Touch screen is OK as long as you're not moving, but hardware buttons really help when walking or using the device on a bumpy vehicle etc. It would be great if programs could use them for the most common tasks - switching tracks & volume in media player, switching views in calendar, panning the page in browser etc. It would make the walkaround web a lot easier to use. They're also faster to use because you get direct physical feedback in situations like clicking 7 days ahead in calendar. Hardware buttons sure have their place if the software takes advantage of them.