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Touch, and Go Touch-based technology isn't just for the iPhone and iPad.

By Jonathan Blum

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Apple's iPhone and iPad are not the only things that work with a touch of the finger. Touch-based technology is finding its way into everything from laptops to printers to once-forgettable desktop PCs--some of which fill critical niches for the smaller enterprise.

Take the Acer Aspire Z5600, a 23-inch all-in-one touch-enabled desktop PC.

The unit packs a hefty 2.33GHz processor, as much as 8GB of RAM and a full terabyte (1000GB) of storage in a single silver enclosure. Reminiscent of the Apple iMac in appearance, the Aspire Z5600's functions can be operated with either a traditional keyboard and mouse or your--or your customer's--fingers.

That opens the box to myriad business possibilities: For example, the PC, which retails for $999, could be set up as a low-cost informational kiosk in retail shops or offices. John Karabian, a product manager at Acer, said touch-enabled desktops are being used as data entry points where customers can order food or view high-end cosmetics options at a retail store.

And for all of its marketing prowess, Apple is far from being today's top end of touch: Windows 7 has touch technology built into its core operating system, and third-party software vendors are lining up to offer value-added tools for touch.

"The iPad and Apple are only the beginning," says Francois Jenneau, sales and business development director for Stantum, a European multitouch display application developer. "Customers now want to touch their data. There is no going back."

Jonathan Blum is a freelance writer and the principal of Blumsday LLC, a Web-based content company specializing in technology news.

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