The touch screen is not a ral big cost issue..I sell Industrial PC's for use in the plant floor and the upcharge for a 15" touch screen is only $175...for 15"

A 10" Touch screen with controller is about $100 Cost.

I do think a touch screen is harder for a sight impared artist to use as compared with all buttons???, Maybe that's why Yamaha doesn't use them?


Lee

The Roland operating system and user interface has been the single biggest factor in their retention of my as a repeat customer from the E-20 through the E-30, E-70 and E-86 to the E-80.

It has nothing to do with the touch screen (although that is a boon on the E-80 and shames the Tyros range). It's got more to do with Roland understanding what professional players need at their fingertips in live performance.

As I've mentioned before, I bought a Tyros at launch, but sold it shortly after and went back to my (by then ancient) E-86. I couldn't hack the woeful Yamaha user interface live.

Roland still lead the pack at this, and by a country mile.

I agree that the Touch screen is not really a cost issue...but I'm sure you'll agree, as it has already been mentioned by Gary, that replacing a button or two, would be far cheaper than replacing a defective touch screen.

Sure, whilst under warranty, it would not be an issue to the user, but it would certainly be a great benefit to a long term user or a second hand buyer.

Yamaha has wisely kept to the buttons, making their already superior OS and user interface (in my opinion) even more enticing.

Ian

Not in rolands world, I love to find out how much roland charges now to replacement the touch screen for the G70. I'm sure its not $100.00. I replaced my screen on the Em2000 and it cost my $400 without labor. That was the price from roland usa out west. So I only imagine what the replacment cost for a touch screen is now!!

I had a damaged( by UPS ) screen on my G70, $450 to replace it in 2007.

Personally, I know of two touch screen failures...Stephen's G70 (shipping damage)..and Frankie's VA-7 (probably shipping damage too)..I have owned touch screens for 10 years and have never had a single problem..

MC, as for the EM2000..they definitely had pixel problems..I had 3 units (still have one)..they all developed pixel line problems..Compared to the G1000 display..zero problems..that enlarged EM2000 screen was just a bad one..clarity wise and pixel missing wise..

The touch screen is the best display system for me...especially the trouble free ones..

Even a "reliable" or "trouble free" touch screen can be damaged, either through shipping or simply whilst moving the instrument to and from gigs...accidents do happen...and, of course,some screens can also be damaged by sunlight.

A replacement cost of over $400 is rather daunting.


Ian

Ok another 50/50 topic....so on touch screens its a wash.

Any component can get damaged in transit so what is your point? Your S900 and Tyros 3 aren't any less susceptible. In addition component failure rates average about 1-2% so even brand new products can and do have failures. Not long ago end users reported some brand new Yamaha arranger products that had problems from the onset. Be it poor workmanship or standard component failure it happened, even to your beloved Yamaha.

Touch screens have been around for a long, long time and have been used in many applications (mall kiosks for example) where there use is 1000 fold compared to what anyone would ever use on an arranger. They are tried, true, and quite reliable. On earlier keyboards that utilized touch screens problems existed primarily because the products CPU didn't have enough horsepower to handle all functions quickly and that would slow down the touch screens response time. This is a problem with the manufacturers trying to cut costs and is by no means a reflection of touch screens being sub standard to a standard TFT or LCD screen.

As someone pointed out even Yamaha uses touch screens on their very high end MI and Organ products. It seems they choose not to on the Tyros and PSR products most likely due to bean counters wanting to yield higher profits.

My point is that it would cost over $400 to replace a defective screen...buttons would be far cheaper.

Simple, eh?


Ian