There are two kinds of touch screen displays. The more conventional display is the CRT or the Cathode Ray Tube, whereas the LCD or the Liquid Crystal Display is the more modern display technology. Most people know about the Cathode Ray Tube from the good old television set but LCD is a newer, less common kind of display.

Despite its apparent newness, LCD is making big waves in display technology. LCD is gaining in popularity primarily because it saves both space and energy. Combined with a touch screen display and LCD, display is the hallmark of todays age. An LCD touch screen is more compact, efficient, and like any other touch screen it is easy to use.

The touch screen LCD display is best understood when seen in comparison with its more established predecessor: the CRT touch screen. The absolutely divergent technologies make the CRT and the LCD display characteristics very different. Not only that, but LCD also has an edge when it comes to size. LCD monitors are compact and lightweight. Typically, an LCD touch screen will take up only a third of the space occupied by a CRT touch screen of the same size.

Newer LCD screens are available even in 15- and 17-inch sizes. Until recently, 17-inch touch screens used only CRT monitors. As LCD screens are flat, the viewing area is also larger in comparison to a CRT monitor. That is, a 17-inch CRT monitor will have a viewing area of only about 16 inches where an LCD monitor will have the complete 17 inches.

On the downside, LCD touch screens do not display all colors and also cant display multiple resolutions as well as CRT displays. Despite these limitations, LCD users are favoring touch screens. In fact, smart phones are the most commonly used LCD touch screens.