A rant on laptop manufacturers and laptop screens

[CrazedKilla124]

This is a rant, be warned. 

My HP Envy 13, the one I'm using to type this out, is the first laptop that's completely my own and not a hand-me-down - I'm 19 right now and I got it a year and +/- 3 months ago. 

It's served me pretty well, aside from some hiccups here and there. 

But there's one huge disappointment about this laptop for me - it's not exactly the fault of the manufacturer (although IMO it kinda is - let me explain) - but it has greatly diminshed my enjoyment of a laptop that was honestly beyond my budget, and something I did not want to happen on something I spent so much on. 

 

My laptop's display is a big mess, not because of color calibration or anything - my keyboard has left ugly, permanent and severely visible marks on the anti-reflective coating of the display. Is this my fault? Yes, it is, I think - but let me explain. My use was never out of the ordinary. I used it for college, I'd put it in my backpack and go about my day, yada yada. But I never did anything extraordinarily careless with it that would exacerbate the problem - like put something heavy on the top, slam the screen shut, etc. In fact, after I realized this was happening, I never closed the screen without putting something in between the display and the keyboard - a piece of paper or a cloth. 

This was my first ever laptop, and the hand-me-down that I got before this had a the same problem too - but it was already there by the time I got it, so I had thought it was due to the carelessness of the previous owner. Sick thing is, that laptop has been in use for more than 5 years - this one is just about a year plus old, and the screen looks much worse than that one. 

In my opinion, there is a lot more manufacturers should be doing to prevent this from happening. 

1. Recess the keyboard a bit into the chassis to make sure it doesn't touch the screen? Yes, I realize this would eat into component space and make the laptop marginally thicker, but I would prefer a marginally thicker laptop over a display which impedes its own freaking readability. 

2. Recess the display a little into the frame of the top of the laptop/accentuate the frame of the display/add those rubbery things that older laptops used to have - again same problem as above, equals thicker laptops - but again, same justification. I remember a situation regd. the Acer Swift, and how it was almost universally panned by critics for being so thin that it sacrificed computing power beyond acceptable levels, ran hotter than a boiler and basically ran like shit. And didn't the Macbook Pro 2017-18 suffer from a disgusting keyboard and bad thermal performance because it was too thin?

PORTABILITY CAN'T COME AT THE COST OF USABILITY. I'm not sure when laptop manufacturers will understand that. This laptop handled everything I threw it at reasonably well, although I'm a law student and I do nothing but browse the net, make PPTs and Word docs, with some occasional Photoshop, so no complaints really, performance wise. But this is unacceptable. 

3. WARN US. Yes, the laptop did come with some sort of flimsy black cloth in the packaging, between the screen and the keyboard, but it came with absolutely no instructions to keep it where it was - manufacturers are too proud and egoistic to admit that there are some problems which never will go away, or which they will never do anything to combat, or they think it'll affect their public image. 

Being a first time laptop owner with no clue really of the possibility of this happening, I did discard it. Yes, it is my fault, but I certainly did not anticipate this happening, and I had no prior experience with this. Some intimation would have helped, at the very least. 

 

What do you guys think? Is there ANYTHING I can do now? (aside from replacing the whole screen - too expensive - and buffing the reflective layer off - too risky)

P.S. PFA an image of my beloved laptop screen, completely destroyed by the scourge of the keyboard

 

[The_russian]

Thats interesting, I didn't even know other people had this problem, I guess I just never heard anyone talk about it until now. My previous laptop had a screen protector on it so that didn't happen, but with my current laptop I have similar marks, but they are only 4 dots for the corners not imprints of the whole screen. Researched the problem a bit, and it doesn't seem to happen to many different laptop manufacturers, not limited to one brand. 

[5x5]

Try using a microfiber cloth along with water or isopropyl alcohol to clean it. If that doesn't work, contact HP support and ask for a repair as it should be under warranty

[CrazedKilla124]

2 minutes ago, The_russian said:

Thats interesting, I didn't even know other people had this problem, I guess I just never heard anyone talk about it until now. My previous laptop had a screen protector on it so that didn't happen, but with my current laptop I have similar marks, but they are only 4 dots for the corners not imprints of the whole screen. Researched the problem a bit, and it doesn't seem to happen to many different laptop manufacturers, not limited to one brand. 

Hey, I thought it was fairly common, judging by the fact that it happened to my Lenovo ThinkPad X240, and I see marks (nowhere near as prominent though, thank god) on my dad's Surface Pro... I've seen it on other people's screens too, but mine is by far the worst case. 

I promise I haven't manhandled it!!  This is too expensive for me to treat it like anything but my baby!!

