Hello,
Thank you Joe for sharing your experiences and solid advice to the list. I
would like to add that touchscreens are not only durable, but also very
affordable nowadays, compared
to the situation in the '90s.
It's very easy to use standard software like PowerPoint (or the Open Office
equivalent) to make touch-friendly screen content.
I've recently used touchscreens in a project for libraries childrens'
departments, with a template based approach, so that staff can easily
update and change contents when needed. It's also set up to start
automatically when the computer is turned on - remember to turn off things
like energy saving mode, screensavers and timed log-in prompts! They are
not helpful to your users..
If using touchscreens to deliver Web based content, please bear in mind
they're not ideal for scrolling webpages or to operate small playback
controls like embedded multimedia content etc.
On a more horrific tip, after an open day at a museum, we discovered
somebody had vandalized two screens by etching their initials on them..
this happened in an non-staff area in an open storage collection. Not a
problem specifically related to touchscreen installation, but make sure
there are spare screens, in case one should need replacing.
Those plastic dummy screens IKEA put in their showcases would be ideal for
"temporarily-not-in-service" markers; what a shame IKEA aren't selling them!
Good luck with the project.
Best wishes,
Paul H
musedia
new media interpretation and evaluation
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At 10:41 2008-11-13 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
Hi all,
I'm considering using a touchscreen for an interactive in our new gallery,
and would be interested to hear how any of you have found them - in terms
of ease of use, reliability, and how long they've lasted. Horror stories
or success stories very welcome!
Thanks very much
Rosie Barker
Community Learning Officer
Aston Hall
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