do touch screen monitors work any computer supplier
The best touch screen monitors allow you to interact with your desktop computer via tap, swipe and pinch-to-zoom. Alternatively, you can install it as a secondary monitor to use with an office-based laptop.
In this article, we"ve gathered together the best touch screen monitors available today – in a range of sizes from 21 inches to a special ultrawide monitor(opens in new tab) that"s 49 inches. If you"re after a smaller secondary monitor that can be carried with your laptop for use on the go, see our list of the best portable monitors(opens in new tab). (Portable monitors can also be had with touch sensitivity, but they"re smaller and are powered by your laptop"s battery, so they don"t need their own power supply.)
If you"ve already researched the best monitors for photo editing(opens in new tab) or the best video editing monitors(opens in new tab), you may have realized that none of them are touch screen monitors. But why not? Why would you consider choosing a new monitor without touch sensitivity?
After all, the best touch screen monitor will add an extra, more ergonomic form of user input, so must be better, right? Well, it"s not quite that simple. At the bottom of this page, you"ll find tips on what to look for when buying a touch screen monitor, including connectivity, size, and that all-important image quality.
Dell"s P2418HT has fairly typical touch screen display credentials: a 23.8-inch screen size and Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. But it stands out from the crowd in other areas.
Its special articulating stand transitions the display from a standard desktop monitor to a downward 60-degree angle touch orientation. It also supports extended tilt and swivel capabilities, so you can adjust the screen to your task or a more comfortable position. Plus, a protective cushion at the base of the screen offers a buffer against bumps when the stand is fully compressed.
Marketed at commercial and educational settings as well as home use, the TD2230 boasts a 7H hardness-rated protective glass for extra scratch protection and durability. Super-thin screen bezels give the panel a modern, sleek look, plus there are integrated stereo speakers for added versatility.
The ViewSonic TD2230 boasts upmarket image quality thanks to its IPS LCD display that provides better color and contrast consistency, regardless of your viewing position, while the 1920 x 1080 screen res is high enough for crisp image clarity when spread across the 21.5-inch panel size. 250 cd/m2 max brightness and a 1000:1 contrast ratio are pretty typical, while HDMI, DisplayPort and analog VGA connectors ensure you"ll be able to hook this monitor to pretty much any computer running Windows 10, Android or Linux.
Want a larger than average touch screen monitor? This 27-inch offering is our pick, as it"s based around an IPS LED-backlit display. That translates more dependable color accuracy and contrast that won"t shift depending on whether you"re viewing the centre of the screen or the corners.
The Full HD resolution is spread a little thin across a 27-inch display, so images will look slightly pixelated, but this is an unavoidable compromise you have to make if you want a touch screen monitor larger than 24 inches. The PCT2785 does score well in terms of versatility though, as you get a built-in HD webcam and microphone, making it great for homeworking(opens in new tab) and video conferencing.
The T272HL boasts a slightly above-average 300cd/m2 brightness, along with 10-point capacitive multi-touch. There are also a pair of 2w internal speakers, and the stand allows a large 10-60 degrees of tilt to enhance touch ergonomics.
If you"re after a larger-than-average touch screen monitor, the T272HL is a reasonable choice, but there are compromises to be made. For starters, this is still a 1920 x 1080 Full HD monitor, so while it may be physically larger than a 23/24-inch Full HD display, images will simply look larger, not more detailed.
If you can get past the uninspiring black plastic design of the Philips 242B9T, this touch screen monitor has a lot to offer. It should be easy to connect to pretty much any computer, thanks to its full array of HDMI, DVI, VGA and DisplayPort connectivity and included cables for all but DVI. It"s even got its own built-in 2W stereo speakers, while the clever Z-hinge stand allows a huge -5 to 90 degrees of tilt adjustment, making it extra-ergonomic when using the 10-point capacitive multi-touch display.
At 21.5 inches, the Asus VT229H is one of the smaller touch screen monitors on this list, but it still sports the same Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution as larger 24 and even 27-inch touch screen displays, meaning you get more pixels per inch and slightly crisper image quality. This is also an IPS LCD, with wide 178 x 178-degree viewing angles and reliably consistent color and contrast, regardless of your viewing angle.
Most touch screen monitors are just that: a monitor, with a touch interface. But this 21.5-inch display also adds a pair of 2W stereo speakers for sound output, along with dual-array microphones and a built-in webcam for video conferencing. The IPS LCD display panel ensures decent color and contrast uniformity, while the Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution is easily enough to for crisp image quality on a screen this size.
The square black exterior is typical of Lenovo"s business-orientated products and may not be to everyone"s taste. Plus you"ll need to connect via DisplayPort only, as there"s no HDMI input. But otherwise this touch screen monitor offers a lot for a very reasonable price.
The obvious drawback with a touch screen monitor is the aforementioned size restrictions because if you want one larger than 27 inches, you"re out of luck. The next step up in size for touch screen monitors are 50+ inch displays designed for corporate presentations rather than home computing.
Even most 27-inch touch screen monitors have the same Full HD 1920 x 1020 resolution as their smaller 21-24-inch stablemates. So you"re not actually getting more pixels, only bigger ones. This can make your images just look more blocky unless you sit further away from the screen.
It"s not just outright screen resolution where touch screen monitors can fall short of their non-touch alternatives. Top-end screens designed for image and video editing are often factory color calibrated: they use LCD displays that can display a huge range of colors, or feature fast refresh rates for smoother video playback and gaming. However, touch screen monitors aren"t intended for color-critical image or video work: they tend to be all-purpose displays designed for more general applications like web browsing and basic image viewing.
Connectivity also tends to be compromised on touch screen monitors. You can forget about USB-C hubs(opens in new tab) with Power Delivery, and even DisplayPort connections can be a rarity.
These are the two primary forms of touch input. Resistive touch requires you to physically press the screen (which itself is slightly spongy) for it to register an input. It"s a cheaper form of touch input, and a resistive touch screen is also tougher than a capacitive equivalent, so they"re popular for use in ATMs and retail checkouts.