[CrazedKilla124]

2 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

Try using a microfiber cloth along with water or isopropyl alcohol to clean it. If that doesn't work, contact HP support and ask for a repair as it should be under warranty

Hey, thanks! I've tried microfiber+water, and I've also used screen-cleaning fluid - it's my understanding that that contains isopropyl alcohol. The problem runs much deeper, unfortunately (pun intended haha) - the keyboard has eaten into the anti-reflective coating that comes added on most laptop screens, so to clean it out, I'd have to buff the whole anti-reflective coating off. 

Warranty was a year - I've exceeded it

[5x5]

2 minutes ago, CrazedKilla124 said:

Hey, I thought it was fairly common, judging by the fact that it happened to my Lenovo ThinkPad X240, and I see marks (nowhere near as prominent though, thank god) on my dad's Surface Pro... I've seen it on other people's screens too, but mine is by far the worst case. 

I promise I haven't manhandled it!!  This is too expensive for me to treat it like anything but my baby!!

The X240 is a very robust design. One of the most premium models of its time. I don't think the issue here is the laptop, rather, the dusty environment

[The_russian]

3 minutes ago, CrazedKilla124 said:

Hey, I thought it was fairly common, judging by the fact that it happened to my Lenovo ThinkPad X240, and I see marks (nowhere near as prominent though, thank god) on my dad's Surface Pro... I've seen it on other people's screens too, but mine is by far the worst case. 

I promise I haven't manhandled it!!  This is too expensive for me to treat it like anything but my baby!!

Funny thing is I don't exactly manhandle my MacBook, but I definitely don't baby it either. I just assumed the marks were because I often put stuff on it or it's in a backpack being pressed between my back and books. I guess it depends on the quality of the screen.

[CrazedKilla124]

Just now, 5x5 said:

The X240 is a very robust design. One of the most premium models of its time. I don't think the issue here is the laptop, rather, the dusty environment

I'm not sure if it's dust solely..... I have cleaned the X240 with the customary isopropyl/water/microfiber crap too, but to no avail...

[5x5]

Just now, CrazedKilla124 said:

Hey, thanks! I've tried microfiber+water, and I've also used screen-cleaning fluid - it's my understanding that that contains isopropyl alcohol. The problem runs much deeper, unfortunately (pun intended haha) - the keyboard has eaten into the anti-reflective coating that comes added on most laptop screens, so to clean it out, I'd have to buff the whole anti-reflective coating off. 

Warranty was a year - I've exceeded it

That's the thing, the keyboard can't press enough force do this to happen alone as the coating isn't fragile at all. I think the issue is more to go with dirt, gunk and debtors getting in there and causing this. As a rule of thumb, always make sure there is no dirtnorndebris in a laptop bag since this is what damage from that looks like

[5x5]

Just now, CrazedKilla124 said:

I'm not sure if it's dust solely..... I have cleaned the X240 with the customary isopropyl/water/microfiber crap too, but to no avail...

I've had several laptop, one that have been manhandled, including T460s and I've never seen this type of marking on a screen

[CrazedKilla124]

4 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

That's the thing, the keyboard can't press enough force do this to happen alone as the coating isn't fragile at all. I think the issue is more to go with dirt, gunk and debtors getting in there and causing this. As a rule of thumb, always make sure there is no dirtnorndebris in a laptop bag since this is what damage from that looks like

Oh... Well, it's too late for me now. I will surely keep better care the next time I buy a new laptop though. Thanks a lot!!

[CrazedKilla124]

Another thing - just in case I haven't exceeded warranty, would this be covered though?

Would they take it as manhandling or reckless use?

[5x5]

1 minute ago, CrazedKilla124 said:

Oh... Well, it's too late for me now. I will surely keep better care the next time I buy a new laptop though. Thanks a lot!!

I don't think it's too late. Take a close look at the marks and make absolutely sure it's not dirt that's stuck onto the screen and fused with it partly. That can be cleaned. 

[5x5]

Just now, CrazedKilla124 said:

Another thing - just in case I haven't exceeded warranty, would this be covered though?

Would they take it as manhandling or reckless use?

If there is no liquid damage, cracks, creaking or anything, it should be covered

[CrazedKilla124]

Also, if it is dirt/gunk, shouldn't it be much easier to come off??

[5x5]

4 minutes ago, CrazedKilla124 said:

Also, if it is dirt/gunk, shouldn't it be much easier to come off??

If it's been there for a whole year, it can take a bit of effort

[CrazedKilla124]

1 minute ago, 5x5 said:

If it's been there for a whole year, it can take a bit of effort

Would an attempt to clean a little vigorously (with microfiber+solution) cause more damage? In terms of getting some layer or whatever scrubbed off?

[5x5]

Just be careful with how much force you apply. Personally, I'd ask the HP service centre before doing anything myself

[CrazedKilla124]

6 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

Just be careful with how much force you apply. Personally, I'd ask the HP service centre before doing anything myself

Will do. Not sure how active they are right now, thanks to COVID and a lockdown here, but I'll try nevertheless. Thanks!!