Yep! ... and those screen protectors they try to sell you are useless too.

And soon your USB 3.0 will be able to tranfer 10Gbits/s instead of 5Gbits   also announced at the CES

If there is no 'hard disable switch', than I won't be buying.

You're right, but for the wrong reasons LightStar. Touch screens work well on phones/tablets not because of their size, but because they are used as a (held flat) horizontal control surface. The old keyboard/mouse you would rather use, is also used flat on your desk.

Prior to 2008, I taught Cad/Cam at night school. One thing I never got used to, was writing on a chalkboard. As a vertical surface, using a chalkboard is a pain in the ass. If you don't believe me, try this out for yourself with a couple sheets of paper. It takes far less effort to write on a sheet of paper held flat on a table, over writing on a paper sheet held vertical on the wall.

Last year, I made the mistake of buying a Kinect for my Xbox 360. It seemed fun and novel at first. Not long after, everyone in the family went back to using the old gamepad/chatpad controlled games. Why? It takes less effort to hold a game controller flat in your hands over using your TV as a vertical control device with Kinect.

This is why I just don't see (vertical control) touch screens on laptop/desktops ever beating out (horizontal control) keyboard/mice as the preferred control method. Even worse, is that touch screens sell at a premium price point. Awkward to use, and more expensive to boot - doesn't sound like a very thought out marketing plan. Perhaps the folks at Intel/MS need to spend some more time in the classroom. (sorry for the pun)

My reasons I feel are valid too, but I never thought of it that way, but you're absolutely right too!

a laptop with touch makes more sense than those pesky touchpads that they have for mouse substitute. hate those.

not that i use laptops that often

All the reasons in the world don't stop "juggernauts" - unfortunately.

One of the few things which might would be MS changing W8... which is the major driver of this and what are the chances of that?

W8 is a good OS for tablets and tablet-laptop hybrids... but its sales are not going well. One of the ways to improve that will be laptops with touch screens.

i don't get the complaining honestly. nobody is forced to touch the screen (i wont, smears on the tablet are enough).

don't fool yourself thinking laptops would be cheaper without it. new devices will always cost about the same (+ inflation) as new devices did cost last year, they just have better specs.

i think the more input options we have the better. be it only for accessibilty for disabled people.

i am not sure about hybrids and convertibles though. the more mechanical stuff is involved the easier something will break. actually i'm not even sure about laptops at all. mine did not move one meter since i got this iPad. an all-in-one pc will be more tempting should it stop to work one day.

you can disable the screen as an input device in windows.

it is under control panel > pen and touch.

I have a touch enabled laptop, i have turned off the touch, but kept on the pen. 

thus i can write without all the touchings messing everything up.

extra features which are turnoffable is not a problem. unless they add to the cost. to which. it does, but not by enough to make a difference.

Lol...tablets are horizontal devices...these new laptops will, in essence, simply be better tablets...if you get a swivel touch laptop, you can swivel the screen around and carry the thing around like a tablet...if it is a detachable screen, then it's even more apparent that it is essentially a tablet with a "dockable" keyboard...

The touch interface wasn't meant for people sitting at their desk with the keyboard out (though I suppose some may find certain select functions easier with touch even in this situation)....

But, you will still pay for it.

Let me know when they come out with a scratch and sniff screen.

Smudges on a touch-screen keyboard are always going to be more hygenic than the 'crud' that ends up inside a standard button keyboard.

Had the runs lately?....

Good point... but you know humans... out of sight... out of trouble.