{"id":4967,"date":"2018-02-01T10:00:46","date_gmt":"2018-02-01T10:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/?p=4967"},"modified":"2021-11-04T21:03:02","modified_gmt":"2021-11-04T21:03:02","slug":"5-best-hardware-options-interactive-display-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/5-best-hardware-options-interactive-display-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"5 of the Best Hardware Options for Interactive Display Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you curious about the different types of hardware available for <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/touchscreen-experiences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">touchscreen experiences<\/a> or interactive display solutions?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Touchscreens, or interactive displays, are a brilliant way to connect with your customers, tell more engaging stories, and improve engagement with all kinds of interactivity &#8211; you can be as creative as you like. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But you may be wondering about the type of hardware you\u2019re going to need when it comes to your interactive sales tool displays, and what\u2019s best suited to your needs. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Interactive-touchscreen-Royal-Mint-7-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"Royal Mint interactive digital software displayed using several large monitors across coin decorated walls\" class=\"wp-image-463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Interactive-touchscreen-Royal-Mint-7-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Interactive-touchscreen-Royal-Mint-7-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Interactive-touchscreen-Royal-Mint-7-768x433.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Interactive-touchscreen-Royal-Mint-7.jpg 1028w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>An immersive touchscreen experience that connects visitors with the heritage and craftsmanship behind the <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/case-studies\/the-royal-mint-touchscreen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Royal Mint&#8217;s<\/a> coins.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As touchscreen specialists, we\u2019re going to talk you through all of your main hardware options, along with any pros and cons of each. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But first\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The key thing to remember about interactive displays<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we go any further, it\u2019s important to point out that an interactive touchscreen display is made up of two parts; the software (i.e. the visual experience, including the content, images, video and interactivity), and the hardware. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s very similar to viewing a website &#8211; the website and browser is the software and you need the hardware, a computer like a Mac or PC, to view it. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article will exclusively cover the hardware side of things, however, it\u2019s really the visual side (software) that\u2019s most important, as that\u2019s where you create an experience that will keep your audience engaged, and interacting with your content and brand. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The best touchscreen hardware options compared<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Below, we\u2019re going to take a closer look at the three main hardware options in terms of touchscreens, so you can better determine which one (or which combination) might best suit your situation. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Wall-mounted <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a wall-mounted interactive display, like our experience for <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/case-studies\/antillion\/\" data-type=\"case-studies\" data-id=\"446\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Antillion<\/a>, sizes range from 32\u201d right up to 98\u201d for single displays. However, there\u2019s also the option to join any combination of sizes together in order to create an interactive video wall. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9117\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Antillion-interactive-touchscreen-intuiface-multitouch-interactive-display-2.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Advantages: <\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They take up very little floor space as they can be mounted flat against a wall<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a huge range of different options and sizes and they are very competitively priced<\/span><\/li><li>They are attention-grabbing as the full screen can be visible to people<\/li><li>As with all touchscreens when not in use as a touchscreen you can display any content on them that you would on a normal display<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Disadvantages:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They can be very heavy, so will need to be securely wall-mounted on solid walls. Stands are available, but these can be bulky and not very presentable<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not particularly private &#8211; not great for those entering private or personal information as other people can see what you are doing<\/span><\/li><li>A lot of people can be self-conscious using a screen in public, especially a wall mounted one, as everybody can see what they are doing<\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In most cases, you\u2019ll need a separate PC attached to run the experience which needs to be hidden somewhere near to the screen. Some wall-mounted touchscreens have built-in PCs which can run Windows or Android but these will probably only be powerful enough for simple experiences<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If it\u2019s too large, it can be quite difficult for users to interact with as a touchscreen, they may have to reach around the screen and they may not be good for people with accessibility needs.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Free-standing <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In terms of free-standing touchscreens, there are fewer options in terms of size. The most popular free-standing interactive display solutions include tables &#8211; as we used for <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/case-studies\/ebbsfleet\/\" data-type=\"case-studies\" data-id=\"292\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ebbsfleet Garden City<\/a>, or kiosks and lectern-style screens (waist height and angled). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/touchscreen-interactive-construction-touchtable-ebbsfleet-popcomms-4.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Interactive touchscreen table as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/case-studies\/ebbsfleet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ebbsfleet Garden City&#8217;s<\/a> consultation suite <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><b><strong>Advantages<\/strong>:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tend to be more flexible, as they can be moved around<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are more private for a user <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comfortable to use, as they\u2019re not big (usually a maximum of 55\u201d), so don\u2019t need a user to reach around the screen and are usually waist height<\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Easier to use for people with accessibility needs <\/span><\/li><li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tables are particularly impressive and good for groups and young people to use as they can stand around the screens<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><b><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong>:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kiosks and lecterns aren\u2019t so good for groups as only designed for one or two people to use<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tables can be quite expensive and bulky so not easy to move around <\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Handheld<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The third main option will be iPads or tablets. You could easily have a few of these available for people to interact with for a more personal experience. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Advantages:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">May feel more familiar to use than some of the other options on this list <\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A convenient\/easily portable size &#8211; plus, they don\u2019t take up much space<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More private\/personal &#8211; great for single users and for entering private information like an email address or phone number<\/span><\/li><li>Plenty of options are reasonably inexpensive<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><b>Disadvantages:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps less visually impressive, as they tend to be much smaller<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not particularly good for groups <\/span><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-pop-pink-color\">S<strong>ome more unusual options&#8230;<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, let\u2019s go over a couple of more unusual interactive display solutions; through-glass touchscreens. These aren\u2019t ones you\u2019ll see every day, but they can look pretty impressive! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Through-glass projections<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This essentially means projecting onto clear glass, such as a shop front. A special film is placed onto the screen which turns it into a touchscreen. These are great for retail shops that are glass fronted.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Interactive glass <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this case, the glass has a special film inside which can show images, and is interactive. So, if you place a physical object behind the glass (such as the headphones below), you can overlay imagery on top. This is great if you have an object behind the glass that is precious and you don\u2019t want people to touch but interact with in some way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Hypebox-Beispiel-6-Headphones_Showcase_Werbuing-1030x548-1024x545-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10263\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Hypebox-Beispiel-6-Headphones_Showcase_Werbuing-1030x548-1024x545-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Hypebox-Beispiel-6-Headphones_Showcase_Werbuing-1030x548-1024x545-1-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Hypebox-Beispiel-6-Headphones_Showcase_Werbuing-1030x548-1024x545-1-768x409.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-pop-pink-color\"><strong>How is the software run on the touchscreen? <\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we mentioned above, the screens will also need a PC attached that runs the experience. Unlike the big boxes that sit under your desk, you can get very small PCs (such as a NUC or Raspberry Pi) which can be stuck to the back of the screen, or hidden behind. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re using a kiosk, table or lectern, the small PC would be hidden inside the casing, so it wouldn\u2019t be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The experience you\u2019re running, and its complexity, will dictate how powerful the PC needs to be, but this is something your chosen touchscreen developer will be able to work with you on. They should be able to suggest the best PC for your particular experience.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-pop-pink-color\"><strong>The main considerations when selecting your hardware<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The key thing to remember here is that a touchscreen needs to be sympathetic to the space it\u2019s going to be placed in. It needs to be obvious to people that they can interact with it, and it must be approachable. People can be shy about using screens so you need to make it clear, easy and encourage them. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The screen should also be seen as part of the whole experience, rather than just being dropped into the space without considering the impact it has on the overall look and feel. For instance, in a stately home or museum, you might not want a giant touchscreen next to historic artefacts as it would be incongruous. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With this in mind, screens can be branded, as well as having bespoke casing and enclosures, so that they\u2019re sympathetic to the space.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019d recommend talking to an interactive touchscreen specialist or agency before beginning to look at hardware, as apart from the physical space the screen is going into, the type of screen you need depends on the audience and the experience you want them to have.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right developer will have the experience to ask all the right questions, and better advice on the best interactive display solutions to use. They may even be able to source and install these for you &#8211; alternatively, you can source them from a hardware supplier. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-pop-pink-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"has-inline-color has-pop-pink-color\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks for reading. Hopefully we\u2019ve managed to give you some extra insight on the hardware options available for interactive display solutions. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember, an interactive touchscreen is split into two parts; the experience, and the hardware. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hardware should always be secondary, but this is something your chosen specialist can help advise you on based on aspects such as the type of interactivity you wish to achieve, and the surrounding space your interactive touchscreen is going into. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Would you like to learn more about creating an overall experience your customers would enjoy? Just get in touch  &#8211; we\u2019d love to hear from you! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you curious about the different types of hardware available for touchscreen experiences or interactive display solutions? Touchscreens, or interactive displays, are a brilliant way to connect with your customers, tell more engaging stories, and improve engagement with all kinds of interactivity &#8211; you can be as creative as you like. But you may be [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12132,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[113,105,102,131,101,98,85,175,136,225,239,229,170,86],"class_list":["post-4967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-touchscreens","tag-b2b-sales","tag-customer-centre","tag-events","tag-exhibition","tag-experience-economy","tag-interactive-content","tag-interactive-display-software","tag-interactive-experience","tag-interactive-sales-experiences","tag-interactive-sales-tool","tag-touch-screen-experience","tag-touch-screen-hardware","tag-touchscreens-for-events","tag-visual-storytelling"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.popcomms.com\/pop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}