i've been looking at a few options for getting a touchscreen monitor (not a gigantic high def one just a normal monitor thats touch enabled) but i haven't found any way cheaper than 149.99 (overlay for 19" monitor) any of you had any better luck or advice?

I'm also interested in this

Got no advice but if anyone finds a VGA and a DVI 19" models i wanna know

You can find overlays for about 25 USD less...

I found some on newegg, but they're pretty expensive.

It also would depend on the capabilities. Multi touch, sensitivity and so on. If you're somewhat handy you should be able to build a surface table for not a ton of money if you get your materials off ebay.

The thing that bothers me about touchscreens is their relative lack of longevity, monitors with built in touch. Tablets and surface computers work pretty well but that's mostly because they're in a fairly comfortable position to begin with. The human body isn't designed (pardon the expression) to do small movements with your hands or arms in front of you. Imagine using a keyboard without resting your hands and arms on something, then you add the added shoulderstrain from keeping your hands raised in front of you. It's a cool novelty but I seriously doubt it's usefulness.

That's why they should make these monitors swivel horizontally and lay nearly flat on the desk. I suspect that there are quite a few on the market that do this already.

Only ones for sale I've seen doing this are wacom tablets. They have pretty neat ones with large screens but they cost a fortune and are limited in that they aren't multitouch and need pens.

IIRC you can buy touch screen kits that go over the screen - I've wanted one for a while now but I've never really looked around for them

I've looked at kits like that, calling them touch is a little misleading. It's more like a poke and pray interface.

lol that's what i was thinking, anyone here at BA have a touchscreen?

Are you asking for just a touchscreen or multi-touch?

Touchscreen can only register one touch at a time and there are plenty at newegg.

Multi-touch can register register 2 or more point at one time. Only Dell Latitude XT and HP Touchsmart has it and both of those need drivers. Note that multi-touch in HP Touchsmart only works on Windows 7 as there is no driver for Vista at this time.

id like a multi and only use win7 but if the price is to high ill go for the cheap one touch

So far, only multi-touch monitor that is embedded into the computer is on the market. There are many standalone multi-touch lcd prototypes but those are not for sale yet.

I have a 12.1" TFT touchscreen display. Cost about $700 when I got it.

We use them at work on the tills and they're single touch.

:/, so whats the cheapest price for a 19" touchscreen i would be able to find without it being crap?

At least $100 for an overlay, and at least $300 for a monitor. At least. And this is the dirt of the dirt.

hmm i think i might just get myself an overly then, went ot circuit city today they had a 22" touchscreen hoked up to a 64 bit dual core 2.6 ghz with 6gb ram - now thats just the world rubbing it in

you can build your own multitouch tablet with an old LCD, a webcam that is hacked up to see only IR light, and a IRtray that you place above the LCD... easy to build
Step1: take apart the LCD
step2: remove the protective backing from the LCD (so that light can pass through it)
step3: get a bright light or some LED lighting to either put in the sensor panel, or something like that so that you can actually see the LCD
step4: build a DFIR panel (peice of plexi-glass with a bunch of IR Led lights on the side)
step 5: google "homemade multitouch talbe instructions" and follow those for anything else (you will need some software to turn your webcam into an actual Multitouch device (i did it with vista, a cardboard box, and an old laptop... not too hard))

you may want to just get a cheap standard size (non-widescreen) tablet because it makes it easier to see the "touches"
if you want, make a whole desk that you can touch... it is really cool to mess with and tilting them are fun too...

unless its one of or laptops we only have crt we have a good 10 of those though lol.