You do realize of course, that EMD and GE no doubt paid super big bucks to some high priced consulting firm to come up with something totally different. Most likely designed by computer geeks/nerds used to their game consoles, having no idea of who what how of operation. "So hey, if it works for me, then those guys/gals in the cab will welcome this great innovation with open arms".....
I hate to say this, but, I had asked about why we were getting some of the inane features in the new cabs coming out at that time. I was told that the NS & BLE local had a joint "Loco cab committee" and that the BLE were in on the design. Well, the sorry sob's never told us about this committee! Thanks a lot brothers! Just another reason why I couldn't stand the BLE. And don't go reading too much into that statement as I am not anti-union, I just never could stand the BLE.
And,,,,,,,,as the late Paul Harvey used to say, "And now the rest of the story!",,,,,,,,that stupid "Locomotive Cab Committee", was generally made of Union Reps, that were no longer day-to-day Engineers! The EMD Engineering Dept. had to institute an internal "Cab Committee", which I was part of for awhile, but every time I, and some others with lots of field experience, voiced our concerns & objections over the desk top controller design, (which actually first came out of Canada), we were quietly rebuffed. During the meetings with the railroad's "Locomotive Cab Committee", it got even worse.
After talking to a few of my good friends, who were working, long time, locomotive Engineers, one of the anti-desk top controller design responses I received, and passed on to all parties in one of the combined "Cab Committee" meetings was, "Try sitting at your dinning room table, in a chair that will not move, for 8 to 12 hours!". Naturally THAT went over like a lead balloon. Since all the Union "experts" were forcing the issues, both EMD and GE Engineering Depts. had to design and provided what the customers wanted. Thus, the desk top controller designed by the Union went into service.
After many rears of ever mounting complaints, clearer heads finally prevailed, and the "AAR Design" controller was finally implemented into the wide nose "Safety Cabs", which was pretty similar to the cab interior design of the EMD UP DDA40X from 1969. Imagine THAT!