This has been a point of contention between me and Alan for a while now and though there are other articles out there on the subject there's got to be room for one more.
So, why do touch screens suck?
1. Tactility
This is a major flaw that will never really be resolved with current LCD technology. There's no response to when you press the button, you can't tell without looking at the machine itself whether or not you have actually done what you intended to do. This of course is a big issue when it comes to skipping a song or whatever when the the mp3 players in your pocket or anything of that nature.
2. Smudges
Different screen surfaces can allay this weakness there's no avoiding grubby fingers on your viewing area. Even the fact that you have to obscure your view on a device in order to operate is counter intuitive. It just doesn't make sense.
3. Gimmicky Trash
Touch controls are such a gimmick they encourage developers to create gimmicky trash. It's not like phones are known for their quality third party software but touch controls definitely do not aid matters. Gimmick gives birth to further gimmick until we are drowned in useless, eye candy emptiness.
4. Tangential Technology
Finally, touch screens are a product of "Why not?" technology. What I mean by this is that there is no real need or benefit to a touch screen, the only reason it exists is that it is possible and it sounds good. It's tangential in that it isn't truly a part of any technology chain, it is not where technology is going. Why would anything that forces a user to place something between him and a screen be a step forward. Touch screen is just a dead end.
Now, I'm not saying that touch screen doesn't have it's applications. I see it put to good use in restaurant systems and such but for mobile devices it's just a false prophet. It falls short in what it promises and takes lot in exchange. So I would urge the world to join me in anticipation of the true successor to tactile buttons.
Whatever the hell that might be.
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