What is a computer monitor?
Computer display device: a video device that displays data or images
generated by a computer or terminal
The computer monitor comprises of a display device along with the circuitry
required to form a display using the signals sent by an external source.
History of monitors
Until the early 1980's most monitors were terminals. They were boxy video
display terminals (VDT's) combined with an attached keyboard. A terminal
could be configured to work with just about any computer on the market.
(Not that there was a wide selection of personal computers for you to choose
from.)
Terminals were attached to computers by a serial interface. In those days,
the VDT was commonly referred to as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).
Before DOS, the dominant operating system (OS) for 8 bit computers was
CP/M (Control Program for Microprocessors). Early CP/M machines were
originally designed to use separate memory-mapped video display devices
and discrete keyboards that plugged into the machines � not unlike video
display cards used later. The most well known was the VDM-1. Terminal
manufacturers recognized this "lost market "and began to market mainframe
and mini-style terminals to the CP/M community. The sales pitch of "just like
a real (mainframe at the time) computer" paid off. CP/M computers soon
used terminals almost exclusively.
Apple II computers and the early game machines (such as those made by
Atari, Coleco or Nintendo) hooked to a monitor not a terminal. (The Apple II
was built with a keyboard as part of the system. All that was missing was a
monitor once the Apple II was plugged in).
These monitors � unlike terminals � looked like television sets without the
tuner. In some cases they actually were television sets. (Many early
computers � such as the Commodores Vic 20, 64 and 128, could be used
with any television set with a special RF adapter that hooked to the antenna
of the TV).
Then IBM came out with PC-DOS computers, which were dubbed "threepiece computers.' One explanation according to a prominent used car dealer
Moonie Bronstein was that many of the early marketers / hucksters advising
the techies of the early computer era ,had their start in the competitive
world of auto sales where such terms as " 3 piecers " and " 4 piecers" were
popular marketing and sales terms. Other explanations for this marketing
term was because the computers included three main components i.e. � the
monitor, the keyboard and the CPU "box".
Ironically, when the IBM PC-DOS computers arrived on the scene with
separate monitor and keyboard � the monitor connected directly to the
computer. Just like the earliest personal computers) through a display device
connection. These new monitors used video cards that were either IBM
monochrome (MDA), IBM color graphics cards9 CGA), or Hercules (the first
third party ad on cards).
What are touch screen monitors?
Touch screen monitors are a way to both input information and receive
information from one peripheral (usually a monitor screen). Instead of using
a keyboard or mouse, you can easily input data directly into the touch
screen where you also are able to also receive information.
Touch screen monitors are used in a variety of different applications
including POS (point of sale) cash registers, PDA's (personal digital
assistants), ATM's, car navigation screens, cell phones, gaming consoles and
any other type of appliance that requires you to input and receive
information.
There are many different types of touch screen technology available. The
most common types include: Resistive, Surface Wave, Capacitive and
Infrared.
Touch screens have been around since the 1970's, in fact the technology
was invented in 1971. Most of the patents for touch screens technology were
established during the 1970's and 1980's making them no longer current.
Today any manufacturer can produce touch screen technology without
having to pay royalties or licensing fees.
Types of touch screen technology
Touch screen technology has the potential to replace most functions of the
mouse and keyboard. In order for the computer to interpret the touch
location, you must use three key components which make up a touch
system: the touchscreen, the controller, and the driver software.
The touch screen interface is being used in a wide variety of applications to
improve human-computer interaction. Touch is the easiest to learn and use
of any available interface. It is pressure sensitive so it responds to any input
device, including finger, gloved hand, or pen stylus. Businesses both large
and small are using touch technology to create new products, reach new
markets, increase productivity, and ease the flow of information.
-
State the different technologies -
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-touch-screen-monitors.htm
Touch screen monitors usually come in three varieties that enable it to
recognize a person's touch. These are resistive, capacitive and surface
acoustic wave. The resistive type works by having two panels with a thin
space between them. When the user presses the screen, the two panels
touch at that point, and the exact coordinates are then registered with the
computer.
