Comparison Garmin Edge 840 vs Garmin Edge 540

Touch screen — similar to those used in modern smartphones. Allows you to control the cycle computer by touching the image on the display.

Such control itself often turns out to be more convenient and visual than traditional buttons: you can display a variety of controls (lists, switches, sliders, etc.) on the screen, as well as explanations for them, which allows you to make the most of the device simple and intuitive. In addition, touch screens are extremely convenient for maps and navigation.

In general, it makes no sense to install touch screens in simple devices with basic capabilities, but they can be very useful for advanced models with extensive functionality. However, even among these models, touch displays are rare, due to a number of reasons. Firstly, for comfortable work, the screen must be quite large — however, even in the most advanced bike computers, its diagonal usually does not exceed 3.5", and in some it does not even reach 2.5". This is quite a bit for a touch screen. Secondly, it is almost impossible to work with the sensor by touch — unlike the buttons; and the probability of accidentally clicking “in the wrong place”, especially on the go, in this case is much higher. Thirdly, it is difficult to work with such devices in closed-type gloves (without cut off fingers): such gloves must have special inserts on the fingers, and the accuracy of pressing decreases noticeably — which can be critical, given the already mentioned small screen sizes.