Chances are that you’re not new to computers.  By now, most people have owned several computers in their lives.  Few, however, have ever purchased a touch screen laptop.  Luckily, there isn’t much more to know about purchasing a good touch screen laptop computer.

One thing you may want to consider is the type of screen that the touch screen laptop computer has.  It’s easy to find out what your preference will be.  There are basically two finishes found on a touch screen computer.  They matte and shiny.  Different people have have their favorite but I prefer the matte finish.  I think it shows less glare and fingerprints don’t show up as easily.

Normally people go to great lengths not to touch their computer screens to avoid getting fingerprints on it.  Now the touch screen computer is becoming more popular, touching the touch screen is an inherent part of the user experience.  I personally tend to notice more fingerprints and glare on a glossy touch screen.

Some touch screen laptops only recognize touch from an electronic digital stylus.  This may not be an issue for you but it is to me.  I prefer being able to just reach up and touch the touch screen computer with my finger if I choose to.  An example of this would be when sending an email.  After you type an email, it’s really nice to be able to just reach up and touch the send button on the touch screen with your finger.  If the touch screen laptop computer that you purchase requires a digital stylus, you’ll find yourself searching for the stylus every time you want to make a selection on the touch screen.  This can be a bit of a nuisance.

The touch screen laptop computer should be responsive to your touch input.  If you find yourself having to touch the touch screen computer over and over to get it to recognize your input, the touch screen isn’t very responsive and it would be wise to move on to a touch screen laptop compuer that is more responsive to touch.

Some touch screen laptops are capable of recognizing your handwriting and converting it to typed text.  This is a very handy aspect of touch screen laptops.  I would suggest that you buy one that can do this.  Not all of them are equal.  Some work better than others.  Keep in mind that the software usually has to learn to recognize your handwriting so it may not work perfectly in the store.  You generally need to write with a stylus for this to work.  Is the stylus that comes with the touch screen laptop comfortable to write with or is it a little tiny thing that barely fits in your hand?  You’ll like writing with a stylus that has the feel of a regular pen or pencil.  If the stylus that comes with it is cheap and uncomfortable to write with, can you buy a different stylus for it?  These are things worth asking the sales person before you hand over your hard earned cash.

Next comes the subject of multi touch.  More and more touch screen laptops support multi touch now days.  Multi touch means that you can touch the touch screen at more than one place on the screen at once and the computer will recognize both touch points.  The HP Touchsmart is one touch screen computer that supports multi touch.  The Apple iPad also supports multi touch.  The iPad has revolutionized touch screen laptops.  When Apple first introduced the iPad, it was an instant hit with consumers.  Apple sold over a million iPads in just a month.

Finally, you want to have a look inside the touch screen laptop computer.  I’m not suggesting that you break out your tools and take the computer apart.  What I mean is you should have a look at the specifications.

• Buy the fastest processor you can afford.
• A dedicated video card with it’s own RAM is also a nice feature.  I wouldn’t settle for anything less than 2 GB of RAM and I would recommend 4 GB.
• A card reader is also a handy feature to have.  With a card reader you can simply insert the memory card from your digital camera into a slot on the computer and it will instantly download your photos.
• Large hard drives are king.  Get one with a huge hard drive.  Most people wouldn’t believe that they could actually fill up a 100 GB hard drive but with digital cameras coming with more and more megapixel’s these days, their file size can easily be 5 MB each.  It’s easy to fill your hard drive to capacity with nothing more than pictures.  Get the largest hard drive you can afford.
• A DVD reader/writer should come on all laptops these days.  If the model that you are looking at doesn’t have this, I would move on to one that does.
• Battery life is always an important consideration when buying a touch screen laptop.  Buy one with the longest battery life.  Nothing is more annoying than a dead battery after only an hour of working on the computer.
• I prefer a touch pad to the little eraser like pointing device found on many touch screen laptops.
• Of course, the computer should come with several USB ports.

You’re going to have to pay more for a quality touch screen laptop.  Unfortunately it’s still a relatively new technology for laptop computers.  As with most electronic devices, the cost will come down dramatically in the future but for now you’ll have to hand over a bit more cash if you want the latest and greatest.

If you buy an Apple iPad, you’ll be one of the millions who are enjoying this new type of touch screen computer.   Apple sold over two million iPads before the iPad had been on the market for even 60 days.  I think the overwhelming success of the iPad is an indication of how popular touch screen laptops will be in the near future.

Owning a touch screen computer is a bit of a novelty right now but someday soon all laptops will have a touchscreen. The number of manufacturers who are making have a touch screen computer in their lineup is growing every day. Someday, the touchscreen interface will replace buttons on all electronic devices. The touchscreen is just so much easier to use than buttons and switches. It’s also a lot more fun to use. That’s why the iPad is so popular. People really seem to enjoy playing with them. Although the novelty factor hasn’t worn off just yet. People will someday not even think that a touchscreen laptop is anything special. Right now, they are fairly new and exciting. If you have a touchscreen laptop, you are one of the kids with the “cool toy”. Everyone will envy you.

Thanks for visiting my site on touch screen laptop computer info. If you are looking to buy a touch screen laptop, we have some amazing deals right now for you to choose from.

Many people require a touch screen laptop that can withstand the most rigorous of conditions.  Let’s face it, laptop computers are portable devices and anything that is designed to be carried around and used is likely to get dropped.  If you are a superintendent on a construction site, you are going to be using your touch screen laptop in conditions that are quite different than someone who sits in an office all day.  Your touch screen laptop will be exposed to bumps, dust, and moisture that the average laptop will never see.

The Panasonic Toughbook line of laptop computers has a reputation for being the heartiest laptops on the market.  They come with a magnesium alloy case as opposed to the plastic cases that most laptops come with. They are moisture resistant.  The hard drive it is even supported on shock resistant mounts.

Specifications:

• Operating system – Windows 7
• CPU – Intel Core i5-540M (2.53GHz vPro)
• Display – 13.3″ XGA touchscreen 1000nit
• Storage – 160Gig (520M and P8400 CPU) or 250Gig (540M CPU) hard drive
• Memory- 2Gig SDRAM (DDR3 on i5 and i3 CPU model, DDR2 on P8400 CPU model) standard, can be expanded up to 8Gig
• Audio -Integrated stereo speakers
• Expansion slot – PC Card Type II x 1, SD memory card (SDHC)
• Wireless – 802.11a/b/g/n,  bluetooth
• Battery life – Between 4 an 8 hours depending upon type of battery that is installed
• Weight -  7.9 lbs
• Dimensions – 11.3” x 14.0” x 2.0”
• Warranty - 3 years

If you are in the market for a touch screen laptop and you require one that will stand up to some serious abuse you should consider the Panasonic Toughbook 52.

Click here to buy the Panasonic Toughbook 52 for only $1399!