plastic covering on parts of new laptop, remove from keyboard or not?

Simple question. I just bought a new HP laptop yesterday; I'm using it right now. I removed the plastic covering that you often find on the back of the cover, around the border of the display, and on perhaps other parts. I see there's actually a plastic covering over the keyboard. It's imperceptible except for a little tab extending out on the left side which is there to help remove this covering. I see no harm in indefinitely leaving it on the computer. Any comments?

 

The covering is there to protect the silk screening on the keys. There is no problem with removing it, but leaving it on it, can cause the computer not to properly draw air through the keyboard area as it is designed to do so.

 

Thanks for your reply. If the plastic did, indeed, cover the entire keyboard, meaning actually lay on top of the keys, your point about air flow would be quite valid.

However, I did not clearly describe the covering. It does not actually cover the keys. It lays down on the surface around the keys and the holes in it are precisely cut to fit around the keys without covering any of the gap between the keys and the opening around them.

I presume the reason manufacturers put these plastic coverings on laptops, monitors, etc., is to prevent scratches during handling and packaging for shipment and when the package is opened by the buyer. The cover on the keyboard (around the keys) hardly seems necessary but apparently the manufacturers deem it worthwhile.

 

For absolutely no reason that makes sense, I always leave this plastic in place -- because, obviously, one day the resale value of my $200 netbook will be MUCH higher because the plastic surfaces are completely scratch-free

 

Actually that is false. A computer loses 45% of its value once it is removed from the box and you start to use it. Only machines that retain their value, are Apple products, everything else ends up losing within 2 years of use, up to 75% of their original value.

So leaving the plastic on is not going to do anything to make it stay at the same cost you purchased it at originally.

 

If you have any computer for more then a year it will lose its value no matter what once the parts start to age and get alot wear and tear.And after about a year or so it is out dated any way.:-D

 

The more I think about it, I think I'll probably remove it soon. Leaving it on seems to serve no purpose. It won't prevent any dust or debris from falling down in around the keys since the cover is precisely fits the key openings. And, the platform around the keys is not likely to get scratched because the keys dominate the whole area of the keyboard; they are the first point of contact when touching any part of this area.

 

They actually make covers for the keys, so that it keeps stuff from falling in between. I have the issue of pet hair from our Golden getting in between the keys on my netbook. About every couple months, I have to use a business card to clean the crud and hair pulled in under the key rows.

 

Yes, I've seen those covers that cover the entire keyboard. One place I saw them was an automotive service shop. Those covers really make good sense in that type of environment. Here's an example of this type of cover: http://www.govgroup.com/protect_key...d&utm_medium=shoppingEngine&utm_campaign=Bing