He's probably saying that pointing with a stylus is a lot more accurate than "pointing" with an analog stick.

I don't think anyone should refute that.

What he's overlooking is the fact that one can't press right face/shoulder buttons while simultaneously using a stylus for input. Multi-touch input is also out with a stylus. You need multiple finger input game interfaces for that. It's a limitation in terms of player input.

The rear touch panel on the NGP is the first I can think of that actually allows touch input (with the fingers holding the device) while simutaneously using both thumbs for either analog stick or button input.

You can have both and not use them. It's up to the developer. It's not like the NGP doesn't have both rear and front touch panels as well.

Recall the use of motion control for Lair when most players would have preferred analog stick control.

With both, you can design multiple types of player input. Player's choice which one they want to use.

Eh. 3DS looks better.

Dos analog is very important, anyone who says differently is just not thinking straight. 

That's when I figured out this was a joke thread ;)

Of course this was intended as a tongue-in-cheek post; for starters, the OP states he's not even buying either handheld.

The real humor here is in seeing the reactions to include such gems as:

... a second analog stick makes a handheld too complicated for the average person to use

... a stylus and touch screen input replaces the usefulness of right side buttons

--- no analog stick is better than an optional use one

Or better in a lot of cases like FPS games, the touchpad can emulate a mouse fairly well, the NGP has been shown with a touchpad on the front, issue is the size and lack of stylus makes the front touch pad pretty wonky to use as camera control.  Now what I actually think could control the camera really well is the back panel, but that would take some specific motions since your hands will always be on it. 

People highly overrate dual analog I'm afraid, since the second analog has essentially only been used as a way to get console games to have reasonable camera controls like the PC has had for ages, now it's more viable for home consoles and handhelds to move away from dual analog into much better implementations, and holding onto the second analog is just hindering things.  

The moment you're playing a game that needs 2 analog stick, youre not playing a very good portable game but a wannabie console game.

Also 3DS has 2 analog inputs...touch screen and analog stick.

So I disagree.

I have to agree with the OP. I think handhelds in general will benefit a lot from dual analog.

I've been happy with one penis my whole life.

I've been happy with one analog stick my whole life.

A second penis won't make me  better man.

A second analog stick won't make it better hardware.