However, resistive technology doesn"t support multi-touch and won"t give the same fluid sensitivity as the touch screens we"re now accustomed to on phones and tablets. Consequently, most modern touch screen monitors use capacitive touch screens supporting 10-point multi-touch. These operate exactly like a phone or tablet"s touch screen, requiring only a light tap, swipe, or pinch to register inputs. All the monitors on this list use 10-point capacitive touch screens.
Put simply, even the best iMacs(opens in new tab) and MacBooks(opens in new tab) don"t support touch screen monitors. Consequently, all the touch screen monitors on this list will only work with Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and some Linux and Android operating systems.
Not all LCD monitors are created equal. LCD displays use three types of construction - IPS (In-Plane Switching), VA (Vertical Alignment), and TN (Twisted Nematic). Each one of these three LCD types exhibits noticeably different image quality characteristics, clearly visible to the average user.
For image and video editing, TN-based monitors should really be avoided. These are the cheapest to manufacture and deliver compromised image quality thanks to their restrictive viewing angles. This results in highly uneven color and contrast across the screen, effectively hiding shadow and highlight detail in your images. IPS-based monitorsare the gold standard for image quality. These produce color and contrast that doesn"t shift depending on which part of the screen you look at, making image editing much more precise. Most of the touch screen monitors on this list are IPS-based, and the rest are VA-based monitors. These can"t quite match the image quality of an IPS monitor but are much more color-accurate than a TN screen.Round up of today"s best deals
People have become increasingly accustomed to touch screens powered by electricity. We regularly use touchscreen technology on our phones, PCs, ATMs, and grocery store checkout lines. Touch ordering and payment at the table have become commonplace. Unfortunately, few of us can explain how a touchscreen monitor works.
Users can interact with a computer by touching the screen with their fingers or a stylus. You can navigate a graphical user interface (GUI) without using a mouse or keyboard. The touch screen can detect a touch inside the display area. A sensor, controller, and software driver are the three essential components.
Touch screen devices include computer and laptop displays, smartphones, tablets, cash registers, and information kiosks. Touchscreen monitors have become more common since their cost has progressively fallen over the last decade.
I need to replace my PC setup at home, so your article on buying a new family PC was really great for me. Currently the PC is only used by the children for accessing the web, running Minecraft, iTunes, playing The Sims etc. I would really like to try using a touchscreen monitor to get the best out of Windows 8. I am aware of the argument about gorilla arms, but after using an iPad, I find myself prodding all computer screens with an (unrealistic) expectation that something should happen.
You can add a touch-sensitive screen to any PC – or even an old laptop – by buying a touch-sensitive monitor. There must be a market for them, because most leading monitor suppliers offer them. This includes Acer, AOC, Asus, Dell, HP, Iiyama, LG, Samsung and ViewSonic. The less well-known HannsG also has competitive offerings.
However, touch sensitivity requires extra technology, which is an extra cost, especially for large screens. Touch-sensitive monitors are therefore more expensive than traditional designs, which must restrict the size of the market.
As you have found, there are lots of all-in-one PCs with touch screens, but they are basically laptop designs with separate keyboards. Slimline designs impose thermal constraints on the processor, which will typically operate at a TDP between 15W and 35W, or less. The processor will be throttled when it gets too hot, and the PC may shut down. By contrast, spacious desktop towers can use processors that run at 45W to 90W or more, so you get more performance for less money.
Towers provide space for adding more memory, ports, faster graphics cards, extra hard drives, optical drives (DVD or Blu-ray) and so on. They are also much easier to repair, so they should last longer. The main drawback is that they take up more space than laptops or all-in-one designs. This may be critical if you want to mount the screen on a wall, which is common with touch-screen PCs used for public information access.
You must consider the flexibility of the design. While the “gorilla arm” argument is simplistic to the point of stupidity – teachers have been using blackboards for centuries – there are important considerations to do with screen distance and angle.
The better all-in-ones provide flexibility to handle different programs and different uses. Often the screen leans back, and in some cases, can be used in a horizontal position. This makes it practical to play electronic versions of family board games, navigate around maps, play a virtual piano, and so on.
Desktop monitors are usually designed to be used with the screen in a vertical position, and relatively high up. This puts the screen a long way from your hands, so you are less likely to use it for touch operations. This contrasts with using a laptop, where the screen may be as handy as the keyboard.
If you decide to go for a touch-screen monitor, choose one that is easy to tilt backwards and possible to use in a horizontal position. Obviously, you should be able to return it to an upright position for word processing and so on.
Alternatively, you can buy any touch screen you like, if you mount it on a monitor arm that enables the screen to be moved around. This may actually be a better option, but it will probably cost more.
Touch-screen monitors are a bit more complicated than traditional designs, because they are active rather than passive devices. Traditional screens just have to show a picture, whereas touch-screen monitors have to feed information back to the PC. They often do this via a separate USB cable that runs next to the VGA/DVI/HDMI/etc video cable.
Monitors also vary according to the number of touch-sensitive points. This can range from five to 40, but 10 is usual for Windows 8. Further, different monitors may use optical, resistive or capacitative touch technology. Capacitative touch provides the same experience as using a tablet, which is what you want.
Some monitors support a new standard: MHL (Mobile High-definition Link). This enables you to connect a compatible smartphone or tablet to the monitor to show videos with high-resolution sound (up to 7.1 channels, including TrueHD and DTS-HD). The mobile device gets charged while it’s attached.
Other considerations are the usual ones: screen size and resolution, brightness, type of technology (LED, IPS etc), number of ports, whether it includes loudspeakers, and so on. Since you’re a developer, you’ll probably want to knock out a quick spreadsheet to compare all the options.
Note that touch-screen monitors designed for Windows 7 – probably with two touch-points – are less than ideal for Windows 8, where the bezel has to be flush with the display for edge-swipes. However, I don’t expect there are many Windows 7 touch monitors still on the market.
I have very little experience of different touch-screen monitors, and haven’t tested any, so you will need to do your own research. I can point to some of the products that are available, but unfortunately it may be hard or impossible to see them before you buy one.