A capacitive system runs a small electrical charge throughout the touch
screen. When the user touches the chosen area, some of the electrical
charge is distributed to the finger, lessening the charge at that location. The
coordinates are again recorded and sent to the computer. This type of touch
screen produces a clearer picture because it transmits more light and
doesn't require two panels.
Finally, the surface acoustic wave system is the best, and results in the
clearest picture. Transducers are used to send electrical signals across the
screen, and if a user touches the screen, they can determine where based
on how the electrical signal is received from one transducer to the other
Touch screen monitor – Architecture
http://www.touchscreens.com/lcd2420l-saw-su.html
The LCD2420L-SAW-SU monitor is a standard PC monitor with an integrated Surface
Acoustic Wave type touchscreen. Especially well suited for industrial and government
applications and interactive digital signage, as well as applications requiring a larger format
for enclosed or light restricted areas. Provides a wide viewing angle, and can be mounted
in portrait mode.
Features:







24" Widescreen LCD monitor, up to 1920 x 1200 resolution
Elo Intellitouch Surface Acoustic Wave touchscreen with Dual USB / Serial interface
PVA display technology for wider viewing angles and higher brightness and contrast
Built-in USB ports for peripherals
Ergonomic four-way adjustable (height, pivot, tilt and swivel) stand
Removable base with VESA mounting option
Internal power supply
Durable Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) touchscreen technology is widely used in
applications such as computer based training, information kiosks, and multimedia displays.
SAW technology uses an all-glass panel with no films or active layers, giving it a higher
clarity and durability than other touchscreen types. The SAW type screen may not perform
well in extremely dirty or dusty environments.





Touchscreen responds to finger or soft-rubber tipped pen stylus
Durable touchscreen has been tested to over 50 million touches at one point
Works with all mouse-driven software using software driver mouse emulation
Works alone or with keyboard and mouse
Allows you to perform the following mouse functions: Left-Click, Double-Click, Dragand-Drop, and Right-Click*
(*Right-Click feature included with Windows 2000 / XP / Vista software driver only.
Third-party Right-Touch software is available for other versions of Windows.)
Comes with everything you need to add touch-screen interaction to your PC system:


Cables to connect to your PC: video, touchscreen, and AC power
Software driver
System Requirements:








USB Port:
Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista, Macintosh OS 9.04 / 9.1 / 10.4.x, or Linux
Kernal 2.4-2.6
USB port for Touchscreen
VGA video port for Monitor
Serial Port:
DOS, Windows 3.1 / 95 / 98 / ME / NT / 2000 / XP / Vista, Macintosh OS 10.4.x, or
Linux Kernal 2.4-2.6
Serial/COM port for Touchscreen
VGA video port for Monitor
Multiple Monitor Configurations:








USB Port:
Run up to 4 monitors on one PC
Requires Windows 2000 / XP / Vista
Requires 1 VGA video port per Monitor
(Multi-port video card or multiple video cards)
Requires 1 USB port per Touchscreen

