Garmin Oregon 450t screen question

[+Markarian421]

I just received a Garmin Oregon 450t, and I have a question about the screen that I haven't been able to find after about 15 minutes of searching.

 

On this unit, the top layer of the screen is a thin plastic sheet. It sticks up a surprising amount from the screen below, I'm guessing there's maybe a 1mm gap in the middle, maybe a little less toward the edges, so I have to press it down about 1mm before the top plastic makes contact with the layer below.

 

Is that normal, it that the way they are designed?

 

I've only handled one Oregon before, and I didn't notice it then. It's also pretty unlike my touchscreen nuvi (although I'm not necessarily complaining there, the nuvi touchscreen is not so great).

 

Thanks.

 

Edit: An attempt to show screen deflection/curvature through reflections off the screen:

Edited March 26, 2010 by Markarian421

[+RonFisk]

I just received a Garmin Oregon 450t, and I have a question about the screen that I haven't been able to find after about 15 minutes of searching.

 

On this unit, the top layer of the screen is a thin plastic sheet. It sticks up a surprising amount from the screen below, I'm guessing there's maybe a 1mm gap in the middle, maybe a little less toward the edges, so I have to press it down about 1mm before the top plastic makes contact with the layer below.

 

Is that normal, it that the way they are designed?

 

I've only handled one Oregon before, and I didn't notice it then. It's also pretty unlike my touchscreen nuvi (although I'm not necessarily complaining there, the nuvi touchscreen is not so great).

 

Thanks.

 

I have a 550t and not a 450t so I really can't say for sure, but I'd venture to say that's not normal for a factory sealed unit. Is this a new unit? It sounds like there may be a screen protector installed.

Edited March 26, 2010 by RonFisk

[+Knight2000]

Yep. It sounds like the protective film that is on many new devices with or without screens. I'd leave it on until I could install an "Invisible Shield".

[+ryan3295]

My old Oregon 400t has almost no "air" gaps. However, my new 450t has some more notable gaps, but not enough to make me worry. My buddies 400t sounds like yours, big gaps that you can definitely feel while using the touch screen. I would exchange it and get a different one.

[+sduck]

Sounds like something's wrong. My 550t doesn't have that "gap" sort of thing between layers. A screen protector shouldn't act like that either. I'd return it.

[+Markarian421]

This is a new unit from Amazon. There was a thin plastic sheet on the screen that I removed, this isn't a screen protector. It's like the top layer of the screen, and I have to push it down to close the gap (which after using it a little more I'd say is somewhere in the 0.5-1mm range) to make contact (to press buttons etc), like there's an air gap under the whole thing. The gap seems a little larger in the center of the screen. I don't notice it so much when pressing an onscreen button, I do notice it quite a bit when swiping (to move the map for instance). At if I press in the middle of the screen, it makes a soft tap noise when the plastic sheet touches down.

 

I could see getting used to it, I'm just surprised I won't have noticed it on the earlier unit, since as I say it seems different from other touch screens I've encountered.

 

I took a couple more pics to try and show it better, what the screen looks like without pressing and with pressing enough to make contact.

 

 

If this seems strange/unusual/not right to other Oregon owners, I'll send it back to Amazon. Let me know.

 

Thanks.

[+OldA'sFan]

This is a new unit from Amazon. There was a thin plastic sheet on the screen that I removed, this isn't a screen protector. It's like the top layer of the screen, and I have to push it down to close the gap (which after using it a little more I'd say is somewhere in the 0.5-1mm range) to make contact (to press buttons etc), like there's an air gap under the whole thing. The gap seems a little larger in the center of the screen. I don't notice it so much when pressing an onscreen button, I do notice it quite a bit when swiping (to move the map for instance). At if I press in the middle of the screen, it makes a soft tap noise when the plastic sheet touches down.

 

I could see getting used to it, I'm just surprised I won't have noticed it on the earlier unit, since as I say it seems different from other touch screens I've encountered.

 

I took a couple more pics to try and show it better, what the screen looks like without pressing and with pressing enough to make contact.

 

 

If this seems strange/unusual/not right to other Oregon owners, I'll send it back to Amazon. Let me know.

 

Thanks.

 

I've had an Oregon 450t for about 3 weeks, and my screen is not like you describe. Have you called or contacted Garmin?

 

OldA'sFan

[+Markarian421]

I'm going to exchange the unit with Amazon, given that folks here seem to be confirming my impression that this isn't normal.

 

I took a closer look at my nuvi, and its touchscreen does seem to be constructed in a similar way with a slightly flexible top layer, but the gap under it is so thin I'd never noticed it before (and I use that thing daily).

 

Thanks everyone.

[+Markarian421]

I just got my replacement, and it's nothing like that one. The screen feels basically flat, just like my nuvi -- I don't notice any gap between layers in use, and swiping/moving the map is a lot easier.

 

My guess (and it's just a guess) is that the top plastic layer on the last one was a little too big, and was bowing up after assembly.

 

Thanks again everyone for the feedback.