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These days the majority of people are accustomed to using touchscreens. They allow us to navigate the displays of mobile phones and tablets more easily and perform complex tasks much faster. Nowadays you can enjoy all these same benefits when using a touchscreen computer, so it’s hardly surprising that these devices have become so popular with users.
There is a wide variety of different designs of touchscreen computers currently available on the market. There are two main types: laptops (including two-in-one models that can convert into a tablet), and desktops. In either case, they are highly versatile and suitable for any type of work you want to do.
Contents
Key Facts
- Touchscreen computers combine the powerful capabilities of computers (that have larger processors and more RAM), with the versatility offered by touchscreens, as found on tablets and mobile phones.
- Touchscreen computers are suitable for any type of user. They are especially useful for graphic designers, photo and video editing and industrial design. They can also be a great option for more elderly people, who may not have extensive computer skills.
- The amount of RAM and the power of the processor have the biggest effect on the performance of a computer. However, these are not the only factors to consider. A good graphics card is essential for video applications, and for playing video games.
Our Selection: The Best Touchscreen Computers on the U.S. Market
In this section we give you an overview of the best touchscreen computers in four different categories. We hope that it will give you an idea of the different types of computers that incorporate touchscreens, so that you can find the option that is best for you. All these products are top sellers, with fantastic customer reviews, and offer great value for money.
- Most Economical Touchscreen Laptop
- Best Value-for-Money Touchscreen Laptop
- Best Touchscreen Laptop with a 4K Display
- Best All-in-One Desktop Touchscreen Computer
Most Economical Touchscreen Laptop
This is the best touchscreen laptop, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money. It offers all the features of a tablet, but with much more power and the ability to run Windows 10. The 15.6″ HD LED Touchscreen Display (1366 x 768) features 10-finger multi-touch support, and is a great size for watching movies. It has 4GB of DDR4-2400 Memory and a 1 TB HDD.
Best Value-for-Money Touchscreen Laptop
Lenovo products are known for offering great value for money and lots of features. If you want a convertible laptop, that is powerful enough for graphics dependent applications, this definitely the best option for the price. With 10 hours of battery life and recharge technology to power the laptop up to 80% in just one hour. The included active Pen lets you draw or take notes directly on the screen.
Best Touchscreen Laptop with a 4K Display
If you want a 2-in-2 touchscreen laptop with a 4K display, this product from Dell is a great option. As the most expensive touchscreen computer on our list, it also has the most features and offers the best performance. It has an Intel Core i7-8550U 1.8GHz Quad Core Processor (Max Turbo up to 4GHz), 256 GB SSD, 16 GB of RAM, and a 2 GB; NVIDIA GeForce MX130 graphics card.
Best All-in-One Desktop Touchscreen Computer
Looking for an All-in-One desktop touchscreen computer, but you don’t want to spend too much? This model from Lenovo offers the great value for money we have come to expect from this manufacturer. The 7th Generation AMD A12-9720P with a 2.7GHz base frequency is suitable for running power-hungry video games and applications. The 24″ display has a matte finish, which helps prevent fingerprints.
Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Touchscreen Computers
When buying a touchscreen computer, it is important to take several factors into account. Remember that there are different types of computers that have touchscreens, and not all offer the same features. So that you can find out all the information you need to make an informed choice, in this section we answer the most frequently asked questions about these versatile gadgets.
Touchscreen computers are very versatile.
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What is a touchscreen computer exactly?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a touchscreen computer?
However, touchscreen computers often have a slightly higher cost than traditional laptops and desktops. They will also use up the battery of a laptop more quickly, and the screen gets dirty more often. Despite all of this, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. This information is illustrated in the following table:
Advantages: They combine all the benefits of a computer with those of a tablet or mobile phone. They are much more powerful and offer increased performance. They usually offer very good value for money. They allow the use of manual navigation, which we are accustomed to from using mobile phones.
They are also much more versatile devices. They allow the use of a stylus, which is an important tool for artists and graphic designers. Touchscreens are very easy to use, and are ideal for more elderly people who may not have much experience using computers.
Disadvantages: They cost a little more than standard computers. Touchscreens drain the battery of a laptop faster. The screen will get dirty more quickly, so you will need to clean it much more regularly.
Touchscreen computers are perfect for designers and editors.
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What kinds of people should buy a touchscreen computer?
They are also very useful for architects and engineers, and suitable for various educational applications. Seniors love how intuitive touchscreens are to navigate, as they are sometimes not very familiar with using a mouse.
What types of touchscreen computers are available on the market?
| Laptops | “All-in-One desktops” | |
|---|---|---|
| Design |
Convertible models can be rotated 360º, which allows them to be converted into a tablet. Very lightweight, easy to carry with you and have a medium-sized display. |
Integrate the CPU inside the monitor, which frees up a lot of space on your desk. |
| Principle characteristics and features |
The graphics card is integrated into the motherboard. They offer higher performance than tablets, but usually less than desktop computers. |
They can offer higher performance than laptops. |
| Drives | Can usually support only one or two SSDs. | Can usually support up to six SSDs or HDDs. |
How do I clean the screen?
