It’s fun and convenient to use Touchscreen monitors instead of the traditional screens that you have to connect to various peripherals. Not only do you save space that would otherwise contain items such as a
mouse and a keyboard, you also save time and have a far more professional experience, especially when doing a presentation.
Touchscreen monitors have a lot of uses. Apart from home and office use, these screens are useful in hospitals, cars, boats, and institutions such as banks among others. Before you go shopping for this product, it’s important that you identify where you want to use it and what you want to use it for.
Planar is a brand that produces high-quality touchscreen monitors in a range of styles and designs to suit different applications. We didn’t have enough room to feature them on this review, but go ahead and check them out to see what we’re talking about.
In addition to this, it’s important to consider monitor quality and performance. You don’t want a screen that lags or responds slowly to commands. For instance, in an institution like a bank or a hospital, you need a screen that responds quickly to commands to avoid long waits during ticketing. When playing video games or watching movies, you need one that doesn’t stretch images and has built-in computer speakers for that wholesome experience.
How about clarity? This is a vital factor to consider. There are two primary types of monitors, touch or otherwise: Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). While both give you clear pictures, LED is a notch above LCD if you have a keen eye. Otherwise, you might need to consider the number of pixels in either of these monitors. The more pixels there are, the better the resolution and clarity will be.
One brand that manufacturers monitors with fantastic resolution is
ViewSonic. Sadly, because we can only feature 5 brands per review, but they have a range of touchscreen monitors from 22 to 27-inches if you want to check out some other options.
Now let’s see some other aspects you should look at.
Price
Considering the available Touchscreen monitors in the market, it’s important that you compare your budget to the specifications you want. Otherwise, you might buy a product you’re not satisfied with. You should note that quality doesn’t always translate to expensive since some companies sell the brand name. However, you’re bound to find screens with more features being a bit costly. The point here is to be keen and compare the prices in relation to the specs to find a good bargain.
Touchscreen monitors range from as low as $200 up to $1000. This just tells you the range of screens available, so you need to take it slow to find the best one within your budget. In addition to brand name, the various factors that determine the price are type, resolution, size, and response rate, among others.
LED and LCD are the two main types you’ll find. LEDs cost just a bit more if all other factors are kept constant, but you might find some LCDs being more expensive if you factor in aspects such as size and resolution in pixels. You should expect to pay more for screens with a higher number of pixels irrespective of the type. Of course, the market also offers cheap touchscreen monitors, but these devices usually have a slow response rate or they are not available in higher resolutions. If you want to make a great impression at your next presentation, it is wise to spend a little extra and go for a more advanced and features-rich monitor.
Features
As always, the features of any product determine its functionality, and by extension its quality. It’s always important that you check what a product has to offer before you buy; Touchscreen monitors are no exception.
Let’s now look at some of the features you might want to check when shopping for one:
- Resolution - Touchscreen monitors come in a range of resolutions in terms of number of pixels. The more pixels there are, the clearer the images.
- Response Time - The lower the response time, the better the images and the experience. It prevents ghosting and lagging of fast moving pictures.
- Sensitivity - A monitor that responds to very light touches is the best. You don’t want one that requires you to press the screen hard for it to respond.
- Type - There are LED and LCD monitors. You can go with either since the difference is minor. However, LCD consumes more energy.
- Connectivity - It’s important to check connectivity ports such as USB, VGA, and audio ports among others since you’ll need to connect your monitor to a peripheral device at some point.
- Size - From 15 to 27 inches, you have a range to choose from depending on the usage.
Construction and Design
Good Touchscreen monitors should also make your working area attractive, in addition to its controls being easily accessible. Since it’s a Touchscreen monitor, you won’t need to use a
mouse and the keyboard will have limited use. However, you still need to check the position of the connectivity ports such as USB, VGA, and audio ports if the need to connect arises.
The dimensions of your monitor are also important. Consider the thickness to avoid buying a device that appears bulky. Sleek and ergonomic designs are preferable, especially if it’s for office use or gaming. It also matters since you might want to fit the monitor in a compartment, such as with a car navigation screen or for video fitted behind the headrests. You should also check the size depending on what you want to use the monitor for.
An office or gaming monitor should have a stable stand. Check whether the mounting features are designed in a manner that keeps the monitor firm when on a desk. Some have Vesa mounts that enable you to mount the screen on the wall. If you prefer to have yours on a wall, consider if it has these components.
Performance and Ease of Use
We all prefer devices that are easy to use and perform optimally. A monitor with a good resolution, low response time, and high sensitivity enables you to navigate easily, especially when using an operating system such as Windows 8. Keep in mind that these features have to do with what you’re using the monitor for.
Since Touchscreen monitors don’t have any external controls, you need one that has good sensitivity; this means a monitor that’s highly sensitive to touch. This takes away the frustration and extra effort that’s needed to use low-sensitivity screens, making your experience easier and more enjoyable.
To save money or the hassle of looking for external speakers, you might consider going for a screen with built-in speakers. You’ll be surprised to find that some of these speakers are more powerful than most external computer speakers.
With a range of Touchscreen monitors available in the market, it’s vital that you have the right information before going to shop for one. The best Touchscreen monitor is one that you can use easily, suits your needs, and is within your budget. Just make sure you get as much useful information as possible to avoid wasting your cash on a useless product. With that in mind, let’s get on with our product reviews—we’re sure you’ll find one you love!
Having a physical mouse and keyboard seems outdated these days. Touchscreen monitors have quickly become the more intuitive option for consumers. With these available, you’ll not only enjoy crisp and clear images, but also style, for the ultimate touch experience. We’re happy to have helped you embrace technology by introducing you to a good Touchscreen monitor.
