Can we run a touchscreen alongside a standard monitor?

[override25]

Haven't been able to get a good answer to this question.

I plan on running my standard dual monitor setup + a small touchscreen for a total of 3.

The touchscreen will be used as a lunchpad of sorts, holding icons for my most used programs \ files, touch, launch, back to old school monitors.

It occurred to me that since the visible pointer would be on another screen, Windows might have to pull the pointer to the touchscreen to click, or might not know to pull it at all.

I foresee problems trying to run a touchscreen alongside a standard monitor. Anyone have experiance with this?

EDIT: Let me ask this a different way, question is a bit foggy...

When running a touch screen next to a regular LCD, can I "click" an icon (via touch) without affecting the pointer on my other screen?

 

[Goober]

I don't see what the issue would be. The only problem you may have is drivers for that touch screen, but I kind of doubt it. Do you have enough video out for this setup on your computer?

 

[override25]

I'm currently running my dual monitor setup under a geforce g100, and ill be adding a lower end video card to power the touchscreen.

 

[Goober]

Ok for the edit: To my knowledge no there is not a way because a touch screen monitor acts as a screen and as a simple mouse. You might be lucky to find some software that may fix that but don't get your hopes up for that.

 

[danperteet]

I have to bring up the fact that you will need a regular muose when the pointer is not on the touchscreen. As far as I am aware, Windows has never allowed you have have more than one pointer at a time.

 

[override25]

Ok for the edit: To my knowledge no there is not a way because a touch screen monitor acts as a screen and as a simple mouse. You might be lucky to find some software that may fix that but don't get your hopes up for that.

This seems to use 2 different driver files then, meaning the functionality of each device is independent. We can simultaneously run multiple keyboards, granted its a different kind of input to the machine, but I would assume that 2 different style pointing devices could run side by side in this model.

 

[override25]

Found this on another search

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouse_(computing)

Multiple-mouse systems

Some systems allow two or more mice to be used at once as input devices. 16-bit era home computers such as the Amiga used this to allow computer games with two players interacting on the same computer. The same idea is sometimes used in collaborative software, e.g. to simulate a whiteboard that multiple users can draw on without passing a single mouse around.
Microsoft Windows, since Windows 98, has supported multiple simultaneous pointing devices. Because Windows only provides a single screen pointer, using more than one device at the same time generally results in seemingly random movements of the pointer. However, the advantage of this support lies not in simultaneous use, but in simultaneous availability for alternate use: for example, a laptop user editing a complex document might use a handheld mouse for drawing and manipulation of graphics, but when editing a section of text, use a built-in trackpad to allow movement of the pointer while keeping his hands on the keyboard. Windows' multiple-device support means that the second device is available for use without having to disconnect or disable the first.
As of 2009, Linux distributions and other operating systems that use Xorg, such as OpenSolaris and FreeBSD, support unlimited numbers of pointers and keyboards.[citation needed]
There have also been propositions of having a single operator use two mice simultaneously as a more sophisticated means of controlling various graphics and multimedia applications.[35]

I really see no reason for a touchscreen to interact with the pointer, unless it had to pull the visible pointer to the touched spot.Thoughts?

 

[Goober]

I deal with touch screen POS systems, the touch on the screen uses the mouse for the OS to operate the screen. Its just the same that you cannot use two sound cards on a Windows box to have the same audio out from one application. Unless you can find software that can do this (I don't know of any) then you will not be able to do what you want.

Because Windows only provides a single screen pointer, using more than one device at the same time generally results in seemingly random movements of the pointer.

As of 2009, Linux distributions and other operating systems that use Xorg, such as OpenSolaris and FreeBSD, support unlimited numbers of pointers

If you want to run a linux box it seems that will be the easiet way to do what you want. :s

 

[clifford_cooley]

I have had more than one mouse/trackball connected at the same time. Both devices moves the same pointer.

I'm not positive, But I would think that using the touchpad would instantly move the pointer to the touchpad. And if you wanted to use the mouse afterwards you would have to move the pointer from the touchpad to the other monitors.

 

[override25]

It occurred to me that since the visible pointer would be on another screen, Windows might have to pull the pointer to the touchscreen to click, or might not know to pull it at all.

That's what I was trying to say here.

I think I'm going to give it a shot either way, well see once Christmas is over. I'll at least have it on one side.