PC World, for example, only seems to offer three touch-screen monitors. These are all Acer models with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and screen sizes of 21.5in (£179.99), 23in (£249.99) and 27in (£379.99). These have MHL support, USB 3.0 and tilt stands that adjust from 80 to 30 degrees, so you could do worse. The 23in IPS-screen Acer T232HLA looks like the best option.
Other touch-screen monitors that might be worth a look include the 23.6in AOC Style i2472P (£262.98), the 21.5in Dell S2240T H6V56 (£207.38) and the 23in Dell S2340T (£339.95). There’s also a ViewSonic TD2340 for £199.99, apparently reduced from £439.99, and a 24in Samsung S24C770TS for £449.99.
If you have a modern Windows 8 laptop, then you can probably use Windows 8’s touch gestures on its built-in touchpad. In the same vein, you could just buy a touchpad for your desktop PC and use it with a cheaper non-touch screen. Logitech’s rechargeable Touchpad T650 is an expensive option at £114, though the wireless T650 looks a better buy at £39.99.
People have become increasingly accustomed to touch screens powered by electricity. We regularly use touchscreen technology on our phones, PCs, ATMs, and grocery store checkout lines. Touch ordering and payment at the table have become commonplace. Unfortunately, few of us can explain how a touchscreen monitor works.
Users can interact with a computer by touching the screen with their fingers or a stylus. You can navigate a graphical user interface (GUI) without using a mouse or keyboard. The touch screen can detect a touch inside the display area. A sensor, controller, and software driver are the three essential components.
Touch screen devices include computer and laptop displays, smartphones, tablets, cash registers, and information kiosks. Touchscreen monitors have become more common since their cost has progressively fallen over the last decade.
Imagine never having to constantly replace your office’s touchscreen monitors due to the humid conditions. With an industrial monitor, you could have a touchscreen in your office that lasts for years.
In a factory or warehouse, there is a lot of moving around of heavy equipment. An industrial touchscreen can withstand being bumped or jostled by a forklift or other machinery.
Dust and other particulates are also common in these environments. An industrial touchscreen monitors is designed to keep these particulates out, so they don’t interfere with the inner workings of the monitor.
In a medical laboratory, it is important to have a touchscreen that can be easily cleaned. An industrial monitor is designed with a smooth, non-porous surface that can be easily wiped down.
Medical laboratories also need to be able to sterilize their equipment. An industrial touchscreen can withstand being exposed to high temperatures, so it can be properly sterilized.
In the civil engineering field, there are often outdoor projects. An industrial touchscreen can withstand being exposed to the elements, so it can be used in these outdoor projects.
There is also a lot of dirt and debris in the civil engineering field. An all in one industrial touch screen is designed to keep these particulates out, so they don’t interfere with the inner workings of the monitor.
Science fiction has always served as a window into a potential future, namely in the way of technology. But what was once regulated to episodes of Star Trek is quickly becoming the stuff of reality. Many fixtures of these kinds of shows and books have begun to inspire real-life counterparts, including - but not limited to - touchscreen technology.
One only has to look at how far cell phones have come since their inception. Physical keyboards, like those from BlackBerry, gave people about as much of a solution as is possible for those who found themselves doing more on the devices as they became more advanced. Where tactile options came up short, touchscreens graciously stepped up to bat, providing a much fuller experience. This kind of functionality then spread to tablets, which are considered by many to be rivals of laptops and even standard PCs.
While there are still some things that are best done on a desktop computer, that does not change the fact that many users find themselves longing for the same abilities on their PCs afforded by many of their mobile devices. This is what helped breed the touchscreen monitor market, which has many viable options for people seeking the best of both worlds. With stronger computing power and a finer ability to control actions occurring in the screen, users can get more work done in new and exciting ways.
Traditionally, computer mice are what have allowed us to "touch" in a virtual context, but touchscreen monitors are changing all that. It might be said that the reason that mice were used
I need to replace my PC setup at home, so your article on buying a new family PC was really great for me. Currently the PC is only used by the children for accessing the web, running Minecraft, iTunes, playing The Sims etc. I would really like to try using a touchscreen monitor to get the best out of Windows 8. I am aware of the argument about gorilla arms, but after using an iPad, I find myself prodding all computer screens with an (unrealistic) expectation that something should happen.
You can add a touch-sensitive screen to any PC – or even an old laptop – by buying a touch-sensitive monitor. There must be a market for them, because most leading monitor suppliers offer them. This includes Acer, AOC, Asus, Dell, HP, Iiyama, LG, Samsung and ViewSonic. The less well-known HannsG also has competitive offerings.
However, touch sensitivity requires extra technology, which is an extra cost, especially for large screens. Touch-sensitive monitors are therefore more expensive than traditional designs, which must restrict the size of the market.
As you have found, there are lots of all-in-one PCs with touch screens, but they are basically laptop designs with separate keyboards. Slimline designs impose thermal constraints on the processor, which will typically operate at a TDP between 15W and 35W, or less. The processor will be throttled when it gets too hot, and the PC may shut down. By contrast, spacious desktop towers can use processors that run at 45W to 90W or more, so you get more performance for less money.
Towers provide space for adding more memory, ports, faster graphics cards, extra hard drives, optical drives (DVD or Blu-ray) and so on. They are also much easier to repair, so they should last longer. The main drawback is that they take up more space than laptops or all-in-one designs. This may be critical if you want to mount the screen on a wall, which is common with touch-screen PCs used for public information access.
You must consider the flexibility of the design. While the “gorilla arm” argument is simplistic to the point of stupidity – teachers have been using blackboards for centuries – there are important considerations to do with screen distance and angle.
The better all-in-ones provide flexibility to handle different programs and different uses. Often the screen leans back, and in some cases, can be used in a horizontal position. This makes it practical to play electronic versions of family board games, navigate around maps, play a virtual piano, and so on.
Desktop monitors are usually designed to be used with the screen in a vertical position, and relatively high up. This puts the screen a long way from your hands, so you are less likely to use it for touch operations. This contrasts with using a laptop, where the screen may be as handy as the keyboard.
If you decide to go for a touch-screen monitor, choose one that is easy to tilt backwards and possible to use in a horizontal position. Obviously, you should be able to return it to an upright position for word processing and so on.
