I find the touch screen to be a right hassle.
It is so easy to touch the wrong thing at a critical moment and screw it up.
How is this addressed in popular apps?
For the Lenovo Tablet 2 which I am currently testing, this is a big issue but it appears possible to install an app which kills the touch screen. I have found one written for win7 but it fails to install on win8... it is open source so I need to find a volunteer to have a look at it.
The ancient LS800 is superb in this respect, with its pen-only touch screen.
The Ipad2 is not too bad because the edge around the screen is not sensitive, but the Ipad3 has much less edge.
Another thing which works in Apple's favour is their tight control of apps which use stuff like bluetooth, with bluetooth hardware being notoriously unreliable when it comes out to coming out of hibernation or standby.
Jepp mobile FD allows you to disable swiping between plates. Haven't found a problem using on an iPad in turbulence.
In Navigation mode, SkyDemon will only allow you to change a track/leg when you hold down onto a leg for something like 5 seconds. In planning mode, while it is annoying when a route changes by 100NM when you flick a bit of dust off the screen, there is an 'Undo' button :-) On the iPad it is helpful you can set the side switch to apply 'lock rotation', though it would be helpful if you could configure it to disable the touch screen. Maybe this could be done if it was jailboken - though something I know absolutely nothing about I am afraid.
Have used an iPad2 and iPhone 4s extensively running ForeFlight. Didn't have any problems with inadvertently touching the wrong button. That said, I didn't need to use either device in anything more but moderate chop, so have no real-world experience with strong turbulence and touchscreens.
Have to say, I've often wondered about that too, but haven't read any reports of issue with, say, the Garmin Aera line.
I think the key is a well designed interface rather than screen locks.
I can't think of anything that you could do with an inadvertent touch in EasyVFR that can't be undone with just one touch. The worst you are going to do is open a tab or request airspace info. No changes can be made with one touch.
I haven't really heard many complaining about inadvertent touches being a problem with other systems either.
Actually be biggest issue with touch screen use tends not to be in touching the screen when you didn't intend to, but rather how to input changes that you want to make when you don't have the time to stare at the screen, and can't accurately place your finger on the screen for very long.
This is were good design comes in. Keeping your finger on the one spot for 5 seconds in the air is not going to be easy on all but the smoothest of flights, especially if you need to place that finger accurately in the first place.
Of course the worst designs for touchscreens will be those which were originally designed for windows desktop use with a mouse. It's just too hard to point that accurately on a touchscreen when flying. Such designs are probably also more prone to making a lot of changes with an inadvertent touch.
But in general I'd say that inadvertent touches are not really the issue. The issue would be more around getting a good design to allow you make changes and inputs accurately once airborne.
Colm
I have to say the Jepp product works well in flight. Big buttons and easy to switch quickly between approaches, SIDs, STARs etc. The GTN 650s were a bit harded in chop. I tended to use touch screens on the ground and dials in the air for all but the simplest changes (ie switching a freq to active was ok).
