Quote:
Originally Posted by Amalthia
I'm going to need to google to find out the difference between these screen technologies.
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"Capacitive and IR touchscreens function in completely different ways. With capacitive touchscreens, a uniform electrostatic charge is applied to the top layer. Because the human body is conducts electricity, touching the display will absorb some of this current, which the devices uses to detect touch commands.
In comparison, IR touchscreens don’t use an electrostatic charge to detect touch commands. Instead, they use a combination of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and sensors to detect touch commands. IR touchscreens are designed with LEDs that emit light to corresponding sensors across the surface of the display. If you touch the display, you’ll disrupt the LED light in that area, which the device uses to detect your touch command."
IR screens basically shine IR light across the surface of the screen, thus the need for bezel and sunken screen. Capacitive screens have an additional layer to the screen itself which allows for the possibility of a bezel flush with the screen; however the extra layer can reduce clarity a little.
If the screen is flush with the bezel it's definitely capacitive. If the screen is lower than the bezel it may be either type. A gloved hand should work on an IR screen, whereas it wouldn't on a capacitive.