To get the best results you should use a cleaning product, usually in the form of a spray. If you decide to buy a spray, you must always make sure you spray it directly on the cloth, never on the screen. You can also easily make your own cleaning solution using 50% distilled water and 50% isopropyl alcohol.
Shopping Criteria
Now you have all the information you need to make your purchase. However, to find the model that best suits your needs, it’s important that you keep a few factors in mind. In this section we detail the most important criteria to consider, when choosing the best touchscreen computer depending on your individual requirements.
Processor
The processor is almost like the brain of the computer, and is responsible for executing all of the various tasks of the operating system and any programs you are running. Therefore, it has a big effect on the overall performance of the computer. The most popular processors these days are the i3, i5 and i7 chips from Intel, as well as the Ryzen and Ryzen Pro made by AMD.
RAM
Another key aspect that will affect the performance of a computer is amount of RAM it has integrated. RAM is used for running both the operating system and executing programs. You should make sure you choose a computer with a minimum of 4 GB of RAM, although 8 GB is even better. We recommend 32 GB as the best option in terms of value for money, as the difference in performance is negligible above this level and the cost is much higher.
Another aspect you should consider is the type of memory that is integrated. The best standard is currently DDR4, although it is still common to find computers using previous generations. However, there is not a huge jump between DDR3 and DDR4, so this is only an important factor to consider if you need the highest performance for working with graphics, videos or for gaming.
Storage Capacity
Traditionally, the hard disk drive (HDD) has been the storage device for files and documents, and the location where all the programs running on your computer are installed. In the last few years it has become increasingly common to find computers that utilize one or more solid state drives (SSD).
An SSD makes boot time considerably faster, meaning you won’t have to wait as long for your operating system to load. As these drives are more expensive than using an HDD, it is possible to buy a hybrid drive, or use an SSD for your boot drive and the cheaper alternative for additional storage.
Graphics Card
The graphics card is responsible for processing, and running programs related to, photos, graphics, images and video. Its primary function is to transform the data processed by the CPU into a visual display on the screen. Logically, it is essential for tasks such as video editing or for playing video games.
The integrated graphics cards installed on the motherboard of most computers only offer basic performance and cannot handle very demanding tasks. If superior graphics processing is something that you require, make sure the touchscreen computer you are buying has the best possible graphics card within your budget range.
Screen
The first thing you need to think about when it comes to the screen is the overall size. For laptops, this will be the main factor affecting the overall size of the unit. A larger screen is more important for people who play games, edit videos and photos and work with graphics. While a large screen is great, think about how portable you want your laptop to be.
These days it is possible to find many touchscreen computers with a 4K display. 4K is four times the resolution of HD. With more games, video cameras, TV shows and movies available in 4K, this is a great feature to have for a a display that is much crisper and sharper.
Connectivity
These days it is super important to be able to connect all your devices together. This means you should choose a touchscreen computer that offers you as many different ways to connect as possible. The most common ways to connect a computer these days is via a WiFi connection, or by using USB or HDMI ports. It is always a good idea to buy a laptop with at least two USB inputs.
It is also a good idea to have a Bluetooth connection. An SD card reader is always useful, although they are not standard on all computers. You may also want to have the option of connecting to an internet network using an Ethernet port.
Battery
If you are looking to buy a touchscreen laptop, one of the most important factors you need to think about is the battery life. As the screen is the part of the computer that uses the most power, touchscreens drain even more power than standard computers. These days there are laptops that can offer up to 12 hours of continuous use, so look out for this specification when making your purchase.
Brand
Lenovo is becoming increasingly popular and is emerging as one of the leading manufacturers of computers. This is especially true when it comes to portable computing devices. They include lots of innovative features into their products, and offer great value for money. In terms of touchscreen computers, Microsoft is still considered the leading manufacturer and they make some amazing high-end devices suitable for professionals.
Most people have owned an Apple device at sometime in their life. Their commitment to simplicity of design and functionality has made them one of world’s leading tech giants. Other popular manufacturers of quality touchscreen computers are are Dell, Acer and Asus.
Summary
Since the first touchscreen computers appeared on the market, they have become more and more popular with users, resulting in a large number of different models available on the market today. They allow you to enjoy all the benefits of a tablet or mobile phone, with the performance of a computer.
It is important to find the option that best suits your needs, so you need to first decide if you want an All-in-One desktop computer or a laptop. The other factors to consider are the screen size, RAM, processor, storage capacity, graphics card, connectivity and battery life.
We hope you have enjoyed reading our shopping guide and it has made your purchase process easier. If you liked this article, please be sure to leave us a comment and share it with your family and friends!
(Source of featured image: Edhar Yuralaits: 22023108/ 123rf.com)
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