Alternatively, you can buy any touch screen you like, if you mount it on a monitor arm that enables the screen to be moved around. This may actually be a better option, but it will probably cost more.
Touch-screen monitors are a bit more complicated than traditional designs, because they are active rather than passive devices. Traditional screens just have to show a picture, whereas touch-screen monitors have to feed information back to the PC. They often do this via a separate USB cable that runs next to the VGA/DVI/HDMI/etc video cable.
Monitors also vary according to the number of touch-sensitive points. This can range from five to 40, but 10 is usual for Windows 8. Further, different monitors may use optical, resistive or capacitative touch technology. Capacitative touch provides the same experience as using a tablet, which is what you want.
Some monitors support a new standard: MHL (Mobile High-definition Link). This enables you to connect a compatible smartphone or tablet to the monitor to show videos with high-resolution sound (up to 7.1 channels, including TrueHD and DTS-HD). The mobile device gets charged while it’s attached.
Other considerations are the usual ones: screen size and resolution, brightness, type of technology (LED, IPS etc), number of ports, whether it includes loudspeakers, and so on. Since you’re a developer, you’ll probably want to knock out a quick spreadsheet to compare all the options.
Note that touch-screen monitors designed for Windows 7 – probably with two touch-points – are less than ideal for Windows 8, where the bezel has to be flush with the display for edge-swipes. However, I don’t expect there are many Windows 7 touch monitors still on the market.
I have very little experience of different touch-screen monitors, and haven’t tested any, so you will need to do your own research. I can point to some of the products that are available, but unfortunately it may be hard or impossible to see them before you buy one.
PC World, for example, only seems to offer three touch-screen monitors. These are all Acer models with Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and screen sizes of 21.5in (£179.99), 23in (£249.99) and 27in (£379.99). These have MHL support, USB 3.0 and tilt stands that adjust from 80 to 30 degrees, so you could do worse. The 23in IPS-screen Acer T232HLA looks like the best option.
Other touch-screen monitors that might be worth a look include the 23.6in AOC Style i2472P (£262.98), the 21.5in Dell S2240T H6V56 (£207.38) and the 23in Dell S2340T (£339.95). There’s also a ViewSonic TD2340 for £199.99, apparently reduced from £439.99, and a 24in Samsung S24C770TS for £449.99.
If you have a modern Windows 8 laptop, then you can probably use Windows 8’s touch gestures on its built-in touchpad. In the same vein, you could just buy a touchpad for your desktop PC and use it with a cheaper non-touch screen. Logitech’s rechargeable Touchpad T650 is an expensive option at £114, though the wireless T650 looks a better buy at £39.99.
Science fiction has always served as a window into a potential future, namely in the way of technology. But what was once regulated to episodes of Star Trek is quickly becoming the stuff of reality. Many fixtures of these kinds of shows and books have begun to inspire real-life counterparts, including - but not limited to - touchscreen technology.
One only has to look at how far cell phones have come since their inception. Physical keyboards, like those from BlackBerry, gave people about as much of a solution as is possible for those who found themselves doing more on the devices as they became more advanced. Where tactile options came up short, touchscreens graciously stepped up to bat, providing a much fuller experience. This kind of functionality then spread to tablets, which are considered by many to be rivals of laptops and even standard PCs.
While there are still some things that are best done on a desktop computer, that does not change the fact that many users find themselves longing for the same abilities on their PCs afforded by many of their mobile devices. This is what helped breed the touchscreen monitor market, which has many viable options for people seeking the best of both worlds. With stronger computing power and a finer ability to control actions occurring in the screen, users can get more work done in new and exciting ways.
Traditionally, computer mice are what have allowed us to "touch" in a virtual context, but touchscreen monitors are changing all that. It might be said that the reason that mice were used in the first place was because the technology had not evolved to a responsive enough level to enable that natural solution. Now that people have the touchscreen technology, they want it everywhere.
If one thing is for certain, it is that the burgeoning adoption of touchscreen technology is no fad. Proliferation has already come too far to turn back now, and computer manufacturers are taking notice. Everyone is trying to get a piece of the action, including ELO Touch Solutions, Laiputuo Electronics, Planar, HP, 3M, Touch Systems, ViewSonic, Dell and ACER as well. Getting into the touchscreen monitor game is a no-brainer for the companies involved in this generation of computing. With so many different applications made for touchscreen monitors, options exist for all sorts of interested parties.
Touchscreen monitors are becoming the new standard in both private and enterprise settings. Here are some of the ways they can be leveraged effectively for business: touchscreen monitors for workstations, touchscreen monitors for hospitals, and touchscreen monitors for POS systems.
Newegg offers a large selection of touchscreen monitors which vary according to the type from 5-wire Resistive touchscreen monitors, and Accu Touch touchscreen monitors, to Capacitive touchscreen monitors, and more. Newegg’s wide selections will definitely meet your needs.
A touch screen is a display device that allows users to interact with a computer using their finger or stylus. They"re a useful alternative to a mouse or keyboard for navigating a GUI (graphical user interface). Touch screens are used on various devices, such as computer and laptop displays, smartphones, tablets, cash registers, and information kiosks. Some touch screens use a grid of infrared beams to sense the presence of a finger instead of utilizing touch-sensitive input.
The idea of a touch screen was first described and published by E.A. Johnson in 1965. In the early 1970s, CERN engineers Frank Beck and Bent Stumpe developed the first touch screen. The physical product was first created and utilized in 1973. The first resistive touch screen was developed by George Samuel Hurst in 1975 but wasn"t produced and used until 1982.
Today, all PCs support the ability to have a touch screen, and most laptop computers allow users running Microsoft Windows 10 to use a touch screen. Also, many all-in-one computers are capable of using a touch screen. Computer manufacturers with touch screen products include Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and other PC manufacturers.
There are also some high-end Google Chromebooks with touch screens. However, to help keep the costs lower, many Chromebooks do not have touch screens.
To help keep costs lower, not all computers and laptops come with a touch screen. If a touch screen interests you, make sure that it"s mentioned in the product specifications. If it"s not listed, the computer likely does not have a touch screen.
