It’s no secret that touchscreens are becoming more common. In addition to nearly all smartphones and tablet computers, you’ll also find human machine interfaces (HMIs), retail point-of-sale (POS) systems, smart appliances and countless other devices with a touchscreen interface. With so many devices featuring a touchscreen interface, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that they are useful. However, there are several little-known benefits of touchscreens that are often overlooked by consumers and businesses.
No External Peripherals Required
Since they rely on touch commands to perform commands, touchscreens don’t require the use of any external peripherals. A touchscreen laptop, for example, can be controlled simply by tapping icons on the display interface. You don’t have to connect a keyboard or mouse to it. As a result, many consumers and businesses prefer touchscreen laptops, as well as desktops, over their conventional counterparts.
More Input Options
Touchscreens typically support more input options than non-touchscreen devices. Most touchscreens, for example, support pinch to zoom. Using two fingers — or other supported input devices — you can pinch the screen to either magnify or de-magnify the respective area. If you’re struggling to read text on a touchscreen, just pinch the screen to magnify that section. On the other hand, if an area of text is too big, you can pinch the screen out to de-magnify it.
Fewer Input Errors
Another little-known benefit of touchscreens is fewer input errors. Because they are manually controlled, there’s always a possibility for an input error when using a touchscreen. You may tap the wrong icon or perform two taps instead of one. The good news, however, is that input errors are less likely to occur with touchscreens because of their ability to produce tactile feedback. When you tap an icon on a touchscreen, the device will respond by vibrating. This vibration confirms that the device registered your command, allowing you to perform input commands more accurately.
Better Hand-Eye Coordination
You’ll experience better hand-eye coordination when using a touchscreen than a traditional non-touchscreen device. With a touchscreen device, you’ll perform input commands, such as tapping icons, on the display itself. In comparison, a non-touchscreen device requires you to perform input commands using a peripheral, such as a keyboard and/or mouse, which are located away from the display.
As you can see, touchscreens offer a variety of benefits, some of which include no external peripherals, more input options, fewer input errors and better hand-eye coordination.
