The right move is to use capacitive touch screen.
Only for a mostly-Android-device.
Can we simply optimize two different user interfaces? The first one to be finger friendly, and keep the second one, - full desktop, in order to be used with external TV/Monitor and mouse setup ?
You think people would only want to use a full desktop at home and not on-the-go?
I'm always using the full desktop on my Pandora, and I'm rarely using the stylus.
The problem is:
A capacitive one can not be used with a full desktop (not accurate enough with fingers), except for if you use it in combination with a digitizer (which only works with a specific stylus), so only for a finger-friendly UI.
A resistive one can be used with a full desktop AND a finger-friendly UI.
The problem is not responsiveness. The original Pandora display has a very good responsiveness and reacts on a slight touch.
The problem is that the capacitive one is not accurate enough, as you can only use it with a finger.
Ever tried handling a VNC Linux Session on a tablet?
I tried - with the Google Nexus 7 (so way bigger screen than we have), and it's just not possible hitting the buttons.
Using a full desktop UI on 5 inch resistive screen and stylus will cripple the whole experience IMO.
Why? Using a full desktop UI on a 4,3 inch resistive screen is awesome
For every simple task you will need to pull out the god damn stylus, or break your nerves by trying to do something with fingers on this resistive screen. Even the cheapest capacitive screen will be far more responsive in finger setup.
I'm not sure what your issue is.
When I play games like Wesnoth, FreeCiv, etc., I pull out the stylus.
Quick button presses or window switching in the taskbar can be done with the finger.
If I just want to close a window, most of the time I simply use the nubs.
...break your nerves by trying to do something with fingers on this resistive screen...
A capacitive one would make things even horrible. Your problem is not that you need to slightly touch it, your problem is accuracy with small buttons.
A capacitive screen is worse with accuracy, so it would make things even harder on the desktop.
If buttons are too small for you, why not increase them in the desktop settings?
Or use the nubs?
With the issue you mention, capacitive would be worse than resistive.
If the capacitive screens are more cheap and easy to secure in the future why should Ed use resistive one ?
A capacitive one costs about five times as much as a resistive one.
A capacitive is made of glass and a resistive of foil.
And foils are easy to get as well