Touchscreens and Credit Cards

[dm99]

I thought someone here might know the answer to this.

On the older touch-screens on our POS equipment we could hit the screen with the edge of a credit card, the receipt tray, pen, etc and it would register the touch. We got two new displays (these are flat panels instead of tube) and they will not register unless you touch the screen with your finger.

Why have they changed this in the newer screens?

 

[CocaCola]

Old ones were resistive (or IR optical grid since you mention tube) new ones are capacitance...

 

[dm99]

Are there modern displays that will pick up touch from plastic objects like credit cards or do all the new ones require use of your bare skin?

 

[CocaCola]

Sure, they still make resistive screens, they are quite common on lower end tablets... IR optical grid screens are still quite commonly used for kiosk and ATM style devices...

 

[davenn]

Are there modern displays that will pick up touch from plastic objects like credit cards or do all the new ones require use of your bare skin?

There's a mixture of both out there
My HTC android phone is finger touch only
Trimble equip I service has screens that respond to both
other screens respond only to styli touch

Dave