How to choose a touchscreen monitor for your purposes?

Today, there are so many laptops equipped with touchscreens. Also, touchscreens are included in most every new phone and tablet. That’s why a traditional non-touchscreen desktop monitor might seem to be not user-friendly. Fortunately, there are now many touchscreen monitors on the market that allow you to use the screen like a regular tablet or smartphone. All touch screen monitors in this top have a diagonal of 21 inches or 23-24 inches. Yet, a large size is not for everyone. For this reason, you can like a 15 inch touch screen monitor which is very handy.

The touchscreen monitor types

The choice of the sensor monitor depends on the task for which it will be used. For example, models with a large screen (19 inches or more) are convenient for entering and viewing information. They are most often embedded in the wall, advertising stands, or other construction. Small-format monitors (15 inches or less) are universal because they don’t need lots of space. The technology on which it is based plays a crucial role when choosing a sensor monitor since each of them involves certain restrictions in use. For instance, a monitor equipped with an interactive touch screen software does not only provide a user-friendly interface but also offers benefits like enhanced interactivity, personalized navigation, and the ability to facilitate collaborative learning experiences, ultimately enriching the overall user experience. As well, a provider of a monitor is the same necessary. So, it is better to rely on a well-known one, like Beetronics Inc. 

Several basic technologies are distinguished: 

1. Resistive technology is the most popular and affordable. The disadvantages are the low brightness of the screen and shorter service life compared to the rest. For these reasons, resistive screens are most suitable for catering and are most often used there. And for screens with public access, capacitive, SAW, and infrared technologies are better suited.
2. Capacitive touch panels boast high resolution, high-quality images, and short response time. They are used in payment terminals,  touch kiosks, gaming, and vending machines. The technology is based on the use of the capacity of the human body to redistribute the voltage of the screen and touch registration.
3. Screens based on surfactant technology have high brightness, good resolution, and are not expensive. But the technology has a significant drawback. It has a high sensitivity to various external factors (temperature, pressure, the chemical composition of the environment, etc). 
4. Infrared screens are not afraid of weather and temperature variations. However, they are extremely sensitive to UV (solar) radiation. Infrared screens are the most durable. Their life is not bound to the number of touches.
5. The projection capacitance is the newest and most advanced touchscreen technology. This glass has high sensitivity and supports multi-touch mode. It is designed for intensive operation in the toughest conditions, and works perfectly outdoors, at temperatures up to -20°. Such touchscreen monitors also are not afraid of moisture and dust. 

3 kinds of sensor technologies

Now, let’s talk about the 3 main types of sensory technologies:

1. CarrollTouch

The action of infrared technology is based on sensors, which are located in a special frame around the screen. They create what’s called an infrared grid with outgoing rays. When the object is applied to the screen, these rays are interrupted and thus the contact coordinate is calculated. The advantage of infrared technology is that the touch screen can be affected by almost any object, and the screens themselves are not very horny and therefore quite often used in the production of touch information kiosks.

2. ThruTouch

The touch screen, which is designed according to projection-capacitive technology, reacts to exposure to any non-metallic object. The main feature of this technology is that a screen is sensitive to touch even through protective glass up to 18 mm thick. Today, this technology is unique and the only one designed for use in outdoor terminals.

Being behind the protective glass, the screen is stable in conditions of precipitation (snow, rain), as well as resistant to dust and dirt. The installed top glass can be any degree of vandalism, including armored. The disadvantage of screens with projected-capacitive technology is their price. They are almost perfect, but so far enough to produce.

3. IntelliTouch, SecureTouch, and iTouch

Surface Acoustic Wave Technology (SURFACTANT) is a proprietary development of Elo Touch Solutions and is actively used by Sensor Systems in the production of sensor information kiosks (optimal combination of price and quality).

For how many touch screen monitors usually serve?

The life of sensor monitors is measured by the number of touches per point and depending on the technology can be from 100 thousand to 35-50 million. Therefore, when choosing a monitor, you should consider how often it will be used, and according to this select the type of monitor. In touch systems, the screen serves not only to display information but also to input it, being the object of constant physical pressure. Therefore, damaging the touch panel is easier than a normal monitor. 

The monitor built into the interactive kiosk is better equipped with additional impact-resistant glass. The desktop POS terminal requires stable support or a strong fastener so that it does not start with time to «spring» from constant presses. The choice of wall mount should be taken especially seriously to prevent unpleasant surprises when clients can’t use the panel because it is dangerously moving.

When choosing a touchpad, you should pay attention to the conditions under which the device will be used. When public access to the monitor makes sense, choose a capacitive screen. It is resistant to scratches, dust, and dirt. If such tests are not foreseen, feel free to buy models with resistive technology. The resistive monitor reacts to a finger touch with or without a glove, pen, pencil, or plastic card. However, the surface of such a panel is not very durable and is quite easily damaged and scratched. Capacitive monitors react only to the finger, but still, their surface is much stronger.

Conclusion

Touch displays can be offered both as ready-made devices that only need to be connected to a computer or as separate elements (monitor, screen, controller, software driver, cable) mounted by buyers themselves. Self-assembly of touch monitors is a fairly common practice. Professionals believe that literally, anyone can manufacture this kind of equipment. However, you should not blindly trust the so-called no-name. Large manufacturers, like Beetronics Inc., can provide the customer with more conventional forms of service and payment, as well as guarantee technical support and after-sales service.