Mobile phones and tablets like the iPad have a capacitive touch screen. That means the screen will only respond to touch commands from human fingers and not the stylus pen that may have come with your old PDA.

Is iPad a resistive screen?

Touch Screen Technology

Two primary types of touch screens exist in consumer devices: resistive and capacitive. ... In contrast, capacitive touch screens, such as those used in iPads, use a finger's electrical conductivity to disrupt the screen's own electrostatic field.

What type of touch screen does an iPad have?

The iPad screen is a 9.7-inch LCD display protected by a scratch-resistant sheet of glass. Apple coats this screen with an oleophobic substance designed to repel the oils left by your fingertips, allowing you to wipe the screen clean easily.