Sticky Fingers

Am I the only one who thinks the iPhone concept has a small but vital flaw?

I know it's not even for sale yet, but the moment I saw this latest Apple must have gadget, I thought, 'no, this is not going to work.'

I refer to the touch sensitive screen.

We've had gadgets with touch screens for years, but for a few exceptions, they have all been provided with a stylus. The main reason is usually stated as allowing the user to press icons smaller than their finger. Also, as the devices, and so the screens get smaller, this has become even more necessary. Perhaps evolution will solve the problem and in a million years or so, the human index finger will cone down to a fine point. But until that happens we are stuck with the industry standard fat finger.

So how come this is a problem for the iPhone? I agree if you look at the pictures, the icons are an ideal size for tapping with a finger. Well the size of finger is not an issue. What I am thinking about is the removal of the need for a stylus. Yes you now have to touch the screen. Have you ever noticed what happens to the screen when you do that? It gets greasy. The human skin secretes a substance known as sebum. A clever oily liquid designed in the labs of Mother Nature, the purpose of which is to help keep the skin supple and waterproof. This is in addition to the natural bodily function of sweating.

All this is perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of. But the fact remains, no matter how many times you wash you hands before using your new iPhone or HTC Touch, the screen will get greasy and it will attract dirt. A fact Apple will probably not want mentioned too often.