How does the touch screen work?

I'm not a technical guy, but I do know that the iPad screen works by sensing the electrical capacitance of your fingers. It is not a pressure-sensitive screen like those used in some smartphones, PDAs and gaming devices that use a traditional stylus. That is why, if you choose to use a stylus with an iPad, you have to get a capacitive one that is specifically designed for that purpose.

Google is your friend.

This explains it pretty well (the iPad uses the same basic technology):

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/iphone1.htm

Message was edited by: Dave Sawyer