If your laptop screen is not touch-capable, there is no way to change the screen to be a touch screen. The laptop must come with a touch screen when originally purchased to have that functionality. When purchasing a laptop, and you want touch screen functionality, check if it includes a touch screen before buying.
If your desktop computer monitor is not touch-capable, there is no way to change the monitor to be a touch screen. You need to purchase a new monitor that includes touch functionality. Before purchasing a new monitor, verify the operating system on your computer also supports a touch screen.
Tap - A single touch or tap on the screen with a finger opens an app or selects an object. Compared to a traditional computer, a tap is the same as clicking with a mouse.
Double-tap - A double-tap can have different functions depending on where it is utilized. For example, double-tapping the screen zooms the view centered at the tap location in a browser. Double-tapping in a text editor selects a word or section of words.
Touch and hold - Pressing and holding your finger to a touch screen selects or highlights an object. For example, you could touch and hold an icon and drag it somewhere else on the screen. See our long press page for further information on this term.
Drag - Pressing and holding your finger on a movable object, such as an icon, you can drag your finger to "pull" the object to a different location. The same action, used with text, lets you highlight text. Lift your finger when you are done moving or highlighting.
Swipe - Swiping your finger across the screen scrolls in a certain direction or change pages. For example, pressing your finger at the bottom of the screen and quickly moving it up (swiping) scrolls the screen down. See our swipe page for further information and related links.
Pinch - Placing two fingers on the screen in different spots and then pinching them together zooms in. Pinching your fingers together and then moving them away from each other zooms out on the screen. See our pinch-to-zoom page for further information on this term.
Any computer device (including a touch screen) that takes input from the person operating the device is considered an input device. The way you use your finger on a touch screen is very similar to how you use a computer mouse on a desktop computer.
Technically speaking, a touch screen is an input/output device. Not only is it capable of accepting input, but it also displays the output from the computer.
One of the most significant differences between a mouse and a touch screen is the ability to hover. Almost all touch screens can only detect input when your finger is in direct contact with the screen. However, a computer mouse uses a cursor that allows the user to view the information by moving the pointer over an object but not clicking it. For example, this link to Computer Hope shows the text "Visit the Computer Hope Page" when hovered over using a computer mouse. However, a user with a touch screen cannot see this text because it opens the link if they place their finger on the link.
Some web pages and apps may simulate the hover feature by making the first tap do the hover feature and the second tap open the link or app. Also, some Apple devices use Force Touch, which offers features similar to hovering.
Not all touch screens are the same. Different technologies are used to allow a user to interact with a screen. Some technologies may work with only your finger, while others may allow other tools, like a stylus. Below is a brief description of each of these technologies.
A capacitive touch screen is coated with a special material that stores an electrical charge monitored by circuits at each corner of the screen. When you touch a capacitive touch screen, a small amount of the electrical charge is drawn from the point of contact to indicate where you touched the screen.
To use a capacitive screen, you must use your bare finger or a specially designed capacitive stylus. Most users experience this type of screen technology when attempting to use a smartphone touch screen while wearing gloves and cannot do anything.
A resistive touch screen is coated with a metallic electrically conductive and resistive layer that detects the pressure of your finger or another object. This technology is often a more affordable solution than capacitive but can be damaged by sharp objects touching the screen.
A SAW (surface acoustic wave) or surface wave touch screen sends ultrasonic waves and detects when the screen is touched by registering changes in the waves. This technology is more advanced than the other two but does not work with hard materials and can be affected by outside elements.
Infrared touch screens utilize a matrix of infrared beams transmitted by LEDs with a phototransistor receiving end. The infrared beam is blocked when a finger or other object is near the display. That interruption gives the device input to where your finger or another object is positioned.
Touch screens utilize a virtual keyboard to input letters and numbers that allow the user to tap the virtual keys with their finger. Also, devices like smartphones and tablets have voice recognition that inputs information into the device.
In all forms of writing, touch screen and touchscreen are both valid spellings. If used as an adjective, the word may be hyphenated, e.g., "touch-screen devices."
Touchscreen desktops are a surprisingly controversial subject. While the high tech community, like Microsoft, adopted a ‘yes we should because we could’ reasoning, many users strongly disagree. This has somewhat contributed to the sweeping dissatisfaction with Windows 8. Transitioning to touchscreen desktops is going to be a difficult process.
It is an understatement to say it won’t be worth it. Touchscreen technology, as anyinnovationin input technologies, has the potential to change and expand the way we interact with technology. The conflict seems to be about whether touch has the potential to replace other input devices. Ironically, this is actually not the primary goal or purpose of touch technology.
There are a number of specific issues raised with touchscreen desktop computers. The inevitable flaw of using your display as an input device comes to mind immediately. Your hands block your view.
The main issue one sees when looking through tech blogs, however, is the dreaded “gorilla arm”. This particular issue is extremely common, and can be seen anywhere from the lowliest tech blog to the Scientific American.
Screens are vertical and usually located farther away, making it harder to use them. Clearly, humans will never overcome this obstacle, thus making touch technology pointless for laptops and computers. Steve Jobs himself said “Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical”. But that didn’t stop Steve Jobs from using touchscreens, and it won’t stop Microsoft, or HP, or anyone else from jumping on the bandwagon.
The fallacy is at the heart of the idea that gorilla arm is some sort of major obstacle to the introduction of touchscreen technology for desktops and laptops. This is of course, if your display has any reason to be vertical. This is what a modern touchscreen desktop looks like…
Obviously, a touchscreen computer will not be designed the same way as older models. Both the hardware and the software will be tailored to it. Manufacturers are already adapting the combined input and display device. This essentially means that you won’t be dealing with a raised screen that is parallel to your face. With Windows 8, Microsoft has adopted, perhaps a little prematurely, the stance that operating systems should assume all users will have a touchscreen interface.
So when is it time to get touchscreen computers for your business? This question really depends on the nature of your business. If you have a company full of employees primarily dealing with spreadsheets and databases, this probably won’t help you at all.
