Benefits of Touch Screen Technology

Touch-screen technology has found use in devices ranging from cell phones to supermarket checkouts. While implementing a touch screen may involve additional expenses above other methods of input, it can offer some significant advantages. Before you implement touch screens in your business, consider the value they could bring to employees and customers alike.

Ease of Use

1. One major advantage touch screens have over other input methods is ease of use. While the usual combination of keyboard and mouse is familiar to most users, the practice of reaching out and touching icons on a screen comes intuitively even to those without a computer background. A touch-screen interface can reduce training time for employees and empower customers to look up information or place orders themselves using self-service kiosks. Touch screens can also be a benefit to employees juggling multiple tasks, since an easy touch-screen interface requires less concentration to use than a mouse and keyboard.

Speed

1. Touch screens also increase the speed of tasks. When a user picks up a computer mouse or touches a trackball, there is always a moment of uncertainty as he has to locate the pointer, adjust his movements to match mouse acceleration and so on. Touch screens allow users to select icons directly, without worrying about translating horizontal mouse movement to a vertical screen. A study by Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories indicated as much as a 20 percent reduction in response time for users of touch-screen systems versus a more traditional input method.

Device Size

1. By combining the data entry method with the display, you reduce the overall size of the computer or device. This advantage is most obvious when it comes to portable devices, where smartphones and tablet PCs have long since eliminated attached, microscopic keyboards in favor of a fully touch-based interface. Even in the case of full-sized PCs, using a touch screen can allow you to set up systems in areas where space is at a premium and reduce the number of components exposed to the user.

Assistive Technology

1. Touch screens are also valuable in accommodating users with physical issues that might make a traditional mouse and keyboard setup difficult to use. Users with arthritis, for instance, may have difficulty manipulating a mouse or typing on a standard keyboard, making traditional computing tasks difficult. Directly accessing icons on a screen, however, may be much easier for a user with physical challenges, especially when paired with a stylus or other pointing device to enhance the interface.