Transform a Regular LCD Into a Touchscreen

eZtaR writes "NAVisis is introducing a new USB gadget (for Windows only including Vista) called LaptopTablet. You mount it onto the side of your regular LCD monitor to transform it into a fully functional touchscreen, controlled with an included pen. The gadget is priced at around $100 and seems a good alternative for Photoshoppers."

Why LCD only?

[Ceriel Nosforit]

Seems the only thing making this thing LCD-only is the design of the plastic clip for the sensor that determins the position of the stylus. Any geek worth his bandwidth could use this with a CRT.

Very interesting product either way. Seems better and cheaper than a Wacom.

Smashing

[Bazman]

Quite literally. Laptop screens aren't designed to be touched, let alone scraped and prodded all over with a stylus. Or does this thing come with a plexiglass overlay?

Only $100?

[WrongSizeGlass]

This could turn out to be a very cost effective solution for Point of Sale registers. Touch screen flat panels are expensive (and flat panels are popular with PoS devices since they take up much less counter space) so this could lower costs per register by $100 -$200.

touchscreens, ugh...

[dmnic]

other than in a POS or evoting application, I honestly do not see why why people want a touchscreen.

I'm talking about a laptop/tablet configuration.
yes, the idea sounds great and people will say that their productivity will increase, yada, yada, yada, but MOST people who say this have never used one or experienced the frustration when their touchscreen goes out of calibration, which will happen ALOT!!!

I support a salesforce of about 200 who use various touchscreen PCs from HP Ipaq to Fujitsu tablets and laptops. at first they were ecstatic about the touchscreens then they slowly figured out that it was actually quicker for them to use the mouse/keyboard instead of having to touch the screen x/y on this side of this form and -x/y on this side of another button, etc in order to put in their orders.
the screen doesnt go out of calibration uniformly across the whole screen, but generally in 5 different ways in the 4 corners and in the middle. this is a nightmare to use and to support!

Neat!

[mattr]

Last time I read /. at 0 that's for sure. A bunch of people worried about pressing on an LCD not designed for it, and then a bunch of trolls. Guess all stories are like this.

The company's in Korea. Any slashdotters there trying it with linux / trying it out in the store?
This could really hurt Anoto, which makes an extremely advanced system of bluetooth/optical recognition pens and special paper using a pattern that is unique for every page.

Anoto, like the Flypen toy based on its tech, has all kinds of applications. For example a checkbox called "Fax" at the bottom of a sheet of paper that when you check it, it gets faxed. Navisis has a portable version for pdas and maybe phones, called the phone pen which looks quite cool, and the mouse version that works on your table top is quite neat too. They do sell protective covering for your lcd as well, anyway I'd like to hear from someone who really uses it, and then hear about if it just looks like a mouse to the system or if it needs a driver.

Re:ICK.

[Cesa]

What you could do is using a dual screen setup, with the touchscreen monitor lying down on the desktop like a piece of paper. Extend the windows desktop over both screens and move the child window with the picture to the touchscreen monitor. That way your hand won't be in the way any more than when you draw/write on a piece of paper, and you don't have to wave your arm in the air.

Re:Just a gadget

[Frostclaw]

I did in fact see the 400DPI. I'm more referring to "if I put my pen at point x on the monitor, does my cursor accuratly reflect that point onscreen".

I'm curious to see how well it works, and I appologize if my comment came off as trollish.

Re:Photoshoppers ?

[TheDrop]

"I can't imagine that a serious Photoshopper would want to use an LCD screen and draw on it with a stylus, it's just not accurate enough."

I'm about as serious as they come in regards to Photoshop and completely disagree with you. I use a Cintiq [wacom.com] (Wacom) daily which is a LCD screen controlled by a stylus. And sketching on screen with a stylus is unequivocally superior to sketching with a mouse (and on a separate tablet IMHO). It is simply natural to look at what your drawing.

In regards to TFA, pressure sensitivity is the key aspect in art/design applications. I saw resolution mentioned, but nothing on pressure sensitivity. If this device has no, or little pressure sensitivity it will certainly remain a non-artisan tool for the majority of users. Personally, I would not be interested in this product because most laptop screens are 'soft' and susceptible to damage, and the keyboard is in the way.