Any less data-centered, less keyboard heavy work, however, can benefit from touchscreen computers. Perhaps the most obvious of these is the retail industry, which has already largely adopted it as a standard.
If your company relies heavily on young employees, you will find that, after growing up with iPads and iPhones, they will expect, and work better with, this type of technology. We’re not quite there yet, but when you find yourself teaching the masters of new technology to use your old tech, it’s time to upgrade. It will be a matter of a few years at most.
Most pressingly, however, is the simple fact that the industry is going to force you. Consumers want touchscreen technology, and unless you intend to start fiddling with Linux, operating systems will leave you behind.
Windows 9 is not going to be less touchscreen oriented than Windows 8. Running old programs on an old computer using an old operating system is no recipe for business success.
In your business you can install touchscreen desktops which are highly likely used by everyone in ways that a traditional workstation is not suited for. Touchscreens are far more intuitive to use, and do not necessarily require a mouse and a keyboard. This means that you could set up a few touchscreen desktops for your customers to browse merchandise without putting your entire selection physically on display.
Information can be made available to your customers on the spot. For example, the display will provide information such as which sizes or colors are in stock, and best of all, price comparisons with major competitors. This information can all be displayed to your customers at a tap on a screen.
Touch is efficient. Surely you can currently do everything that computers do with a mouse and a keyboard. However, from a negative standpoint you have ten fingers whereas there is only one mouse pointer. Back in the 80’s when the mouse was first introduced, many people wondered why they would want that. Operating systems at the time were built so you could do everything with a keyboard, so why invent a mouse? It sounds like an absurd line of reasoning looking back.
How many people run a DOSBox out of disdain for the mouse? Operating systems and computers integrating touch will have new capabilities and programs designed to do awesome things, opening up a new frontier in our technology. So don’t panic. Because integrating touch will not mean removing other inputs unless they naturally fall by the wayside as our technology moves beyond them.
Previously, traditional monitors were frequently in use in personal computers for various purposes, but now touch screen monitors are replacing these traditional monitors. Touch screen monitors are way more complicated than the traditional monitors. They have very design and functions. Touch screen monitors are active devices whereas traditional monitors are passive devices.
The design of the touch screen monitors is in such a way that they display an information from the PC onto the whiteboard. Moreover, they have to send the information back to the PC, unlike the traditional screen that simply had to display the information. Touch screen monitors send information back to the PC via a USB cable. These innovative monitors have other different features from like resolution, screen size, type of technology they use (IPS, LED, etc.), brightness, number of ports, whether these monitors include speakers or not.
Touch screen monitors come with a variety of the features that are not present in traditional monitors. Due to these distinctive features, touch screens monitors are a better option as compared to traditional monitors. Below are some of the unique features of Touch screen monitors.
Touch screen monitors are designed in such a way that they encourage collaborations and boost productivity. They offer flexibility to the users for school, work, and entertainment.
Touch screen monitors come with a beautifully designed ergonomic stand, which is quite durable and provides support. It can rotate in all the directions. It allows you to move your display towards you effortlessly. It also allows you to type and touch with ease, while you can tilt it to 60°. This makes the touch screen monitors a good option for homes, clinics, classrooms and for other professional uses.
Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) is useful for mounting flat monitors, Televisions and other displays to mount them on walls or to help them stand. This gives more viewing flexibility to the touch screen monitors.
Digital visual Interface (DVI), VGA and HDMI ports allow direct connections to your PC, camera, phone, laptop, and many other electronic devices. This helps to improve the overall view of the display.
Enabling the touch system is quite easy. You need to simply connect the USB cord of the PC to the touch screen monitor’s USB port. For the projection of the images onscreen, you can make use of the connectivity of VGA, DVI, and HDMI.
Using your fingers, you can do multiple things, like you can pinch, slide, tap, stretch, turn with your fingers. The multiple touch feature is innate and simple when used for Windows 8. It recognizes about ten touch points simultaneously.
The edge-to-edge glass of the touch screen monitors is big enough to provide a clean and smooth interactive experience. The glass is designed in such a way that it improves color hues, sharpens images and enhances color contrast. Overall it enhances image quality.
Touch screen monitors provide enhanced screen clarity. It provides a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (max and provides a high contrast ratio. The viewing angle is wide, which provides effective collaboration. The viewing angle is 178°/178°.
The touch screen monitor has an auto mode feature. It offers optimization of the appearance of individual apps through initial configuration color settings. Every app has a preset mode.
Low Power Consumption: Touch screen monitor has a power consumption of 20 Watts. The touch screen monitors use 28.5 % less energy than traditional monitors. They are environmental friendly devices with features that have the ability to consume less power as compared to the other devices.
The Power Nap feature oftouch screen monitors dims the monitor’s light when it is not in use to save energy consumption. Dynamic dimming helps to lower the brightness of white screens; again, it helps to save power.
All faytech touch screen monitors are truly industrial grade, with optically bonded touch panels and with minimum operational temperature ranges of -20°C to 70°C.
All faytech touchscreen monitors come with standard display input ports, USB touch output port, and DC power cable. All faytech touchscreen monitor solutions feature LCD displays with LED backlight units.
Technical specifications and drawings are available to download for all of our standard touchscreen monitor modules. Our touch screen monitor lineup is divided into three major categories:
Our touchscreen monitor solutions are perfect for indoor commercial and industrial applications such as point of sale, retail advertising/signage, office, and industrial machine interfaces.
The touchscreen monitor solutions. These touchscreen monitors are excellent alternative options to PCAP for POS systems, control panel interfaces in industrial facilities, kiosk input interfaces, machine interfaces, and in numerous other commercial and industrial applications.
Faytech’s 2 brightness LCDs along with PCAP touch panels. This touchscreen monitor lineup is ideal for outdoor and semi-outdoor applications such as outdoor advertising and information systems, restaurant menus, and outdoor industrial control systems.
Faytech recognizes that many customers need more than just a touchscreen monitor. We also offer a full lineup of industrial touch screen monitors, rugged touch monitors, portable touchscreen monitor along with integrated industrial computers with installed choice of OS. Just add software. If you’re looking to build a touch screen monitor.
