There are many different answers to this issue, but right now I feel like quoting the 37signals blog:

http://www.37signals.com/svn/archive...thing_away.php

"What’s the most ignored paradox in software development? Every time you add something you take something away.

Screen real estate. Interface clarity. Simplified testing. Shorter development time. Certainty. Agility. Managability. Familiarity. Adding anything dilutes everything else. That’s not always a bad thing, just be aware of it. Be aware of the trade-offs."

It's a very good statement, in its entirety. It's not always a bad thing, but all the listed elements there ring true.

I don't think that is a necessity in this case, though, ragnar. I believe the drawbacks are easily overcome... and a solution can easily stay out of the way of other usability.

I am an optimist when it comes to coding and UI design. 20+ years of doing it myself, on a wide variety of platforms, hasn't discouraged me yet.

EDIT: besides, who's talking about adding anything? I'm just talking about keeping something already there and improving it.

If development was always a tradeoff we would still be using a terminal interface... sometimes you really do make legitimate progress in terms of usability. I dare say, warts aside, the Mobile OSX platform does reveal some very interesting UI/UX design features that I think deserve some attention by more mobile developers.

Tradeoff != zero-sum game.

I agree with this completely.

I go with texrat. The stylus is a wonderful thing when you play games like numpty physics, Lbreakout etc. Try playing those without the stylus!

And there is always the option of having two different profiles as someone else have already mentioned. The argument that the presence of a stylus putting the average noob off and away from the internet tablets is wrong as long as the advertisements show that both can be done.

Some apple fans think ..... just because Apple decided to go away from the stylus they think the stylus is a boring thing!
I can clearly see wonderful uses of the stylus like the sketch, numpty physics etc which are really "cool" stuff.

The stylus has to stay. After all the internet tablets considering the size and screen ..... are mostly intended for two hand use. So for a two handed input would it really matter if the second hand was replaced by a stylus? infact it is the other way. I would understand the lack of a stylus in a one handed device where the primary use would be the finger..... but not definitely on a two handed usable device.

Fine, but you're paying, and I pick the routes.

I am an apple fan.

I think the iPod is great because it doesn't need a stylus. I think the NITs would be useless without one.
Horses for courses really.

Having the stylus is one thing, but I would like to see it's use in basic system interaction reduced or eliminated. 3rd party apps I could care less about, but I would hope they too would only *require it* when the situation calls for it.

I think it's possible to have the base software not require the stylus at all ( except for handwriting ). There is also a lot of useless interaction that should be tossed on the floor as well without loosing a single ounce of functionality.

Trying to do an hybrid stylus-/finger-based UI with an option is quite frankly the worst thing that could happen if you ask me.

Pick one, build everything according to the chosen philososphy - everything else will lead to an utterly inconsistent chaos.

And as the ultimate focus of the internet tablets just has to be the general public, instead of the comparably tiny Linux nerd/sys admin demographic (which I feel are the most vocal opponents of an simple, finger-based UI on here), I'd be absolutely happy to see an completely finger-optimized and largely consistent interface.