TFTF#2 : How to get touchscreen feature on your laptop.

Always wanted a touchscreen laptop, but got disheartened by the extra bucks on the price tag? Or if the price seems right, the lack of performance such devices offer. After all, it's a novelty feature which most of us would rarely use. But now, for a convenient price, you get to add touch screen functionality to any laptop you own. From the house of Neodrome, behold the Airbar. 

How it works?

The Neonode AirBar is available in 3 variants, spanning all popular screen sizes (15.6 inch, 14.0 inch, 13.3 inch). Just plug in the USB with the bar and place it at the bottom of the screen, where it fixes using magnets. It is remarkably simple. It instantaneously installs the required drivers, and viola! Your laptop now supports touch screen functionality.

A stream of invisible light field creates a grid, which when interrupted by your fingers or a stylus, mimics touch functionality.

 The Experience

The bar is sleek and stylish, and easily attaches with the included magnets. It supports features such as pinch and zoom and is adequately responsive...It can detect upto two fingers, but do make sure they are not in the same vertical line(maybe its because the field projects from below) . While it's not as good as in inbuilt touch, it comes close enough to be useful.

It works with Windows 7,8 and 10, and ChromeOS. Macs, with their traditional compatibility issues, compounded with the absence of any code for touch, are yet to support this.
It also factors in user behaviour ie. you may damage your laptop if you try to shut the screen with bar bar attached. So, when you try to do that, the bar lets out a warning beep, which is a pretty nifty feature.

The Verdict

At 69$ (approx. Rs. 4700) , a universal touchscreen is a killer deal. While it may be rough around the edges, you'd probably be okay with that in a touch screen. After all, its not an everyday thing.




Website: http://www.air.bar/