@futurebird

Accountants and investors *love* them because they're cheaper to make. Who cares what users prefer, right?

Although I have noticed that some car makers might have been listening and will NOT be following Tesla's lead and instead return to physical controls that can be felt while driving. It would be nice if other UI's did the same.

@futurebird I can't stand them, I used to be able to do things by feel while driving or adjust the washer dryer at night in dim or no light and now they demand full light and attention. Not to mention my cat can accidentally turn them on. This is not accessible to many people also.

The only use case I like is my bedside light where the entire base works, not just a tiny button, so sleepy me awakened in an emergency can just reach out and touch that thing to get light no fumbling.

@futurebird

This is an important question. Apparently it's now a 'feature' when cars have tactile buttons instead of touch controls. Because that's how terrible touch controls are.

@futurebird If the whole device doubles as a power button, like some lamps, I won't complain.

But I really want the device to be tactile, at least a little bit! I find it too easy to fatfinger things otherwise...

@futurebird I can’t stand touch controls.

I do some work in live audio. Using a mixer and a rack full of equipment with knobs, buttons and faders was so much nicer than touchscreen consoles.

Now… a lot of the automation is better now. But it doesn’t feel right.

Old school:

@futurebird It depends. In my car or on a remote or something like that? Absolutely not.

The buttons on my stove, though? I actually like those being capacitive. So much easier to wipe down.

Also prefer them on ear wireless earbuds. The ones I had with physical buttons, I felt like I was driving them down into my ear canals when I operated them.

I think it really depends on the application and the thought and care that went into the design, and it's something that can be done well.

@futurebird Standard push button and rotary HVAC (and other critical systems) in vehicles are priceless. Don't have to look away from road to hunt and find a minute icon buried three levels deep in a menu, just to lower fan speed, etc.

Think of pull-lever parking brake versus electo-button, or disappearance of key lock on passenger-side door. Gone. Because it's cheaper/easier for the manufacturer to produce.

So so much foisted in the name of convenience is really only driven by cost-cutting.

@futurebird

I want buttons I can feel, that need to be pressed to do something. Especially for headphones; most of my headphones listening, I have the lights off and my eyes closed. Also, having headphones change volume, turn on or off, etc, because my hair brushed something is horrid.

@futurebird Tactile feedback is something I really value (and absolutely essential for visually impaired people), and touch controls do not have that. Give me buttons, switches, levers, dials... all the mechanical things!

I disabled the touch control on my headphones because I have no need to use them (between buttons and my phone), and all it does is get in the way if I leave them enabled.