Touch Screen Technology

Over the past thirty years, touch screen technology has taken a solid step into modern computers. As new advancements come out, it is used in more and more things, such as: music players, mobile phones, and store checkout computers. As easy to as they are to use, they have some good advantages, but also several disadvantages.

A touch screen is a display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The first official touch sensor was called the "Elograph" and was created in 1971, by Dr. Sam Hurst1. In the same year, with the help of some friends, he started a company named "Elographics" to refine, manufacture, and sell the new product. Throughout the next twenty years, the company expanded like crazy. Many new products were produced, and some were purchased by recognizable companies, such as Zenith2. In February of 1994, Elographics officially changed their name to Elo TouchSystems, and today they are still the leading global company in touch screen manufacturing and developing.

The public love touch screen technology for a few main reasons. Mostly, because it is so direct. Using your fingers or a pen is very hands on, and manipulating objects on the screen is very similar to manipulating them in the manual world. Also, touch screens are very fast and easy to use. They are less precise without a pen, but using a finger is still very popular. It provides you with more space (as it does not usually require a keyboard or mouse), and the functions are very novice oriented.

However, touch screens are not perfect, and come with plenty of disadvantages. As fun as they are to use, touch screens have never been super precise. Sometimes, a finger may be too large to accurately position on smaller objects, so a pen is better suited. Also, with the newer touch screens, on-screen keyboards are becoming very popular. Getting used to them is sometimes very difficult though, and they are never as fast as a real keyboard. One of the worst cons of touch screens is that they are very fragile. They usually do not last for more than a few years (if that) and they are usually very expensive. The screens can get dirty easily from finger prints and sweat, and if the screen is placed vertically, the arm muscles are strained easily under frequent use.

Nevertheless, touch screen technology is here to stay, despite any disadvantages. New advancements such as multiple touch screen interfaces and optical sensors imbedded into each individual pixel show promising futures. Later down the road, new touch screens will be more durable and hopefully less expensive.