The Different Kinds of Touch Screen Monitors
A touch screen computer display is the combination of an input device and output device, where a user’s finger interacts with either an on-screen button, touch pad, stylus, or other user-triggered surface. The touch screen usually is layered above an existing computer display of an integrated information processing system. When the screen is a touch screen, it usually is an LCD or LED screen while the unit is a touchpad, laptop, touch screen tablet, or smartphone. Touch screen technology uses the physical interaction of your fingers and other touch-sensitive surfaces with the display to convey information to the display that is in turn sent to a corresponding machine, application, or application program.
There are two basic types of touch screen display technologies – resistive and capacitive. A resistive screen works through the physical pressure of your finger or other finger tips to register inputs (on screen actions) and then provide them an electrical signal that is then amplified and sent to the unit. Capacitive screens use a charge to permeate a finger’s skin which then transfers to the screen. In a capacitive screen, the liquid crystal displays or pixel is charged with a static charge from the environment and then the static charge is provided when the finger moves across the screen.
One of the key advantages of touch screens is that they are often referred to as “organic” since they make use of natural body sensations for user interaction. This means that the fingers feel comfortable and natural in all the different areas of the touch screen, and users find navigating and using touch devices like touch pads easy. It also means that touch screen screens can provide a better user experience than older computing devices because of their natural state. Also, the absence of a finger and the reliance on body sensations means that touch screens generally provide more responsive and accurate input than other forms of input.
There are two main types of touch screens. The resistive type makes use of the physical touch of the finger to detect finger motion and then send appropriate signals to the unit. This allows for smooth, continuous operation and offers consistent results whether the user is using a touch pad or a typical keyboard and mouse. Many people will have experienced how strong a finger impression can be and will recognise that a strong touch can make text easier to read or navigate on a screen. However, resistive touch screens can have their drawbacks because they are not able to detect all sorts of other movements, which makes the devices unsuitable for many touch screen related tasks.
Capacitive touchscreens rely on the electric signal from the device itself or from a neighbouring capacitive device to detect finger pressure and then deliver this electric signal to the screen. This allows for smooth operation and some of these devices allow the use of a stylus to help get additional functionality. Capacitive touchscreen monitors are far less expensive to manufacture than resistive ones and are the most widely used type of touchscreen. However, the lack of finger support means that a stylus is still necessary to operate this type of system.
An infrared touchscreen works with an invisible electrical field that is emitted by the device itself. The screen operates with the presence of this electrical field because this is what allows the screen to register finger movements. To operate a touchscreen, a finger must be placed very close to the flat surface of the unit and then the electrical field around the finger reacts by sending an electric signal to the screen. The screen is then able to detect the finger’s motion and display relevant information accordingly. Infrared touchscreens may have their disadvantages but they offer a lot of flexibility in terms of use and provide great value for money.