The touch screen is an important source of input and output devices, usually layered on top of the electronic visual display of the information processing system. The user can touch the screen with a special stylus and/or one or more fingers to enter or control the information processing system through simple or multi-touch gestures. Some touch screens use plain or specially coated gloves to work, while others only use special stylus/pens. Users can use the touch screen to react to what is displayed and control how it is displayed; For example, zoom to increase the text size.
Touch screens enable users to interact directly with what is displayed, rather than using a mouse, touchpad, or any other intermediate device (except for a stylus, most modern touch screens are optional).
Touch screens are common in devices such as game consoles, personal computers, tablets, electronic voting machines and smartphones. They can also be connected to computers or, as terminals, to networks. They also play an important role in the design of digital devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some e-readers.