According to some industry analysts, touch screen technology is taking the computer world by storm, replacing the traditional WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus and Pointing Devices) that has been the mainstay of computers users everywhere. Proponents of new touch screen devices argue that touch screen PC technology allows users to forget about complicated interface manipulations and focus on the task at hand. We've seen this at work in banking kiosks and other machines, but it's sure to grow into other aspects of modern life.

For learning more about how touch screen displays can help or affect a business, managers, owners and operators can find great news on touch screen technology online from sites that cover touch screen gear and the ways it is re-shaping business. Readers might look for:

1. News on the latest or upcoming touch screen computer products for a certain industry.

2. Studies on how other businesses have used PC touchscreen gear to their advantage in competitive markets, or how customers have reacted to touch screen setups in a certain setting.

3. News on changes to touch screen setups, pricing or vendor competition.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get touch screen computer news from newsletters

A diverse group of organizations offer newsletters that touch on this innovative interface in ongoing features and informational articles to help business movers keep an eye on what's happening with interface technology.

I recommend: Computerworld offers information about touch screen computer technology and how it's growing as an interface. Sign up for email newsletters from this site or research articles online using touch screen key words. Or for an impressive source, get your touch screen news from Technology Review, published by M.I.T.

Look for touch screen computer blogs

Blogs are another way to get information about touch screen technology. Often, blog writers will give a more personalized view of how touchscreen computers and displays work within an industry or review the actions of a company offering touch screen products.

I recommend: The Tech Observer offers timely information on who's providing touch screen products to the masses and why. Get more at the New Scientist Technology Blog.

Find major PC touch screen manufacturer news sites

Technology sites from manufacturers of touch screen systems inform the public and business individuals about changes and innovations in touch screen panels and other technology.

I recommend: Top Tech News provides specific timely articles including press releases and content on touch screen systems for finding out about touch screen products and other technologies. HP's touchsmart community includes touch screen news including TouchSmart technology, a proprietary HP touch screen product for customers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you're looking into touch screen computer technology, it's important to have a very specific idea of how the public will use the interface. Without this, it's hard to plan for new additions to a business or space. Surveys, brainstorming sessions, and more can all help a lot in developing a goal so that you can move toward utilizing this technology the right way in a business.

Touch screen displays provide many applications for businesses. Public information displays like kiosks and trade show displays, restaurants and retail only hint at the possibilities. You'll see productivity gains through less time needed to enter data by employees and self-service for people using ATM machines or airline ticket terminals, among others. Some touch screen manufactures provide robust and rugged screens to withstand the rigors of an industrial environment.

Touch screen devices vary according to the underlying technology. Resistive touch screens come in a 4-wire model, good for touch screen laptop computers and PC monitors though not as efficient, or 5-wire models in stand-alone units or as an add-on for your current CRT and LCD screen. This popular technology gives flexibility in larger workplace applications. The capacitive touch screen has higher clarity for large applications like point-to-point sales. Surface acoustic wave displays give quick response.

Consider the type of technology needed for your applications before buying:

1. For popular touch screen displays with a wide range of applications, consider a resistive technology.

2. For clarity and larger applications, see the capacitive type for your touch screen PC.

3. For the most advanced technology, consider surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch screens.

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Get a resistive touch screen computer for individual or heavy use

A 4-wire CRT or LCD touch screen display provides affordability and is primarily good for home, office and individual use. This technology isn't as durable as the 5-wire. Buy a 5-wire display for durability in restaurants, retail and point of sale usage.

I recommend: See a wide selection of small size 4-wire displays at Densitron Displays. See a 15-inch 5-wire at SlimAgeDirect, which also offers other models from 8 to 19 inches.

Consider capacitive touch screens for durability and clarity

These offer high resolution for restaurants, kiosks, and point of sales, but can only be activated by a bare fingertip. They come in both CRT and LCD monitors.

I recommend: See the 15-inch at touch screen manufacturer Planar. For another PC touchscreen, see the 3M/MicroTouch designed for harsher environments and available from TouchScreen.

See the surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch screens, ranked as most advanced

SAW technology offers excellent image clarity in clean environments. A SAW touch screen PC works with either fingertip or stylus.

I recommend: Look at a Dell 15-inch SAW PC for self-service kiosks and point of sale. The HP L5006t offers affordability with their 15-inch SAW; find it at CompSource.

Install an add-on to convert your monitor to a touch screen computer

An add-on kit for your computer's monitor enables you to operate any PC by touch. Choose one that fits your current display area. Software drivers are included.

I recommend: Choose color and size for an add-on at TouchScreens.com. Go to EnableMart for more add-ons for your current monitor.

Choose an industrial touch screen computer monitor

For environments where flimsy won't do, go industrial.

