What makes you think this is limited to only mouse vs touch? By design the HTML+CSS+DOM platform only provides an abstraction that may or may not have a meaningful mapping to the actual interface of the User Agent.
You really shouldn't be assuming you know anything about the interface and only use pointer events in the most minimal, generic way possible. To that end, this new "pointer event" may be useful. If you want better, more detailed pointer information, you should use a platform that provides it such as writing a native app.
/* the same goes for reimplementing widgets like scrollbars: don't, that's the job of the User Agent */
You really shouldn't be assuming you know anything about the interface and only use pointer events in the most minimal, generic way possible. To that end, this new "pointer event" may be useful. If you want better, more detailed pointer information, you should use a platform that provides it such as writing a native app.
/* the same goes for reimplementing widgets like scrollbars: don't, that's the job of the User Agent */