I have a 2011 F150 lariat trim truck, and it is not only swanky on the inside, but isn't phased at all by hauling timber, logs or back woods dirt trails that smaller vehicles get stuck in.

One of my favorite features, though, is that there is NO touchscreen. Every control is a physical button or knob, and I can use any of them from touch and muscle memory alone.

I fully expect the truck to survive another 200k miles or so, but dread the day I have to get something newer.

Also with gloves. Large parts of the planet may appreciate that.

Physical buttons are so much more durable.

In this scenario, though, I would be most concerned with scratching the screen. That, And replacing a broken knob is surely cheaper than a gigantic touch screen should it be actually damaged.

Mazda is the only company doing it right these days.

But the kicker is that the infotainment system has a touchscreen, but the touch functionality is _disabled_ if the car is moving, because they think it's a hazard to have a person operate it while driving.

Not to mention it kinda ruins listening to a good song or the climax of an audio book if you have to suddenly yell out "SET AIR TO SEVENTY DEGREES"...

I think we're going to collectively realize that putting touch screens on everything is a mistake. It prevents you from being able to use an interface unless it has your attention / you are looking at it.

Except for one: The Tesla screen. I'd still prefer no screen at all, but Tesla seems to hire software engineers who understand that human factors are a thing, and who seem to have an actual degree in computer science.

I can't stand it when support is crippled by "policy" - half the time I think they can't either.

This forces everyone into the same malfunctioning funnel, and it doesn't appear to work for the employees either.

Tons of respect for Musk's accomplishments, but I hope it doesn't go the way of Google which is famous for nonexistent customer support...

[0] "Anyone at Tesla can and should email/talk to anyone else according to what they think is the fastest way to solve a problem for the benefit of the whole company. You can talk to your manager's manager without his permission, you can talk directly to a VP in another dept, you can talk to me, you can talk to anyone without anyone else's permission. Moreover, you should consider yourself obligated to do so until the right thing happens. "

[1] https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/this-email-from-elon-musk-...