Turn Your Laptop into a Touch Screen

[Jimmy 2004]

NAVIsis has demonstrated an interesting new product at this year's CeBIT, with its LaptopTablet, a device which allows you to turn a normal LCD notebook screen into a touch screen to give it features similar to tablet PCs. You simply attach it to the side of the screen, plug it into a USB port and start writing/ drawing. The recommended price is $130 and more information can be found here - presumably it works with all LCD screens, not just notebooks, but it looks like it could potentially scratch them if there isn't a screen guard.


View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Casheti]

I always knew something like this would come out one day. Well done, I want one.

 

[DaJMasta]

Looks cool.... but it's just asking to do damage to your laptop screen. They aren't built to stand up to the writing, and definitely aren't positioned well to support the screen flexing and the strain on the hinges.

 

[Mussels]

whats to stop us throwing it on a desktops LCD?

 

[kwchang007]

the screen is probably going to get scratched, and the problem with standard laptop is their screens don't flip like tablets, it's be awkward unless you were standing above the laptop/screen

 

[Azn Tr14dZ]

Still a good innovation though, and I'm sure that most people who use this will have a screen protector.

 

[DaMulta]

I want

 

[Wile E]

After I finally get a widescreen lcd, i would really like one of these. I think it's a great innovation.

 

[randomperson21]

don't those things already exist? i saw a compiz demo using one once... idk if this is really new.

 

[Easy Rhino]

cool but i have no use for it

 

[ex_reven]

The only good use i can think of is for graphic work.
And who wants to spend all day drawing on the screen with their arm at that awkward angle. Graphics tablets exist for a reason, they are probably more accurate too.

 

[Easy Rhino]

yea i have a feeling this isnt the most accurate thing in the world. probably just meant for light work.

 

[ex_reven]

If they made improvements on its pickup level in terms of Points per minute, and made LCD's scratchproof. It would be an awesome tool, considering the cost and the small size of most graphics tablets.

A quality graphics tablet the size of a laptop LCD costs in the thousands of dollars...

 

[Casheti]

I wonder how this actually works...some sort of laser grid?

Well...maybe not lasers, but some sort of projected grid perhaps.

 

[ex_reven]

Its usually infrared if the computers textbook i read last is correct.
For touch screens they used infrared, im not sure about in this case though, it isnt exactly a touch screen.

But yeah what they do usually is have two infrared beams, one horizontally and one vertically. Wherever a beam is interupted is given an (x,y) value according to horizontal and vertical location and thats where your cursor or pen or whatever is located.

Which is whats strange about this as it has no vertical beam. They probably just find the horizontal point along which the persons finger exists by measuring the time it takes for the infrared to bounce back or something to that effect.

 

[Casheti]

Obviously there is some calibration required

 

[ex_reven]

Obviously there is some calibration required

No why?
It would be calibrated in the factory...

 

[WarEagleAU]

if they make it a bit more sturdy and with a screen protector...this would definately be an interesting buy. It would be cool if you could surf, type and navigate really easily, in place of a keyboard. That way, I would get away without a kb on my wifes comp Im gonna build.

 

[ex_reven]

if they make it a bit more sturdy and with a screen protector...this would definately be an interesting buy. It would be cool if you could surf, type and navigate really easily, in place of a keyboard. That way, I would get away without a kb on my wifes comp Im gonna build.

What !?!?
You want a $130 keyboard LOL

 

[Jimmy 2004]

No why?
It would be calibrated in the factory...

It might need calibration - think of all the different screen sizes there are, and how the relative positions would change.

 

[ex_reven]

It wouldnt change. What you draw on the screen is what you get.

It would need calibration to upscale or downscale what you write/draw, but if your writing in the size that you want to get output at it shouldnt change.

In the pic the writing came out on screen the same size the guy wrote it at, and it was converted to text anyway. Seems kinda pointless for that...

 

[Exavier]

It wouldnt change. What you draw on the screen is what you get.

Even an A5 tablet (8x11?) skews on a 22" display, you'd get some form of relative size/perspective error...unless they bought out "calibrated for __" models.

Also, somewhere someone's already made a ghetto version of this using an old Dell screen and a tablet...search around, I can't remember links (might find later when on different PC)
but basically he tore out the sensors behind the tablet surface and placed it in the back of his monitor.
Looked awesome we all know ghetto is the way to gho..

 

[Triprift]

Good idea even tho like easy rhino i woudnt have no use for it.

 

[Easy Rhino]

wow, way to revive an old thread