Review on 💻 10.1-inch Widescreen Laptop Privacy Filter by 3M (Model PF101W9B) by Sammie Rodriguez

Buying the right privacy filter for my 2014 Lenovo Yoga 2 PRO has been a real journey! First, there are *hundreds* of reviews to sift through, and understanding the different types and sizes, features, etc. is enough to drive any sane person crazy! Let me ease my anxiety a little. YOU CAN buy a privacy filter that you are happy with - they are. I recommend buying a 3M gold filter instead of one of the black filters. Why? They work better and yes, they are expensive. My 14" filter was in the mid 50's after all costs, taxes, shipping etc have been calculated. Let's go through this step by step. You need to know exactly the size of the visible (illuminated) part of your screen, either measured in Inches or centimeters (cm). Don't guess. Buying the wrong size and handling returns is something you don't want to deal with. Cut smaller if you'd like. It's not necessary, but I'm into those went up the next size (from 13.3" to 14.0") and it worked perfectly for my laptop. no cutting required. One reason you might want to consider this is because if you have a large black area around the lit area of the screen the mounting straps can safely place outside the viewable area of the screen I have to warn you that if you take the time to look at the reviews - - look carefully at the reviews for the GOLD filters, and not for other types (black). & gold filter reviews mixed. Also note that there are two types of gold filters - one for the touchscreen and one for the regular screen. The touch screen filter is thinner, so the touch screen function works well. With a thicker (standard) gold filter, the touchscreen may barely work, if at all. Some reviews mention a moiré pattern (look it up on Wikipedia) that appears on screen after adjusting the filter - my filter didn't show this. pattern in general. Other reviews said you could see vertical lines on the screen - I didn't see that either - the screen was perfect when viewed straight on. Some reviews say the screen is TOO DARK with the filter installed - I believe this refers to black filters, not gold filters - as this touch filter was so thin it did NOT darken the screen in my opinion. Yes, I increased the brightness a little, but I found that dimming the screen wasn't a problem as long as you were looking directly at the screen. Others say that the point at which the image "fades out" is too far left or right --- I disagree here too --- for me the point at which the screen becomes unreadable is within the expected range Area. For example, the person sitting next to you on the plane cannot see what you are doing. Let me explain a little - when you move a significant distance away from the screen (many feet back) you change the viewing area. These filters are best for use on an airplane or in a coffee shop with people sitting next to you. If you have experience with this then you will understand my point. PLEASE CLEAN YOUR COMPUTER SCREEN carefully and thoroughly. Remove all stains, grease and fingerprints. Wash your hands before installing this filter - you don't want dirt, lint, pet hair and stains to interfere with the clarity of your filter. Install it in a clean and quiet place. Why stress? Some reviewers speak of moisture getting trapped between the filter and screen. This can happen if you don't have a completely dry environment or weren't careful when wiping the screen and your hands are dry! Any situation where you can have steam or condensate (different temperatures) will only cause you problems. It's not overly critical, but I'm trying to understand under what circumstances a person may encounter the problems described in various reviews. It is better to choose a clean hospital room than a garage! POSSIBLE PROBLEMS: a) They don't always include both fastening systems in envelopes. You can install with adhesive strips or transparent side and bottom mounts into which the filter is placed. You may have to improvise or provide your OWN double sided tape (or regular clear tape). b) Problems with delivery. This is where LUCK comes into play. Unfortunately, the filter is shipped to you in a thin clear plastic bag that fits in a thin shipping/display case. Finally, a very fragile package is placed in a thin paper envelope with a bubble side. This whole unit is VERY prone to damage in transit due to traffic, bumps in the truck, etc. It should be shipped in a hard cardboard box, not a paper envelope, folks! Some reviews speak of damage to the cargo. Then you'll have to deal with return shipping - a royal pain. Luckily my package arrived undamaged. c) Blue mounting strips are a pathetic excuse for putting this on your computer screen. They don't hold up well and after a while my filter fell off the screen. The solution is to just cover it up with your own clear tape! If you want to turn it on and off regularly, honestly, it can be a big problem. get ready for it d) *Some* people question the authenticity of the product they received. It's certainly possible - either by design (unbranded, unapproved suppliers) or a cheap fake from China. this is also the luck of the draw. If you get a good product, great --- if you get a fake - well, you know - problems, poor quality, whatever. It's sad when you can't trust what you get. Beware of cheaper versions. e) DELAMATION! I almost forgot to mention --- Some reviews say the edges or corners "peel off" after a few days/weeks/months/years. or never. This is another problem that can be related to the quality of the supplier - these filters can be divided into two separate layers. They're starting to peel off in the corners. This will distort the image and you will no longer be able to use the filter. My specific example looks ok but it will take time if it happens at all. I suppose how you handle the filter *might* make a difference. The reason may be the constant daily on-off. Who knows. e) Some reviews say about the filter "sticking to the screen" when using touch. This can cause a "bubble" to appear in the image on the screen where your fingers touch it. I haven't experienced it yet, but I want to mention it. If it happens, you can live with it, especially if the privacy feature is badly needed and you don't care about a slight visual anomaly. To clarify, the images on the screen itself are not distorted, it looks like you put a drop of water between the screen and the filter and smoothed it out. Slight irritation. This is my summary and experience so far. Your mileage may vary. I am satisfied, even very satisfied, with the performance so far of this 3M gold filter. I will revise my review in the future if there are any issues.