Even though we offer a very comprehensive portfolio of touch monitor products, sometime special requirements require special products. If you have a custom need – maybe a specific touchscreen display picked out, a custom form factor, or something larger than our standard line supports, we may still be able to help.
A touch screen monitor is more than just a fad to replace a desktop computer, multi touch displays are changing the way people expect to interact with devices.
Additionally, touch screen monitors are very versatile. They can be used for a variety of purposes, such as customer check-in, product ordering, and employee time tracking.
Another reason why touchscreen monitors are becoming more popular in commercial and industrial settings is that they are very durable. A touch screen monitor can withstand a lot of wear and tear, which is ideal for businesses that have high traffic areas.
Overall, touch screen monitors are becoming more popular in commercial and industrial settings because they are user-friendly, versatile, and durable.
There are many benefits to using touch screen monitors for both customers and employees. First, a touch screen monitor is very user-friendly and easy to use.
This makes touchscreen monitor products with prestine image quality ideal for use in businesses where customers need to be able to quickly and easily navigate through menus or options.
Second, a touchscreen monitors are very durable and can withstand a lot of wear and tear. This makes a touchscreen display ideal for use in retail, governmental or commercial settings where they will be used frequently or in high traffic areas.
Finally, touchscreen monitors offer a great deal of flexibility and can be used in a variety of ways. For example, a touch screen monitor can be used for point-of-sale systems, self-service kiosks, or even as digital signage with optimal image quality.
There are several reasons for this trend of touch screen devices growing in popularity. Touchscreen monitors are interactive and engaging, making them ideal for businesses that want to encourage customer interaction.
A touch screen monitor is also easy to use, which makes them ideal for businesses that want to streamline employee workflow. In addition, touch screen displays are durable and can withstand heavy use, making them ideal for businesses that have high traffic areas.
There are many reasons why commercial and industrial businesses are starting to use touch screen monitors. They’re easy to use, they’re efficient, they have high image quality, and they offer a great user experience.
Touch screen monitors are easy to use because they don’t require any special training or knowledge to operate. They’re also very efficient because they can be used to process transactions quickly and accurately. And finally, they offer a great user experience because they’re interactive and user-friendly.
Many types of organizations are starting to use touch screen monitors for customers and employees because they are versatile and easy to use. A touch screen monitor can help businesses save time and money.
Touch screen monitors are becoming increasingly popular in the business world because they offer a number of advantages over a traditional desktop monitor or 1080p monitor.
A touch monitor with a led backlit display is very versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes, such as customer service, order taking, and inventory management. A touch screen monitor is also very easy to use because of their HD res inputs and tilt angle high screen resolution with image quality that reduces eye strain.
There’s no doubt that touchscreen monitor developments have come a long way in recent years. We’ve seen touchscreen monitor technology become thinner, lighter and more responsive, and now a touch screen monitor is an integral part of many people’s lives.
In light of recent developments in Meta and virtual reality developments, it’s clear that the future of touchscreen monitor technology is looking very exciting.
With Meta, users will be able to interact with their computer and touch screen monitor in a whole new way, and virtual reality will allow them to immerse themselves in their work like never before.
So, what does this all mean for the future of touchscreen monitors? Well, it’s safe to say that we can expect to experience some very exciting touch screen monitor developments in the years to come.
While there are many adaptations in the works regarding NFTs and other Web 3.0 related tech, you’ll want to follow faytech North America to stay up to date with where we take touchscreen monitor devices.
Touchscreen monitor technology has evolved over the years, and the future of touchscreen monitor projects is likely to be even more advanced as image quality technology continues to improve.
Touchscreen monitor technology has been around for decades, but it has only recently become widely used in consumer electronics. Now it is fairly common to see a touch screen monitor with a stylus pen, HD webcam for video conferencing, and convenient software for multi tasking.
The first multi touch screen devices were developed for use in industrial and military applications. These early touchscreens were bulky and expensive, and they were not well suited for use in consumer products.
Touchscreen monitor technology has come a long way in recent years, and the future looks even brighter. With the development of Meta and virtual reality, the potential for touchscreen monitors is even greater.
With these new touch screen monitor technologies, users will be able to interact with a touch screen monitor in ways that were not possible before. This will open up new possibilities for how we use touchscreen monitors in the future.
With the recent developments in meta and virtual reality, it’s difficult to say for sure. However, it’s safe to say that touchscreen technology will only become more advanced and widespread in the years to come.
faytech offers 2 major touch screen monitor technologies in its standard touch monitor catalogue – Projected capacitive (PCAP) touch and Resistive touch.
(PCAP) touch technology was invented in the 1980’s. Devices featuring projected capacitive touch screen monitor first started to appear in the late 1990’s, but none truly gained real popularity during that time. The first device to truly popularize PCAP technology was the iPhone in 2007. The proliferation of the smart phone over the next 5 years made PCAP the consumer touch technology.
Today, PCAP makes up over 97% of all display touch panels worldwide. This scale of adoption has pushed the cost of PCAP technology to be very close to that of 4-wire resistive touch, and much cheaper than other forms of resistive touch.
Nearly all consumer-facing touch screen devices and touch screen monitor devices (phones, laptops, tablets, casino games, automobiles, retail kiosks) have adopted the technology exclusively.
Non-consumer industrial touch screen applications also tend to prefer PCAP due to the strength afforded by its front glass surface and superior optical clarity.
PCAP touch screens are essentially a grid of transparent capacitors typically spaced 5-12mm apart throughout the touch surface. The technology works by detecting changes in the electric field at each capacitor ‘node’ when a conductive object touches the front surface of the device. The touch controller accepts reports of the capacitance at each node every few milliseconds – if any node has a capacitance past a programmed threshold, a touch is registered.
The conductive films do not need force or motion to function, so the front surface can be a strong glass (anywhere from 0.4mm to 6mm thick), or even plastic material. For this reason, PCAP touch devices are the most rugged of all current touch technologies, and do not have the ‘overuse failure’ mechanism of 4-wire resistive touch.
