Touch screen shattered

renegadefm

We have a touch screen computer screen where I work about 8 inches by 8 inches square, its not like a laptop touch screen or something, its just used for punching in information like lorry and vehicle weights, but yesterday as I was touching it or pressed the screen putting the info in it suddenly shattered. Did I press it too hard or something, I didnt assume I did.

[Deleted User]

renegadefm wrote: »

Did I press it too hard or something,

Definitely one of those options.

Neil_Jones

It'll be a broken digitizer, that's the part of touchscreen technology that responds to touch, it basically sits on top of the screen. Same principle as mobile phones and tablets.

They don't break on their own, in the case of phones and tablets it usually because they've been dropped. For bigger items like touchscreen PC's, it'll be be because they've been pressed too hard or stabbed.

arciere

Neil_Jones wrote: »

It'll be a broken digitizer, that's the part of touchscreen technology that responds to touch, it basically sits on top of the screen. Same principle as mobile phones and tablets.

I wouldn't be so sure, especially if it's an old device. I wouldn't be surprised if it used resistive touch screen instead of capacitive (which could explain the need to apply more force).

Neil_Jones

The age of the device is probably immaterial to be honest, it'll be more whichever technology it uses.

Resistive touch is more common as its stronger and more resistant to "user damage" (as such), such as where they're used in touchscreen devices - things like library self-serve machines and ATMs for example. So it'll be designed to withstand quite a bit of abuse in a nutshell.

Capacitive touch can be lighter and thinner (and cheaper) and provides more feedback, however it can break quite easily and doesn't respond when you're tapping it with gloves on.

But at the end of the day it's broken whatever it uses
Company may have insurance or a policy to claim on (or a supplier) as if its a bespoke system they probably wouldn't be able to nip down to PC World to get another one.

sal_III

arciere wrote: »

I wouldn't be so sure, especially if it's an old device. I wouldn't be surprised if it used resistive touch screen instead of capacitive (which could explain the need to apply more force).

Resistive screens are usually softer/plasticy and I don't think they shatter easily if at all.

Chino

Neil_Jones wrote: »

It'll be a broken digitizer

How would a broken digitizer of itself cause the screen to shatter?

renegadefm wrote: »

as I was touching it or pressed the screen putting the info in it suddenly shattered

There's no suggestion by the OP that he or she was having to press unusually hard on the screen to get their touches recognised.

AndyPix

It will be a resistive screen in that application so that it can be used with gloves/oily fingers etc ..


But that is immaterial - It didn't break because you looked at it funny, you pressed it too hard and broke it !

A_Lert

You used it normally. You didn't punch it or hit it with metal. It must have already been damaged to break like that - maybe it got dropped recently, or left out in the freezing cold, or something.

oldernonethewiser

Or maybe it never happened?

Neil_Jones

Chino wrote: »

How would a broken digitizer of itself cause the screen to shatter?

A lot of people use terms interchangeably. The screen itself may not be broken but in a touchscreen solution to the digitizer sits on top and is more likely to be the first thing to break.

Of course the OP hasn't provided any updates so for all we know both might be broken. We're working blind.