<nerd>
Why post one reply when you can post three? Wise men have asked this question, but who among us has the answer?
</nerd>

Ok, time to give away a $1M patent idea (if it hasn't been done already, Nokia, I hope you're listening!).

I would like a SCRATCH RESISTANT SCREEN on the N900. I would rather have a durable device than to protect it with a $3 screen protector. How, do you ask, we pull this off? Simple...ish...

Imagine a clear plastic surface. On top of the clear plastic you mount miniature glass squares that are relatively (to the square surface) thick. The squares are arranged in a grid, but not completely touching one another. The parts between the squares are filled with a flexible, stretchable, and compressible plastic with similar refractive properties as the glass used (or vice versa).

Why all this trouble?

Because the squares will take up the majority of the face, the great majority will be more resistant to scratches (glass is hard). Also, because the squares are very small but relatively thick based on their dimensions, they will be much less likely to crack under pressure (tempered glass perhaps). Also, the grooves will allow the general surface to bend (absorb pressure) without having the squares touch one another and risk chipping (assuming, of course, the material between the glass can stretch and compress readily). Also, because the grooves are so small, most objects will not be able to *reach* the filler material, but would simply skip from one square to the next.

The result, a very inexpensive (if the process can be easily automated and is cheap to produce) scratch resistant touch surface. It may not have the smooth continuity of a single materials, but if the squares are sufficiently small, and the groove material chosen wisely, they would likely not refract the light enough to be distracting during unit use. I would bet that with careful selection of materials, it would be indistinguishable from the standard-screen during use.

Either that or throw some space-age nano-material at it... Something ripe with carbon, no doubt...

}:^)~
YARR!

Capt'n (likes to grab boobs) Corrupt