A touch screen or touch display is simply the combination of an input device and output display. Often the touch screen is an LCD or LED screen combined on the front of an integrated data processing system. While the system is generally a tablet, laptop, or smartphone it can be any other device that includes touch-screen capabilities.

A touch screen works because of a resistive or Capacitive interaction between the virtual touch input device and a layer of touch sensitive organic diodes (or simply capacitors). When the user touches the screen in one particular location the electrical charge flowing through the capacitors reacts by pushing the virtual image to the virtual layer located over the surface of the device. In this way a virtual image is created and the user controls that image through direct physical interaction with the fingers or even a stylus. While the traditional computer display uses a Pulsed Light Display (PLD), a touch screen implements a Direct Picture Transfer (DPT) process.

Touch screen technology has advanced to the point that it is possible to add additional hardware to the devices in order to supplement the operation. Many manufacturers have already done so, adding full keyboards to tablets and improving touch screens for laptops and notebook computers. Manufacturers are now also taking steps to protect their touch screen devices from damage. One type of protection used for touch screens is touch screen protectors. Some manufacturers provide film replacements for their touch screen protectors while others provide tempered glass touch screen protectors.

Touch screen protectors are a thin sheet of tempered glass placed over the display. They are generally clear and unobtrusive. However, some manufacturers like theonomic provide a textured black option. The film replacement option includes a silicone ring on the edge that presses into the display. This type of protector has a textured surface and is not as obtrusive as tempered glass.

Resistive touch screen technology uses capacitive media keys to detect touch. capacitive media Capacitive touch displays use resistive mechanisms to sense physical interaction with the display. As the name suggests, resistive touch screen technology uses pressure to register finger motion on the display. Capacitive media keys are mechanical switches that respond to finger pressure. Some of these mechanisms can be automated, and some are resistive touch screens. resistive touch screen technology uses mechanical keys and an optical scanner to detect finger contact on the screen. The system detects the angle and motion of the finger and compares it with the predetermined capacitance curve.

The result is a virtual keypad that responds to finger contact as well as to pressure. This allows the user to select multiple functions, launch applications and enter text with a simple tap of a finger. capacitive display technologies provide high levels of image clarity, high touch point response time and optimal ergonomic benefits. The best capacitive technologies have very low input lag time which means text can be moved quickly between finger in many different orientations. This feature is important when providing a wide variety of functions to a large number of users.

There are two main technologies that provide the best touch screen performance – resistive and capacitive. In touch screen laptops, resistive touch screen technology provides better image clarity because of the reduced response time. Capacitive touch screen technology offers smooth operation and faster response times, especially for random access functions such as editing and searching.

With this technology, there is no need for a physical keyboard or mouse to interact with the system. In other words, the user is provided with a virtual on-screen keyboard that interacts with the computer just as a physical keyboard would. However, there is no mechanical mouse, which makes interacting with the system much easier than with physical mice. The system has a resistive touch point which has a smooth motion sensor and is capable of detecting finger motion up to 10 feet away from the screen.

When using the bare finger to operate the laptop, the user is able to manipulate the various menus, icons, and panes of the desktop much more quickly than with physical keyboards and mice. However, the problem with capacitive touch screens is that they are much harder to clean than resistive touch screens. This is because the liquid crystal display screen that makes up the panel must be kept clean in order to prevent it from getting etched or damaged due to finger dirt or dust. Therefore, a dry finger can easily damage the sensitive electronic circuitry.