with buttons, you can close your eyes and navigate the "map" of the device. I know that the top button of my tv remote is the power and the cross in the middle

with buttons, you can close your eyes and navigate the "map" of the device. I know that the top button of my tv remote is the power and the cross in the middle is for navigating the directional of the on screen display of the tv. I can find the middle button of the remote and 2 middle buttons down from the cross is the play/pause button. You can't do this with a touch screen. There is no indication of surface or depth of feedback. True that you can have a "bump" feedback, but that is for basically ever "button" on the touchscreen so they all feel the same. There is nothing to distinguish one button "area" from the other on a touchscreen. Now this isn't a big deal if you can look at the control, but what about blind people, trying to navigate in the dark or even worst... while driving??? Touchscreens have their place but they don't need to replace everything.