter at any angle.
(Please note, having this filter installed screens out about half of the light coming out of the screen. If you have poor eyesight with dim lighting and have trouble with computer screens, this product may not be for you.)
Additionally, the clear plastic tabs included with the filter adheres to the plastic border around the notebook LCD screen to keep the filter in place. It works, but blocks about a 1/8" of the screen at 6 points, especially noticeable around the bottom of the screen where the start bar is located.
You'll also notice a large "3M PF14.1W" printed in the top right hand corner of the filter. It's used to help in determining whether the filter is facing the right direction, but it's quite distracting at times. The height of the lettering is equivalent in size to the window bar at the top of any program.
This filter is also very dust, lint, debris, and smudge attracting. You'll find yourself wiping the filter often.
Overall, this filter does its job. Great for those who need to comply with HIPPA or other privacy regulations. But as an individual consumer, I wonder if the high price is justified for the benefits it provides.
I'm a consultant who travels weekly. Lots of time on flights makes a privacy filter important to me. Being something of a perfectionist and the fact that I look through it for hours each week, I ordered both the ViewGuard and the 3M filters to compare them. I kept the 3M and returned the ViewGuard. Why?
The image clarity of the 3M filter was significantly better (note that I work with small fonts, spreadsheets, etc. and wear glasses) Yes, ViewGuard, I removed the protective film before making the comparison! Two things bugged me about the ViewGuard: (1) its polarization cuts run diagonally (the 3M run vertically), which is distracting, and (2) the image through the ViewGuard is a tiny bit blurry/hazy compared to the 3M. 3M seems to have a more clear film that they use. A colleague of mine did the same side-by-side and agreed with me.
Both products do what they claim, and both fit my notebook well, although I also prefer the optional vertical mounting strips that come with the 3M product (both come with mounting 'dots', but 3M supplies an alternate mounting mechanism as well).
Let's face it: $50 for a piece of plastic seems expensive, but there's no alternative if you want to work on client (or your own financial) information on a plane. Thanks, 3M, for making a quality product. (And no, I don't work for 3M!)
Buy 3M Gold Privacy Filter for 17.0 Inch Widescreen Laptop (GPF17.0W) Now
I bought the Gold privacy screen for my new Mac Pro 15.5 Laptop. It works great! Fellow workers complain because they can't see my laptop screen unless they get directly behind me. It works especially well with window light hitting it. If fellow workers do stand directly behind me, I just spin around and they back off. I reordered the one for a 17" Mac Pro as it fits better than the one 3M recommends for the 15.5". The 3M recommended screen fits only over the viewing area and leaves about a 1" border to the edge of the screen and is held on with cheesy plastic tabs that glue on the screen. It looks bad and in two weeks the cheesy plastic mounting tabs fell off. You will have much difficulty cleaning the laptop screen with the cheesy plastic tabs glued in place. The Gold Screen for the 17" Mac Pro fits over the entire screen of the 15.5" Mac Pro and is right to the edge of the entire screen. It just leans up against the screen as it leans back. It is a glove fit and is well worth the difference. It lays down flat when I close the screen and travels well. Don't buy the Gray Screen Filter, the Gold is 500% better! The Gray was a costly mistake. Cheaper isn't always the answer. Also, I bought directly from 3M and paid way too much one the first round. (sales Tax, shipping, and a higher price) This time Amazon was my source. (3M(tm) GPF17.0W Widescreen Gold Notebook Privacy Filter) Roger
Read Best Reviews of 3M Gold Privacy Filter for 17.0 Inch Widescreen Laptop (GPF17.0W) Here
I bought this with some hesitation after reading one negative review...but I'm glad I got it because it works great but keep in mind you have to have the shiney side facing the monitor for it to work properly
Want 3M Gold Privacy Filter for 17.0 Inch Widescreen Laptop (GPF17.0W) Discount?
Three big disappointments. Biggest is the viewing angle is WAY too wide. It darkens at 45 degrees, but you can still clearly see what someone's up to, even if it's *kind of* harder to read precise text. It doesn't blacken until your near a 90 degree viewing angle. Pretty lame.
Also, though it's "matte" it's a lot more reflective than a regular LCD flat screen. Maybe it's less than an old glassy CRT, but the reflectivity is terrible compared to an LCD. You can actually make out your own face and highlights in the screen, even highlights coming from a side window (which I was hoping would be reduced by the microlouvre, not increased). Bright environments are 5 times harder to work in than they would be with a regular LCD screen.
And lastly, looking at it straight in, it darkens the screen enough to be distracting and eye-straining. So it's the worse of both worlds it darkens too much for the user, and not enough at odd angles.
The method for sticking the frameless kind on clutters your screen with cheesy plastic adhesive disks.
Plus, it's pretty expensive for a sheet of plastic.
Wait until the tech gets better. Or decent, at least.
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I ordered this for my E72 some months ago and did not come back to review. So now, it is better late than never:
