Is a touchscreen monitor worth it?

Is buying a Touch Screen Monitor Worth it?

A touchscreen monitor can be a great addition to your computer, but it’s not for everyone. Here’s what you need to know before you buy one or even think about buying one. We look at the different types of touchscreen monitors on the market if you can even add a touchscreen to every system, the pros… and of course, the cons of touchscreen monitors… and our final verdict on touchscreen monitors.

microsoft surface with a touchscreen monitor
a good example of a table/touchscreen monitor

Find out everything you need to know if you are looking to buy a new computer monitor to see if a touch screen is best for you.

Can you add a Touch Screen Monitor to Any Computer?

We will go over the first and most important aspects right away. If you can’t, there really isn’t a point in reading anymore, right…?

If you’re wondering whether you can add a touchscreen monitor to any computer, the answer is yes! However, there are a few things you need to think about before making your purchase, with the biggest thing being the ways to connect the screen to your system.

Most systems will have HDMI now, but if you are running an older system that still uses DVI or VGA connections, you will want to make sure that you can get an adapter that will allow you to take advantage of the benefits of a curved monitor.

Types of Touch Screen Monitor Technology

There are many types of touchscreen monitor technology available on the market. There are a couple of options when it comes to the types of touch screens: capacitive touch, Resistive touch, Projected capacitive touch, SAQ, IR, and finally, Optical imaging touch screens. This is the newest type of technology so keep reading to find out about each of the options here:

Resistive Touch Screen

Resistive touch screens are one of the market’s most popular touch screens. They are made up of a thin film coated with a resistive material. When pressure is applied to the screen, the film makes contact with the underlying layer and creates an electrical connection. This action is detected by the controller and translated into X-Y coordinates that are then used to control the cursor on the screen.

There are several advantages to using a resistive touch screen. They are very durable and can be used in various environments, including outdoor settings. They also have high light transmission, which can be used in brightly lit areas. Additionally, resistive touch screens are not affected by dust or water, making them ideal for use in industrial or medical settings.

There are some disadvantages to resistive touch screens as well. The main one is that they have to be touched directly. This can be a problem when using them in bad weather or when wearing gloves. They can also require a lot of pressure to activate the screen, so aren’t very good for people with poor grip strength.

Surface Capacitive Touch Screen

A surface capacitive touch screen is a device that allows a user to interact with a computer by touching the screen with their finger. This technology is used in a variety of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and kiosks.

These touch screens are made up of glass or clear plastic surfaces coated with a thin, conductive material layer. When the user touches the surface, the electrical field is disturbed, and the computer registers this change.

This type of touch screen has several advantages over other technologies. It is very durable, meaning it can withstand repeated use without damage. It also has high accuracy and resolution, making it ideal for applications that require precise input such as graphic design or gaming.

Some of the disadvantages of surface capacitive touch screens are that they don’t do very well in colder conditions and need to have your finger directly applied to them to register the input. While this probably isn’t going to be an issue if you are using it as your monitor, you don’t need to worry about it. And in all honesty, this is more of the touch screen that you will see in a line to order fast food from, it isn’t really used anymore for monitors.

Projected Capacitive Touch Screen

When it comes to touchscreen monitors, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The type of touchscreen technology you need depends on the application and environment.

Projected capacitive touch screens are made up of a grid of electrodes that are spaced close together. An electrostatic field is created when an electrical current is applied to the electrodes. When a finger or other object touches the screen, the electrostatic field is disturbed, allowing the touchscreen controller to track the touch point coordinates.

Projected capacitive touch screens are highly durable and resistant to scratches and abrasion. They can also be used in high-traffic areas without sacrificing performance.

Some disadvantages of projected capacitive touch screens are that they must be touched with a finger and can be expensive. Also, projected capacitive touch screens tend to have a surface area of around 9 inches (23 cm), which makes them suitable only for small devices like mobile phones. Again these aren’t going to be huge issues for your computer monitor as this type of screen isn’t generally offered for monitors.

SAW (Surface Acoustic Wave) Touch

A touch screen is a display device that allows the user to interact with the computer by touching the screen. There are two main types of touch screens: resistive and capacitive.

Resistive touch screens are made of two layers of glass or plastic, with a conductive coating on the top layer. When the user presses on the screen, the pressure activates a switch that sends a signal to the computer. Capacitive touch screens are made of a single layer of glass or plastic with a conductive coating on the top. When the user touches the screen, their body completes a circuit that sends a signal to the computer.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch screens are made of two transparent plates with piezoelectric material between them. When an electrical voltage is applied to the plates, it creates ultrasonic waves that travel across the surface of the plate.

IR (Infrared) Touch Screen

As more and more businesses opt for touchscreen monitors for their customers, it’s important to know the different types of touch screens available. One type is an IR touchscreen.

IR touch screens work by using infrared light-emitting diodes (LEDs) placed around the screen’s edge. When a user touches the screen, the LEDs are activated and create a grid of invisible infrared light beams. The touch disrupts the grid, and the touch coordinates are registered.

IR touch screens have several advantages over other types of touch screens. They’re not affected by dust or dirt so that they can be used in dirty or dusty environments. They’re also less expensive than other types of touch screens.

However, there are some disadvantages to IR touch screens as well. First, they are much less common than traditional resistive touch screens. The technology is still very new, so fewer models of IR touchscreen devices are available on the market.

Optical imaging touch screens

Optical imaging touch screens are the latest development in touch screen technology. These screens use an array of optical sensors to track the position of your finger or stylus, making them more accurate and responsive than traditional resistive or capacitive touch screens. Optical imaging touch screens are also much thinner and lighter than their predecessors, making them ideal for mobile devices. Still, they would most likely only be used by high-end graphic designers.. if ever.

Benefits of a touchscreen monitor

A touch screen monitor is a computer display screen that is also an input device. The monitors are usually attached to computers, but there are also stand-alone units. Touch screen monitors have many benefits that make them ideal for both personal and business use.

One of the biggest benefits of touchscreen monitors is allowing users to interact directly with what is on the screen. This can be very helpful when using programs that require a lot of clicking and scrolling, such as image editing software or web browsers. With a touch screen monitor, you can simply scroll through web pages or zoom in and out of images with the touch of a finger.

Another benefit of touch screen monitors is that they can be used in public places without fear of damage from people touching the screen. They are also very durable and can withstand repeated use without showing signs of wear.

Saves Space

Technically speaking, you COULD save some space if you changed your monitor to a touchscreen option. This is because you could get rid of your mouse and keyboard. But just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you should. You need a keyboard and mouse for a computer to work decently, and if not then you probably should just get a tablet

No Keyboard Problems

If you choose the touchscreen, you will have the choice of using it as your keyboard. While this might sound cool, the truth is that this will not be something you can use for everyday use. If you want to watch videos and point and click, we suggest you get a tablet and a normal screen. It just isn’t worth the annoyance of clicking every letter out, and really will drive you mad.

New Control Options

Touch screen monitors offer something that older monitors just didn’t, which is the ability to interact directly with what is on the screen instead of inputting the response with a mouse or keyboard. Here are some of the unique aspects you can take advantage of if you get a touchscreen for a monitor.

One option is called “haptic feedback.” This is where the monitor gives you a physical sensation when you touch it. This can be used to give you a sense of how hard you’re pressing or to provide other information about your interaction with the screen.

Another option is called “force sensing.” This allows the monitor to detect how much force you use when touching it. This can be used to give you feedback about your input, or to provide other information about your interaction with the screen.

Finally, there’s “gesture recognition.” This is where the monitor can recognize your gestures with your hands.

Here is a great video if you, even at this point, think that you need a good budget touchscreen monitor:

Easy to Use

Touch screen monitors are incredibly easy to use for the instances they are made for. In all honesty, a household monitor isn’t where it will shine. A touchscreen on your phone or tablet… awesome. To use every day to work on, not so much… but we will get to that in our conclusion.

Conclusion/ Final thoughts

While we do appreciate touchscreen monitors, the truth is that for an everyday computer user it just doesn’t offer much value. Firstly, these screens are almost always a lot more expensive than a similar spec for display without the touchscreen capabilities.

The second part is that it usually isn’t functional for most users. If you can’t use a mouse or keyboard you probably already have a tablet…. which is just a touchscreen monitor with more freedom and an internal CPU system. I couldn’t imagine typing out this article on the screen, so really what is the value that it would offer me?

Touchscreens do have their place in the world, like tablets, smartphones, and even in our favorite restaurants to order and skip the line. But for use at home or at work, we just don’t think the touchscreen monitor has any value, let alone more value than a comparable monitor that costs less.

So if you are looking to buy a new computer monitor, make sure you check out our guides to find the best monitor for you to use at home and everything else you should think about before you buy a new screen.

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