I recommend: Stealth, the touch screen manufacturer of TuffTouch, offers heavy-duty monitors with optional mounting options. Look at the variety of industrial touch screen displays, as options, for the type that fits your business at VartechSystems.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Check the model's ability to use your preferred method of touch. Some react only to bare fingertips, others bare fingers and gloves and some allow the use of a stylus in addition to the fingertip.
• •  When ordering a PC touchscreen add-on kit, see how the manufacturer measures the screen. Never buy a kit smaller than the diagonal measurement of your monitor.

Recent years have brought vast improvements in touch screen displays. From four and five wire systems to rugged industrial touch screen technologies from specialized touch screen manufacturer firms, companies across many sectors are using touch screen technology to help customers make transactions, display information in museums, banks and other public spaces, and allow workers in chaotic environments to enter critical data.

But when a company is investing in touch screen PC displays, some basic steps will help ensure that the purchase has the maximum intended effect. Online firms reach out to business clients to help with the big picture around installing and operating this relatively new technology. A manager or owner of a business with a new prospective touch screen program can:

1. Find online firms doing touch screen computer consulting for input on how to integrate touch screen technology into an existing space and setup.

2. Support for touch screen panels and display systems, including troubleshooting and repair options.

3. More generalized retail design consulting for determining how and when to use touch screens.

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Look for touch screen PC consultants

Third party consulting firms can tell you about how others use PC touchscreen computers and systems: they can assist with implementing a touch screen program and make sure it's all its cracked up to be when the machines finally arrive in-house.

I recommend: Find touch screen consulting experts at Intota for help with your ideas for implementing touch screen at your site. Check out the Touch International page to see how the company offers business software solutions that are time-sensitive and tailored to a client's needs. Ask about how touch screen devices and systems can be factored into your setup.

Get support services for touch screen PC systems

Another critical connection is to firms that can help out when a touch screen setup goes off the rails. Outside firms deal in helping business clients make decisions when operating touch screen systems encounter problems.

I recommend: Elo Touchscreen/Tyco Electronics helps out with tech support and customer service for touch screen systems. For more information about touch screen gear and systems, turn to the Touch Screen Repair site at ESS, a company helping retailers and others with point of sale solutions like touch screens and other tricky setups.

Get more touch screen PC help from retail design firms

Is touch screen the right technology? How does it fit into the store space for best value? And what about using customer data? For all of this and more, look to firms that provide overall retail design advice and ask about your specific projects.

I recommend: SAP Design offers touch screen retail design resources online to maximize your in-house processes. Get more retail setup advice at the Hiser group where touch screen technology is used in casino operations and other applications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When looking at adding touch screen technology for your business, always consider the big questions and include them in your scheme. Issues like how to create the most usable interface and where to put kiosks or work stations will have a huge effect over time.

Touch screen displays are the cornerstones of productivity in many different industries. Computer animators, restaurateurs and graphic designers all use them to create projects and to manage their day-to-day operations. Although they are easy to use, touch screen displays are not always easy to understand, especially for workers outside of the computer industry. By learning a handful of key terms, you can understand the basics of how these screens work and prepare yourself to buy the best product for your business.

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Accuracy

The accuracy of a touch screen display is the term that refers to how finely it registers the position of the user's fingers. Displays with high accuracy are easier to use under fast-paced conditions, and they are better for extremely detailed work-such as drawing or painting-in a digital environment.

I recommend: 3M makes a variety of high-accuracy screens. For example, its MicroTouch ClearTek II Touch System can pinpoint a finger within one-percent of its actual position.

Non-volatile memory

Volatile memory loses its information when you turn off the system's power, but non-volatile memory does not. Common types of non-volatile memory are flash drives and computer hard disks.

I recommend: Read a good technical introduction to non-volatile memory at A.P. Lawrence.

Hardness

Some manufacturers rate the hardness of their touch screens using the Mohs mineral hardness scale. The scale rates a material's scratch resistance on a scale from 1-10, with a diamond rating a 10.

I recommend: Densitron Technologies makes touch screen displays with hardness up to seven Mohs. Its website also has a nice explanation of the Mohs scale and its applications to computer technologies.

Resolution

A touch screen's resolution measures how many pixels it can display at any given time. Screens with high resolutions generally have better image quality than those with low resolutions. They also tend to be physically bigger.

I recommend: For a quick, detailed review of the most common display resolutions, check out the guide from EAC Systems.

Analog resistive touch screen

Built from two sheets of resistive material separated by a thin layer of dots or air, analog resistive touch screens are typically very accurate and have high resolutions. When you press the two sheets together, voltage transmits between them and registers the finger's position.

I recommend: View an example at Monitouch HMI, which makes a 15-inch XGA screen with analog resistive touch.

Nanotouch technology

A touch screen display can be only so small before the user's fingers block the screen and make it extremely difficult, or impossible, to use. Nanotouch technology is an up-and-coming solution to this problem that allows users to make inputs using the backside of the screen, instead of the front, so they never block the view.

I recommend: PC World has an article on Nanotouch technology that outlines its basic design and potential applications.