GENERAL TOUCH-SCREEN HARDWARE INFORMATION

Before we delve into tips on using Flash with touch screens, you need some background on the types of touch screens available. After you know what is available, you will be able to take into consideration the following items:

• Where will my kiosk be deployed?

• What type of traffic will the kiosk receive?

• What type of person will be using the kiosk?

Because there are many types and manufacturers of touch screens, you need to determine these items to make the right decision on the type of touch screen you will be using. The types available cover quite a range: standard indoor models, to outdoor models that can withstand precipitation and the elements, to heavy-duty models with security glass for limiting the viewable range to only a few degrees directly in front of the screen, thus preventing shoulder surfing of secure information. This appendix covers two basic types of kiosk that are within the reach of a developer on a budget who wants to experiment or delve into this market without too much capital outlay. There are many manufacturers of touch screens; the following list is not exhaustive, but covers many popular providers of touch-screen technology.

Elo TouchSystems, Inc

6500 Kaiser Drive

Fremont, CA 94555

800-356-8682

http://www.elotouch.com/

[e-mail]

Troll Touch

25510 Avenue Stanford, Suite 106

Valencia, CA 91355-1131

661-257-1160

http://www.trolltouch.com

[e-mail]

3M Touch Systems

300 Griffin Brook Park Drive

Methuen, MA 01844

978-659-9000

http://www.3m.com/us/electronics_mfg/touch_systems/index.jhtml

[e-mail]

DMC Co., Ltd.

508 Kamisakunobe

Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0034, Japan

[phone] (Japanese)

[phone] (English)

http://www.dmccoltd.com/

[e-mail]

Viewmagic Inc.

2917 Bayview Drive

Fremont, CA 94538

510-226-6250

http://www.viewmagic.com/

[e-mail]

KDS Pixel Touch, Inc.

1957 Cedar Street

Ontario, CA 91761

909-923-6124

http://www.pixeltouch.com/

[e-mail]

Touch Controls, Inc.

520 Industrial Way

Fallbrook, CA 92028

800-848-4385

http://www.touchcontrols.com/

[e-mail]

Preh Electronics Inc.

590 Telser Road, Unit B

Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047

847-438-4000

http://www.preh.com/

[e-mail]

KEYTEC, Inc.

1293 North Plano Road

Richardson, TX 75081

800-624-4289

http://www.magictouch.com/

[e-mail]

Jayco mmi

1351 Pico Street

Corona, CA 91719-3373

877-529-2648

http://www.jaycommi.com/clearswitch.html

[e-mail]

Intech Bearing, Inc.

1999 Tellepsen Street

Houston, TX 77023

888-868-2439

http://www.ezscreen.com/

[e-mail]

Touch Dynamic, Inc.

107 Trumbull Street, Ste B6

Elizabeth, NJ 07206

888-508-6824

http://www.touchdynamic.com/

[e-mail]

The companies listed above offer a variety of touch-screen systems, typically based on four different types of screen technologies: capacitive, resistive, infrared, and SAW (surface acoustic wave). You would be wise to investigate each company to see what each offers and how their solutions can benefit your specific application. Depending on the model and whether it is used or new, the prices range as low as a few hundred dollars to several thousand. The approximate price range for a single desktop 15-inch LCD touch screen is $750 to $1,200. A CRT-based touch screen, depending on size, can be as low as a few hundred dollars for a 14-inch model with 15-inch models in the $600 range and up. 17-inch models start around $750 and go up from that price to nearly $1,400 for 21-inch models. You might be able to save on costs by considering a retro fit touch-screen kit for your existing monitor. All these prices are approximate and each manufacturer has its own specific models and features that can add or subtract from the base price of a touch screen. An example of this would be a desktop model versus a model specifically designed for installation into a kiosk enclosure, or mounted in or on a wall. Also many of the resellers provide discounts on quantity pricing; this can come into play as most kiosk applications are deployed in more than one location.