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A Capacitive Touch Screen is a display device that allows the user to interact with a computer using their finger or stylus. They're a useful alternative to a mouse or keyboard for navigating a GUI (graphical user interface). Touch screens are used on a variety of devices, such as computer and laptop displays, smartphones, tablets, cash registers, and information kiosks. Some touch screens use a grid of infrared beams to sense the presence of a finger instead of utilizing touch-sensitive input.

What computers support a touch screen?

Today, all PCs support the ability to have a Surface Capacitive Touch Screen, and most laptop computers allow users running Microsoft Windows 10 to use a touch screen. Also, many all-in-one computers are capable of using a touch screen. Computer manufacturers with products that have touch screens include Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft, and other PC manufacturers.

There are also some high-end Google Chromebooks with touch screens. However, to help keep the costs lower, many Chromebooks do not have touch screens.

Any computer device (including a touch screen) that takes input from the person operating the device is considered an input device. The way you use your finger on a Resistive Touch Screen is very similar to how you use a computer mouse on a desktop computer.

How is a touch screen different than a mouse?

A computer mouse and touch screen have many similarities. Many of them are mentioned in the how do you use the touch screen section above.

One of the most significant differences between a mouse and a Raspberry Pi Touchscreen is the ability to hover. Almost all touch screens can only detect input when your finger is in direct contact with the screen. However, a computer mouse uses a cursor that allows the user to view the information by moving the pointer over an object, but not clicking it. For example, this link to Computer Hope shows the text "Visit the Computer Hope Page" when hovered over using a computer mouse. However, a user with a touch screen cannot see this text because if they place their finger on the link, it opens the link.

Why are touch screens used?

Below are the reasons a manufacturer may decide to use a Touch LCD Screen Assembly, instead of another input method, such as physical buttons.

Touch screens are intuitive, especially to younger generations of users.

Having one touch screen instead of several buttons can make a device smaller.

Cheaper to design and manufacture a device with one screen instead of on with a screen and buttons.

Touch screen technologies

Not all LCD Display touch screens are the same. Different technologies can be utilized to allow a user to interact with a screen. Some technologies may work with only your finger, and other technologies may allow other tools, like a stylus. Below is a brief description of each of these technologies.