Serial Port:
Requires Windows 95 / 98 / ME / 2000 / XP / Vista
Requires 1 VGA video port per Monitor
(Multi-port video card or multiple video cards)
Requires 1 Serial/COM port per Touchscreen


Works with standard Windows multiple monitor configuration
Supports any combination of touchscreen and non-touchscreen monitors
Technical Specifications
Monitor Specifications
Display:
Size: 24" diagonal
Type: a-si TFT/PVA
Aspect ratio: 16 x 10
Useful screen
area:
Horizontal: 20.4" (518.1
mm)
Vertical: 12.8" (325.1 mm)
Monitor
dimensions:
Width: 22.1" (561.34 mm)
Height (inc. base): 18.1"
(460 mm)
Height (no base): 14.5"
(369 mm)
Depth (inc. base): 9.8"
(250 mm)
Depth (no base): 3.6" (91
mm)
Optimal (native)
resolution:
1920 x 1200
Other supported
resolutions:
1920 x 1200 at 60 Hz
1600 x 1200 at 60, 65, 70
or 75 Hz
1280 x 1024 at 60 or 75 Hz
1280 x 960 at 60 Hz
1152 x 870 at 75 Hz (Mac)
1152 x 864 at 75 Hz
1024 x 768 at 60, 70 or 75
Hz
832 x 624 at 75 Hz (Mac)
800 x 600 at 56, 60, 72 or
75 Hz
720 x 400 at 70 Hz
640 x 480 at 60, 66 (Mac),
72 or 75 Hz
640 x 350 at 70 Hz
Colors:
16.7 million with dithering
Brightness:
LCD panel: 300 cd/m2
(typical)
Touchscreen Specifications
Touch Type:
Elo IntelliTouch Surface
Acoustic Wave
Cable
Interface:
USB Port
Touch
Resolution:
4096 x 4096
Activation
Force:
less than 3 ounces
Light
Transmission:
90%
Durability
Test:
50,000,000 plus touches at
one point
Temperature:
Operating: -20°C to 50°C
Storage: -40°C to 71°C
Humidity:
Operating: 90% RH at max
40°C, non-condensing
Chemical
Resistance:
The active area of the touchscreen is
resistant to all chemicals that do not
affect glass, such as: Acetone, Toluene,
Methyl ethyl ketone, Isopropyl alcohol,
Methyl alcohol, Ethyl acetate, Ammoniabased glass cleaners, Gasoline,
Kerosene, Vinegar
Regulations:
UL, CE, TUV, FCC-B
Response time:
6 msec (typical)
Viewing angle
(typical):
Horizontal: 178° total
Vertical: 178° total
Contrast ratio:
1000:1 (typical)
Pixel pitch:
0.270 mm
Input video
format:
Analog RGB, DVI digital
link
Input sync
format:
Separate H/V, composite
H/V, SOG
Input video signal 15 pin D-sub
connector:
DVI-D
AV (CVBS)
S-video
Component
720p/1080i/1080p at 50/60
Hz
HDMI 720p/1080i/1080p at
50/60 Hz
Power supply:
Type: Internal power
supply, 100/240 VAC
Power
consumption:
130W
Temperature:
Operating: 10°C to 40°
Storage: -20°C to 45 °C
Humidity:
Operating: 10%-80%
Storage: 5%-95%
noncondensing
Weight
(approx.):
Actual: 25 lb (11.4 kg)
Shipping: 30 lb (13.6 kg)
Warranty:
Monitor: 3 years
Backlight lamp life:
50,000 hours
MTBF: 50,000 hours
Agency
approvals:
CE
Speakers:
None
On-screen
display (OSD):
Multilingual, digital OSD
Mounting
options:
100 x 200 mm VESA Mount
Removable base
Four-way adjustable stand:
2.4" high, pivot, tilt & swivel
http://www.honeywell-thermostat.com/FAQ-touchscreens.html
Touchscreens are normally constructed of an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. LCD screens use two
sheets of polarized materials, with a central layer of a liquid crystal solution, which together create that
soft feel and clear picture for choosing your setpoint temperature in seconds. Electric currents pass
through the liquid crystal, causing each individual crystal to either block light or allow it to pass through.
