A touchscreen is an input device used to receive user commands from finger or stylus input. It consists of a transparent layer that responds to the user’s touch by locating the positions of their fingers on the surface of the display. It is primarily used for controlling devices such as computers, smartphones, and other electronic devices.
Touchscreens offer users many advantages over traditional input methods, such as mouse and keyboards. Some of these benefits include convenience, speed, and accuracy when entering data, as well as providing an intuitive user interface. Additionally, they often require less hardware, which results in cost savings and improved space efficiency. Touchscreens also provide access to applications that cannot be accessed using other methods.
No, not all touchscreens are alike. Each type has its own characteristics based on its design and application: resistive touchscreens consist of two layers separated by an air gap; capacitive touchscreens use electrodes to create electrostatic fields that respond to contact with the user's skin; infrared touchscreens use infrared light-emitting diodes placed around edges of the screen; and optical imaging systems utilize cameras that detect movement on the surface. Each type has distinct advantages and disadvantages compared to others based on cost and application needs.
Most major computer operating systems now support touchscreen displays including Windows 10, Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave/Catalina, Chrome OS, Android OS (4+) and Ubuntu Linux 18+. Users can take advantage of this technology either through a laptop-touchscreen hybrid device or add-on monitors that come with built-in touchscreen capabilities. In addition, some producers have developed software solutions designed specifically for use with their dedicated tablet PCs or other computing devices that allow users to interact directly with their device without needing additional hardware components.
Yes, there are some drawbacks associated with using touchscreen displays including potential eye strain caused by long periods of focusing on small objects and difficulty in entering text due to lack of tactile feedback from a physical keyboard or mouse input device. Furthermore, if you have multiple windows open at once it can become difficult navigating between them quickly and efficiently with your fingers alone instead of relying upon keystroke commands like you would normally do with a standard mouse/keyboard setup. Additionally extreme cold temperatures could make it harder for your finger(s) to accurately register touches which could lead to frustration while attempting certain tasks in those environments.
online sellers like Lenovo have dedicated sections for purchasing both laptops and tablets capable of running various operating systems along with all necessary accessories like screens and stand accessories so you can start using your new setup right away! Additionally, many producer websites will contain detailed technical specifications and installation instructions you may need while considering different options available when shopping around for hardware upgrades and replacements. Plus, they may even offer helpful advice and troubleshooting tips if ever needed in case something wasn't working properly after purchase.
Touchscreens are well-suited to a wide range of tasks, from text input and data entry to drawing and gaming. They offer more precise control over the interface than mice and keyboards, making them ideal for tasks that require higher levels of accuracy or precision. They also allow users to access applications and services with just their fingertips, so they are great for situations where there is limited physical space or mobility. Additionally, touchscreens provide an intuitive user experience that makes them particularly well-suited for use in educational settings as well as other leisure activities such as photo editing or web browsing.
Touchscreens use various technologies to detect and respond to user input, depending on their design. Resistive touchscreens use two thin layers of electrically conductive material separated by an air gap, while capacitive touchscreens rely on electrodes to sense contact with the user's skin. Infrared touchscreens use infrared LED lights around edges of the screen, and optical imaging systems employ cameras that can detect movement on the surface. All these technologies enable users to interact with their devices in ways not possible using traditional input methods such as keyboard and mouse.
The main advantage of touchscreen displays is their intuitive user experience, which makes them easy to use even for those with little or no technical knowledge. They also allow users to access applications and services with just their fingertips, so they are great for situations where there is limited physical space or mobility. Additionally, touchscreens can be used in educational settings as well as other leisure activities such as photo editing or web browsing.
On the downside, touchscreen technology can be expensive in comparison to traditional input methods such as keyboard and mouse, and errors made with a touchscreen are often more difficult to rectify than with a keyboard. Additionally, using a touchscreen for prolonged periods can cause fatigue in the user’s fingers due to the repetitive motion required when touching the screen multiple times.
Touchscreen technology has a wide range of potential applications:
The future of touchscreen technology looks very promising:
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 any innovation in 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…
…problem solved!
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.
We are moving away from the awkward phase of the first experimental touch screen surfaces. The user friendliness of touch will not be ignored.
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.
A digital display can provide detailed information to your customers without going through the extra cost of employing a knowledgeable sales representative, and at the same time, avoiding dissatisfied customers who have had a bitter experience through the sales representatives themselves.
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 technology is not just for businesses though.
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.
Are you interested in the intersection between UX and UI Design? The online courses on UI Design Patterns for Successful Software and Design Thinking: The Beginner’s Guide can teach you skills you need. If you take a course, you will earn an industry-recognized course certificate to advance your career. On the other hand, if you want to brush up on the basics of UX and Usability, try the online course on User Experience (or another design topic). Good luck on your learning journey!
(Lead image: Depositphotos)