They are extremely popular, in part, due to the multi-touch and gesture controls (drag, flick, pinch) afforded by the technology that open up great interactivity options for end-use applications.
Since there are no moving parts in a PCAP touch, the layers are always optically bonded, which gives PCAP a better overall look than resistive, with significantly better contrast and higher brightness.
However, PCAP touch screens only function when touched by a conductive material, such as a finger or capacitive stylus. Some PCAP touch devices can have issues with liquid spills registering as touches, or heavy gloved fingers failing to trigger a touch (though current-gen industrial devices have mostly solved these problems). faytech industrial PCAP devices have been designed for, and tested with, heavy rain and thick glove environments.
Consumer electronics: Nearly all cell phones, tablets, and laptops use PCAP touch technology. Consumers are used to precise multi-touch gesture controls and not needing to put pressure on the screen to register a touch. Additionally, they are also used to the smooth surface and clean look provided by a front glass.
Gaming: Players at casinos using a touch screen prefer PCAP, since it is what they are generally used to on every other device they own. The front screen is protected by a thick front glass. Units can be protected from spills, and drink glasses on the touch surface won’t inadvertently activate the touch.
Advertising: Public-facing touch screens should be easily accessible by the public. People are used to having PCAP touch screens in their pockets at all times, and using PCAP here provides a consistency of experience. Thick glass surfaces can additionally protect the underlying display from damage.
Outdoor: Since resistive touch always needs to include an air gap, it is not generally good, optically speaking, for usage in high ambient light environments. Optically bonded PCAP units preserve display contrast in outdoor situations, allowing units with lower brightness (and lower power consumption) to still be visible.
Resistive touch technology was invented in 1970. The technology was popularized through the 1980’s and 90’s in applications such as credit card readers with signature pens, touch interfaces for office printers, and PDAs. While resistive touch is no-longer the most common (now only around 2% of total touch panel market), there are still applications where it is the best option.
Resistive touch screens function by having 2 ITO layers separated by air and spacers. When a force causes the 2 ITO layers to touch, a circuit is completed and the location of the touch is reported. Due to the nature of the technology, just about any object can be used to touch the screen (gloved hands, long fingernails, credit cards, pens).
Resistive touch technology is also great in scenarios where spills or dirt is expected to end up on the touch surface – unless the weight is enough to push the film against the underlying glass, touch functionality will remain. Since it requires some small amount of force for a touch to register, it is less likely than other technologies for a user to inadvertently register a touch on the screen.
However, resistive touch screens are less optically clear than competing technologies due to the 2 layers being separated by air, which increases reflectivity. Lower cost 4-wire resistive touch screens are typically prone to failure after around 200,000 touches, though more rugged 5-wire versions are available which alleviate this issue (faytech offers both).
Typically, the top layer of a resistive touch panel is a thin PET film with ITO rear coating, which limits how rugged these units can be made (though some smaller units can be made with a thin glass front surface). Resistive touch screens do very well with single point touch, but tend to suffer in applications where multi-point and gesture touch controls are required.
POS Systems: Retail employees like being able to use non-conductive objects to tap on-screen buttons – pens, credit cards, long fingernails. These will work with resistive touch screens, but not with capacitive touch. Card readers frequently also come with resistive touch panels for accepting customer signatures.
Cockpit Avionics: Resistive touch panels do not rely on an electric field outside the touch panel surface to operate. Since electromagnetic noise in the cockpit of a certified aircraft must be tightly controlled, resistive touch is still a common technology. Additionally, resistive screens require some small amount of force to register a touch, making pilot errors less likely during turbulent flight.
Gloved Touch: Many applications where thick gloves are worn by operators are still including resistive touch. While capacitive technology has come a long way in allowing heavy glove touch, resistive touch still provides a surety that all gloved touches will register.
What many suppliers view as an upgrade, faytech views as a standard. We believe strongly in the benefits of direct bonding and believe it should be included in all touch products – and so it is in all of our products.
Optically bonded products sold by faytech improve the contrast of the image on the screen. This gives the image on the screen, as well as the display system itself, a crisp, professional look. It is greatly beneficial in outdoor and semi-outdoor environments.
Impact Resistance. Optically bonded displays can survive much greater impacts than unbounded displays. This is truly a must-have for any public-facing display unit.
faytech optically bonded displays have a layer of clear silicone gel between the touch panel and LCD front glass. This layer blocks dirt, dust, and moisture from getting behind the glass. This ensures that your faytech display will be visible in the harshest environments.
Touch screen monitors were initially used in point-of-sale (POS) terminals, kiosk systems, ATM’s and on PDA’s. The ever-expanding popularity of smartphones using Android and iOS operating systems, tablets, GPS systems and gaming consoles are increasing the demand for touch screen technologies.
Early touchscreen displays could only sense a single point of input at a time and only a few of them were capable of detecting the strength of the pressure. This was changed with Apple’s ongoing commercialization of the multi-touch technology with iPhone and iPod touch.
Multi-touch touch screen technology allows the user to interact with the screen with fingers, instead of a stylus. The movement of fingers creates gestures, which are then sent to the software. The initial popularity of the iPhone, has brought touch technology to many smart phones and hand-held devices which paved the way for all-in-one computer systems.
Faytech North America, as a touch screen manufacturer has realized that many companies have upgraded their products, either by adding multi-touch support to the track-pad or by making their tablet PC’s interactable without using a stylus. Both wall mounted and table mounted options have few ergonomic problems. “gorilla arm” was a side effect, that has limited wall-mounted option as a mainstream.
Developers of touch systems, failed to notice, that humans are not designed to hold their arms extended for long periods of time while making small and precise motions.
Table embedded displays do not share this problem, however, users can develop neck pain after using it for a period of time and the view might be obstructed by their arms.
Ever since their development in 1971, touchscreen monitors have been finding their way into more and more commercial applications. They come in any number of configurations, but in the end, they all function on the same principle and that is “see and touch”.
Fast food restaurants were one of the first businesses to implement these screens on a retail level but now more and more business are discovering the benefit of having them available at their point of sale locations.
The resistive touch screen type uses a normal glass panel, that is covered by a resistive and a condu