Touch Screen monitors come in many shapes and sizes. For the most part, a 15-inch screen will be plenty for retail and restaurant POS software. For other applications, such as informational kiosks, you may need a larger or smaller screen. The main concern when purchasing a touch screen monitor is what type of touch technology you will need: Resistive, Capacitive, or Infrared.
Resistive Touch Screens
One of the more common and affordable touch technologies, resistive touch screens use two thin screens separated by a thin gap to identify cursor position. When you tap the screen, the screens identify the position of the tap and adjust accordingly. Resistive touch screens are great for restaurants and factories because the technology can be activated using anything- finger, credit card, pen cap, stylus, as long as it creates the connection it will activate the screen.
Capacitive Touch Screens
Most consumer smartphones use a capacitive touch screen. This touch technology uses an overlay of capacitive wires on top of the screen. Your body conducts electricity, and so when you touch a portion of the screen, the touch screen can identify a change in capacitance and know where you touched the screen. Capacitive touch screens tend to be brighter than resistive monitors, but you are limited in the ways to interact with the device. They're often seen in gaming, customer service kiosks, and outdoor applications.
Suggested Capacitive Touch Screen Monitors:
- Elo 1529L - High Quality
- Elo 2201L - Large Widescreen
Infrared Touch Screens
Infrared touch technology uses a grid of infrared light beams. When your finger, or a pen, or anything else breaks the plane of beams, the software identifies the location by which beams were broken. This technology provides some of the brightest colors, as there is no overlay whatsoever. It can also be sealed, making it more durable than capacitive or resistive touch screens. These monitors are great in harsh environments, such as automotive, food processing, hospital operating rooms, and ATMs.
Suggested Infrared Touch Screen Monitors:
- Elo 1928L - 19" screen
There are other models available if you have specific needs, such as acoustic pulse touch screens or open-frame monitors. If you are having trouble finding the touch screen monitor right for your business, please call our sales team at 1-800-903-6571 and we will help you out.