Overall, the look of the touchscreen is smooth and distinctly modern, like the Honeywell TH8320. One of
the reasons LCD screens work so well with thermostats is because they are able to conform into small
enough sizes for an appliance such as a thermostat. Specifically, White Rodgers features a unique, large
touchscreen that they have even embellished with a bright blue color for the 1F95-1271 model. White
Rodgers uses the blue color as research has suggested its calming effects and increased memory
function. The options and benefits are endless with a touchscreen. Another factor that an LCD makes
possible for your thermostat display is luminance. Luminescent qualities come hand-in-hand with LCD
screens, meaning that these touchscreens have very slight glowing effects that are easy to see, and are
brighter, all to help your viewing and read your settings more easily
SAW touch technology, compare / state advantages over other
technology and monitors
http://www.elotouch.com/Solutions/CaseStudies/benefitswp.asp
Benefits of Touch Interface
Many years ago, touch screens were an exotic, expensive interface for
demanding applications like air-traffic and nuclear power-plant control. Not
anymore! Companies across a broad spectrum of industries have
successfully harnessed the power of touch for a wide variety of applications.
Yet the essential benefits provided by touch technology remain unchanged.






Fast, faster, fastest
Touch makes everyone an expert
Reduced costs
Compact and handy
Durable and easy to clean
When ease of use is required
Fast, Faster, Fastest
Touchscreens provide fast access to any and all types of digital media, with
no text-bound interface getting in the way. It takes time for the user to grab
a mouse or use a keyboard or trackball and coordinate it with what needs to
be activated on the display. Faster input can mean better customer service
in restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, and retail stores, which results in
increased customer loyalty. In other cases, such as in-vehicle control or
security equipment, being even one second faster can make all the
difference.
Touch Makes Everyone an Expert
Reaching out for what you want is an instinctive gesture. Using touch is just
as simple: you simply point at what you want. Although some people still
shy away from computer keyboards, mice, or trackballs, there is no
hesitation when they can just touch a screen. Users feel comfortable that
they cannot "do anything wrong"; they instinctively understand how to use
the interface. Touchscreen systems make everyone an "expert user" from
the first touch-whether it's a person consulting a kiosk, a worker controlling
an industrial process, a nurse entering a patient's information, or a waiter
entering an order.
Reduced Costs
Using a touch interface can effectively increase operator accuracy, reduce
training time, and improve overall operational efficiencies, thus keeping
costs down. In the retail environment, for example, a properly designed
touch interface can improve each operator's accuracy, while maintaining
optimum checkout speeds. Users can respond quickly without making
significant errors. Also, touch-based point-of-sale (POS) systems streamline
the returns and refunds process by reducing the time it takes a customer to
return merchandise; they also improve loss-prevention management. In
addition, compared to traditional training methods, using touchscreens can
drastically reduce training time, since touch technology is intuitive and
requires no special skills to learn. Moreover, the flexibility of touch
technology can significantly contribute to cost reductions: it creates
operational efficiencies by simplifying procedures and reduces the need for
additional capital investment.
Compact and Handy
Space is valuable, so you want to use it as efficiently as possible.
Touchmonitors ensure that no space-on the desktop or elsewhere-is wasted,
since the input device is completely integrated into the display. Flat LCD
touchmonitors help save even more space. And there are no keyboard or
mouse cords in front of the monitor to get tangled or damaged, or to gather
dust.
Durable and Easy to Clean
A touchscreen is made of glass or a similar hard-coated surface. So it's easy
to clean and therefore extremely well suited for the typical environments
found in restaurants, hospitals, and the food and pharmaceutical industries.
All Elo touchscreens can be used with gloves, which is great for applications
where hygiene is particularly important or where temperature or workplace
safety rules require the use of gloves. We offer touchscreen systems that are
not affected by dirt, dust, grease, or liquid droplets. They are even rugged
enough to stand up to harsh environments where keyboards and mice often
get damaged.
When Ease of Use Is Required
Touchscreen-based systems virtually eliminate errors because users select
from clearly defined menus. The information on each screen is limited in
number and options, thus providing step-by-step, fail-safe sequences to
guide the user through complex procedures. This greatly simplifies medical
diagnostics applications-for example, where voluminous databases must be
accessed quickly and easily. Touchscreens are also useful in simplifying
process-control applications involving many buttons or switches, and for
applications where system contents require protection
(More advantages : but some of them I’ll use for the benefits to society)
http://www.screendirect.com/specsheets/touchbenefits.html
http://www.ehow.com/about_5175585_benefits-touch-screentechnology.html
How LCD touch screen monitor provides benefits to society
- Refer back to the advantages – (brief)
The touch screen technology can simplify a lot of tasks and replace
computers , even human beings such as when purchasing tickets at airports
or ordering food in restaurants. They guide the user through the required
process. Some offices are even making use of them in place of the standard
personal computer screens.
