Today at the International Casino Exhibition (ICE) 2011, Tyco Electronics has announced a brand new 22” multitouch monitor for Windows 7 called the Elo TouchSystems 2242L.
The 2242L isn’t as pretty as say the Dell SX2210T multitouch monitor but that’s because it’s designed to be used in casinos for gaming or concierge services so the actual unit is ruggedized to support a lot of use for a lot of people. It can also be used for point-of-sale (POS) applications, digital signage, kiosk information, and home control making this a “extreme” example of a desktop multitouch monitor. The 2242L uses Tyco Electronics’ special IntelliTouch Plus Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology which records two simultaneous touch locations from anywhere on the screen with 3 axes of touch information for an accurate multitouch experience. This technology offers several perks including being able to recognize location and amount of pressure applied, utilizing scratch-resistant glass surface that will allow the unit to continue to work if scratched, and being able to be used with a gloved hand or soft stylus. The unit is also widescreen as well and any extra screen space is always a good thing.
The Elo TouchSystems 2242L has received the Windows Touch AQ (Additional Qualification) and carries the Compatible with Windows 7 logo ensuring it works great with Windows 7.
I’ve got a unit running here in my office and it works great. I’ve been using it to play around with a variety of multitouch-capable apps for Windows 7. I discovered you can use your fingers to navigate the stars with the WorldWide Telescope from Microsoft Research – as if I am on the Starship Enterprise and scanning the solar system for weird anomalies. I’ve not found any anomalies though.
For more information on the Elo TouchSystems 2242L multitouch monitor, click here for the press release (PDF). You can also check out their product page.