Is there a way to turn a laptop screen into a touch screen for Windows 8

Question

I'm not sure if this is the best place to put this kind of question, but I have to ask...

Has anyone tried to convert their old 14" laptop screen into a touch screen that Windows 8 can use? I'm talking about actually using your fingers to interact with the screen, not some stylus or camera to do the same thing. Hopefully something that isn't too expensive.

Solution 1

Can't be done. Touch screens have sensors, your laptop doesn't. Any solution will involve big conversion dollars.

Solution 2

You're probably going to have to use something like this Touchscreen Overlay. Other than that, the only other option would be to buy a touch screen for that laptop or one that fits that laptop and replace your existing one which would probably be more expensive than just buying an overlay.

This particular overlay I found at walmart for about $110.00. You could probably get it cheaper online.

The provided link is for a resistive touchscreen... here is an excerpt from wiki Resistive Touchscreen:

"Because the touchscreen senses input from contact with nearly any object (finger, stylus/pen, palm) resistive touchscreens are a type of "passive" technology."

Comments

[Quentin]

touch overlays aren't all that cheap, will have to be removed before you can close the laptop, and I've no idea what the support for them in Windows 8 would be like.

[Admin]

^^ and they're a stylus solution

[Admin]

@mcalex Not true. See my answer below; there are resistive touchscreen overlays which can be used with your finger.

[Admin]

Try this link . . .It worked for me . . . techwikasta.com/2013/04/…

[Ramhound]

I doubt those overalys were design to function with Windows 8. The copyright notice on that page you linked to is two years old, which means, Windows 8 drivers don't likely exist.

[vane]

Just because this particular model may not be compatible with Windows 8 doesn't mean that there isn't one out there that is. I was simply providing an option for the OP to look into instead of just making a blanket statement of "it can't be done"; so why the down vote? Also, the specifications for the product in the link I provided lists Windows 7 as a compatible OS which gives it a better chance of working with Windows 8. Don't discredit it so quickly.

[Xavier Varricatt]

Say, does anyone know if we can examine how the drivers for touchscreens work in Windows 8? Maybe some fiddling of some sort cold be possible (It's a long shot, I know...)

[vane]

@XavierVarricatt Well, we can... Someone would just have to buy one and then examine them, try to have the company send them a "trial" or just call the vendor and see if they've done any kind of testing yet.