*Airport electronic ticket issuers
*Self Checkout counters
*Pin code payment pads
*Business computer applications
*Government recording and data management
*Interactive Educational tools
Since touch screen monitors comes in various designs and uses different
touch screen technologies the prices may vary. Generally these touch screen
monitors are more expensive than the average 19” monitor but there is an
increasing demand for better display devices. Competition will increase as a
result and touch screen monitors will be more affordable to the average
consumer.
Benefits to individuals.
The average user at home can enjoy better a simple
Benefits to businesses
Business organizations can adopt touch screen technology and implement it
in their businesses and offer simple to use touch screen interfaces for their
customers.
Human machine interface touch screen panels can reduce the costs of
product manufacturing and potentially increase profit margins by both
improving brand and lowering production costs. For example, cell phones
and DVD players use buttons and remote controls. Touch screens phones
and remotes can eliminate the need for buttons, and expand the function of
both the phone and the remote allowing it to incorporate new technological
integrations without adding cost. A few of the cost related advantages of
HMI touch screens are listed as follows:
The frequent use of the current technology will lead to the development of
more efficient touch screen technologies. When the first monitor was
invented there was still a need to have a more efficient display device. This
lead to the creation of more enhanced monitors.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-touch-screen-monitors.htm
The benefits of such technology are obvious. Rather than lugging along extra
input devices such as a mouse or a keyboard, the user need only his finger
to manipulate the chosen device. But it's not just mobile devices that benefit
from this type of input. All kinds of devices can be equipped, including TV
and computer monitors, LCD screens, and the older CRT computer monitors.
As a result, a bartender can press on a screen to ring up drinks on a busy
night rather than type in a price, a nurse can input patient information with
one hand. Truly, the possibilities with touch screen monitors are endless.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/425430/five_advantages_of_flat_
panel_computer.html?cat=15
Five Advantages of Flat Panel Computer Monitors
CRT monitors have been around since the invention of the personal
computer. The newer flat panel computer monitors have a few advantages
when compared to the older design. Some of these include power, radiation,
and space. This article will discuss some of the advantages of flat panel
computer monitors.
Power
One of the first advantages of flat panel computer monitors deals with
power. These monitors consume much less power than CRT monitors. This
will definitely benefit you if you frequently use your computer. You will save
a lot of money on your energy bill by using flat panel computer monitors.
Radiation
One of the next advantages of flat panel computer monitors deals with
radiation. Traditional CRT monitors emit radiation that can be harmful over
time if you spend a lot of time in front of your computer. Flat panel
computer monitors have a lot fewer emissions than CRT monitors.
Therefore, they are a lot safer to use.
Space
Most people buy flat panel computer monitors because they take up less
space. CRT monitors are very bulky and can easily take up half of your desk.
Flat panel computer monitors use their size efficiently, as they are usually
just a few inches thick. This will allow you to use more of the space on top of
your desk.
Size
One of the next advantages of flat panel computer monitors deals with their
sizes. They are usually available in larger sizes than CRT monitors. They can
come in wide screen or extra large screen sizes. Since flat panel computer
monitors are thinner, you can easily bit their larger sizes wherever you need
to.
Environment
One of the final advantages of flat panel computer monitors deals with the
environment. These monitors are much more environmentally friendly. CRT
monitors have more parts to get rid of. They also need to be disposed on
carefully as some of their contents can harm the environment. Flat panel
computer monitors have less parts to get rid of. This also means that LCD
monitors will take up less space in the landfills.
-
Future of LCD touch screen monitors and the technology
-
Bibliography