LINC has purchased its first flat panel monitor, and customized it to include a built in touchscreen with built-in speakers, a microphone and a 2-port USB hub. The 18.1" LCD screen is being used in the LINC Resource Lab for individual consultations for consumers with varying disabilities. LINC has also upgraded the software for the other touchscreens available in the loan library (Magic Touch from KeyTec and TouchWindow from Edmark), to ensure compatibility to the many new operating systems that are now on the market. The touchscreens have been set up to work with the Windows Millennium Edition (ME) and XP, and Macintosh OS 9.2 and OS X.

Touchscreens can be borrowed from the LINC lending library for up to five weeks at a time. LINC consumers have found the touch screens to be affordable solutions that easily mount externally on the monitor of your Macintosh or PC. The touch screen allows software programs to be accessed by the touch of a finger to make selections, move objects, and pull down menus.

The Magic Touch touchscreens are made of glass and the Edmark TouchWindows are made of plastic. If the user is prone to hit or be rough with the touchscreen, the Edmark TouchWindow is recommended.

The touchscreen includes either a serial or a USB cable. Be sure to know what kind of port your computer has before ordering.