The decision between a touch screen and a non-touchscreen laptop depends on your personal preferences and how you plan to use your device.
Touchscreen laptops have become increasingly popular in recent years as they offer a more interactive and intuitive user experience. With a touch screen, you can use your fingers to scroll, zoom, and tap on the screen instead of using a mouse or touchpad. This can be especially useful for tasks like drawing, note-taking, or graphic design.
However, touch screen laptops generally cost more than non-touch screen laptops and may have shorter battery life due to the additional power required to run the touch screen. Additionally, touch screens can be prone to fingerprints and smudges, which can be a hassle to clean.
Non-touch screen laptops, on the other hand, are typically more affordable and have longer battery life. They also tend to be more durable and resistant to scratches and other types of damage. If you mainly use your laptop for tasks like word processing, browsing the web, or watching videos, a non-touch screen laptop may be a better choice.
Ultimately, it comes down to your personal preference and intended use. If you prioritize a more interactive and tactile user experience, and you’re willing to pay more for it, then a touch screen laptop may be the way to go. If you prioritize affordability, durability, and battery life, then a non-touch screen laptop may be the better option for you.
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Table Of Contents
The Functions of the Touchscreen Feature on Laptops
There are two common touchscreens used in laptops; the resistive type and the capacitive type.
• Resistive
The resistive touchscreen is composed of two layers. To work, it relies on pressure from the user’s touch. These layers come with electric currents and are kept apart; one is resistive, while the other is conductive.
Whenever you touch the screen, its resistive layer has a hard feel and gets in touch with the conductive layer. This point of contact leads to a change in electric current. The software acknowledges this change and starts to perform its task of either opening, closing, or swiping an application.
Resistive touchscreen displays cannot accommodate several fingers simultaneously since the software can only distinguish a single point of contact.
• Capacitive
Capacitive touchscreen displays are only composed of a single layer. This layer also functions as coordinates. For the touchscreen to work, it must contact the human body, which stores an electrical charge. When we touch a capacitive touchscreen display, this point of contact shifts the electrical energy flow on the screen.
Unlike the resistive touchscreen, capacitive ones can distinguish several points of contact. That’s why it can accommodate multi-touch features and multiple fingers. This type of touchscreen display also allows zooming in and out.
Advantages of Touchscreen Laptop Displays
Know more about the benefits of using touchscreen display on laptops:
The touchscreen feature on laptops was developed primarily to make navigation more accessible and convenient. Users can perform many tasks using this feature compared to trackpads and mouse devices. Launching applications and shifting between them is also made simpler.
In addition, when the trackpad malfunctions, you can also use the touchscreen feature to accomplish your tasks. The same can be said when your keyboard fails to work.
Great for drawing and note-taking
Artists and graphic designers will find that a touchscreen feature on their laptops is more convenient for their activities. There are specific laptop models which are equipped with a stylus and a touchscreen display so users can easily create sketches of artworks on the fly.
A stylus and touchscreen display combo is also a convenient feature package for students since it removes the need to tote several notebooks for classes.
High-quality, expressive displays
Touchscreen laptops often come with excellent brightness and better color accuracy, vibrancy, and reproduction than standard ones. Most models with this feature also have displays with higher resolution.
Touchscreen displays are glossy, so they can respond to touch better than matte ones. Due to their excellent color accuracy and brightness, many users who often work with color choose touchscreen models.
The Disadvantages of Touchscreen Laptop Displays
The touchscreen feature has its disadvantages too, and they are the following:
It drains batteries quickly
Laptops with touchscreen features are built with another set of processing tasks for the computer’s hardware due to the inclusion of a touch panel. If you intend to use this feature frequently, you must have a spare battery on standby.
It’s more expensive
The touchscreen feature is one aspect included on the laptop; thus, it also adds to the model’s price. Furthermore, some manufacturers provide higher-resolution touchscreen displays, thereby elevating costs.
It adds weight to the laptop.
Once more, the inclusion of additional technology on the computer adds bulk and space, therefore making the laptop heavier. While the weight difference comes in grams, this can be noticeable in laptops.
It’s more challenging to view in direct light
Laptops with touchscreen displays are ideal to use in areas with dim lighting, but it can be a bother to use in direct light. Touchscreen models often have glossy finishes to respond faster to touch, but this type of finish is also a magnet for smudges, fingerprints, and the like.
Touchscreen and Non-Touchscreen Laptops: Which One Fares Better?
People who use laptops with touchscreen displays mention that the touchscreen feature makes them more productive since it helps them accomplish tasks faster.
Touchscreen models are very feasible for specific tasks, like taking notes and doing creative work from sketching to drawing. Navigating the display is made faster and more convenient using one finger or more.
In addition, touchscreen models are aesthetically-pleasing and have excellent color accuracy and brightness, too. It’s recommended for people who often work with color.
However, as discussed earlier, these models also have their disadvantages. They can be heavier than regular laptops, more expensive, and drain batteries faster. Thus, when it comes to this feature, you need to identify your needs first and check where the advantages of touchscreen models fit and accommodate those needs.
If you are a student or creative, maybe touchscreen models are more your speed since they make note-taking and arty activities faster.
However, if you think you can get by with the features of a regular laptop, that’s also a good decision. There is nothing wrong with purchasing the standards.
Every one of us has our preferences, especially regarding gadgets. Several features on a laptop might be a win for you, but they may be inapplicable to others.
In the end, the laptop you must get should be a model that will accommodate all your needs from such gadgets.