subject: What Are Touch Screens Being Used For? [print this page] What Are Touch Screens Being Used For? What Are Touch Screens Being Used For?
Touch screen technology is increasingly ubiquitous around the world today, but it has been around for a lot longer than some people imagine. It was invented in 1971 by Doctor Samuel Hurst and is often used as a way of simplifying processes by cutting out extra equipment. For example, an increasingly popular use of touch screen technology is as a check in' tool at locations such as airports and doctors' surgeries, cutting out the need to wait to get checked in manually by a person.
The Automated Teller Machine (ATM) is probably the most ubiquitous and influential common use of touch screen technology. They are billed as a great way of cutting down long queues in banks and give people instant access to their finances. ATMs perform an increasing number of tasks. While they used to just be a way to get cash from your bank account quickly, you can now use them to deposit checks, change your PIN, transfer money and check your balance, giving you great control over your financial matters.
Since they were first made widely available on the world market in 2007, touch screen smart phones have become massively popular and influential. They're marketed as being good for both personal and business use they are compact, clever, and they tend to have bigger screens than phones with keyboards, meaning it's easier to watch video clips or surf the internet. Other benefits of touch screen phones include the fact that they are slim, smooth and sleek, making them easy to carry round with you.
Linked to this is the increasing array of tablet computers available on the market. Touch screen computers are popular as they massively reduce the size of your computer as well as eliminating the need for a mouse and keyboard, making them highly portable. Another benefit of these computers is the fact they're more energy efficient than traditional computers it's estimated that people save between 40-50% on electricity by using touch screen tablet computers. They are also thought to reduce the time it takes to train people to use computers.
As well as helping make our personal lives easier, touch screen technology is increasingly being used in retail, particularly restaurants. It's used for order entry stations, cash registers and reservation systems among others, streamlining the process and enabling staff to be more efficient. Studies suggest it takes less time to train staff to use touch screen alternatives than it does traditional methods of working, helping them provide a better service. It's safe to say we can expect to see much more of touch screen technology in the near future.
