This article is a classic example of "tell me you don't understand aerospace human factors without telling me you don't understand human factors." The reason for buttons in a spacecraft like the one in the movie is not some technology holy war opinion against touchscreens, but because the user interface is designed for use by an astronaut who may be wearing gloves as part of a spacesuit or other similar protective gear. Buttons are easier to manipulate accurately for that situation, and that's why they're chosen.

Get a clue, folks.

While I absolutely agree with the points made in this article, I remain pessimistic about the future of physical buttons. Just look at how quickly DELL, HP and Lenovo are removing their dedicated physical touchpad buttons (and the trackpoint), all in an attempt to make their products look more like Apple MacBook and kneel to Apple's cult of extreme minimalism.