If I upgrade to windows 8 and purchase an external monitor for my laptop with touch screen capabilities will I be able to use touch on the external monitor? My laptop itself does not have touch screen.
touch monitor would work in your laptop.
when you buy a touch monitor it comes with a USB port so have to connect it to your laptop/pc to get the touch capabilities. so you have to plug 2 cables: the normal vga/hdmi for image and the USB for touch. and that's how touch monitors work, and can give touch to "any" computer.