| A customer of mine has seen the future of user | | | | commodity, slowly but surely the cost of touch |
| interface, and he loves it! People are shocked | | | | screens have continued to drop. Are touch screen |
| when they hear that the price of a touch screen | | | | the next commodity? |
| has dropped below $2 in some cases. | | | | The popularity of the iPhone has made everyone |
| In case you don't know, a touch screen is a | | | | very familiar with touch technology. Consumer |
| control panel that offers users pin point input | | | | products are now featuring them. Everyone has |
| accuracy and pen recognition. With an LCD behind | | | | seen a touch screen kiosk in the mall and at the |
| it the control panel becomes customizable, vivid, | | | | ATM machine but have you seen one on a |
| and very user friendly in a simple to use format. | | | | television? The future of touch screens is big, |
| Most people think a touch screen requires an LCD, | | | | bright, and bendable! Yes. Touch screens, long |
| but for a manufacturer like RSP, Inc. ( we can | | | | criticized for their thickness and rigidity, can now |
| print legends directly on the glass essentially | | | | bend, twist, and even lightly fold. Why shouldn't |
| making it into a flat membrane switch. The | | | | your laptop have a touch interface? Next year |
| standard control panel (user interface) technology | | | | they will if the products being shown at consumer |
| is a membrane switch with printed legends. A | | | | electronic shows reach the marketplace. |
| membrane switch is a piece of printed plastic with | | | | Another historical draw back to touch screens has |
| 1 or 2 circuit layers buried inside. It can be | | | | been that they lack tactile response. A membrane |
| mounted to a flat or flexible surface. Membrane | | | | switch typically has a tactile metal dome inside |
| switches have been around for over 25 years | | | | that gives the user feedback and a 'snap' feel. In |
| now. Millions of membrane switches can be found | | | | the past 2 years, touch screens have been |
| on microwaves, coffee makers, remote controls, | | | | designed with user feedback so that the user |
| and many other household items. While | | | | does not miss out on the 'snap'. |
| membrane switches have become a low price | | | | |