Touched By A Dell

While touch-screen LCDs boast slim looks and slick function, they’ve also carried a high price tag that kept most retail SMBs from being able to take advantage of the technology. Today, all that changes with Dell’s announcement of a new, inexpensive touch screen that sells for a surprisingly low $499.

You Can Touch This: Dell’s new touch-screen monitor costs nearly half the price for standard LCD displays, making it a viable, affordable option for SMBs.

According to Brian Slaughter, a senior marketing manager at Dell, the 15-inch Dell E153FPT pricing will make it possible for SMB retailers to incorporate touch-screen technology into Dell’s standards-based point-of-service (POS) solutions (cash drawer, PC, monitor and various Dell-partnered third-party hardware for printing receipts and scanning credit cards).

“Typically, touch-screens cost twice as much as a regular flat-panel monitor,” he said. “The improved pricing will make it easier for SMBs to add touch-screen technology to their POS systems. The technology is more efficient, it decreases transaction times, and it saves coveted retail space,” said Slaughter.

The Target Audience
Dell sees retailers as its main target audience, primarily because that industry hires younger, more intuitive workers and experiences rapid turnover. Teaching workers to use touch-screen technology is simple and helps retailers save money on training hours.

“A touch-screen processes basic input and responses,” says Slaughter. “It essentially replaces a mouse. And because it’s graphical, retailers, especially those in the food service or manufacturing industries, can substitute images for words and not worry whether their employees can read English,” he said.

Slaughter said that touch-screen monitors also work well in self-service situations. “Touch-screens work with any Windows application,” he said, “You can get away with just a screen mounted on a wall or sitting on a counter. It’s a great solution for kiosks or for providing customers with specialized information.”

Availability And Specs
The Dell Dell E153FPT starts shipping today &#151 November 15 &#151 and you can buy it direct from the company’s Web site.

Vital Statistics:

• Screen Size &#151 15 inches
• Measurements &#151 11.6 x 13.5 x 9.3 inches
• Tilt Factor &#151 Tilts to 135 degrees to accommodate different heights
• Price &#151 $499

Lauren Simonds is the managing editor of SmallBusinessComputing.com