This one is really mind blowing. Also I don't get why they switched to joysticks instead of the traditional yoke. With mechanical feedback, yokes should be much more intuitive. I'd love to hear a pilot's opinion who has used both.
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Captain Chesley Sullenberger (the famous pilot of the Hudson River crash landing) has the opinion that mechanically linked yokes (Boeing philosophy) is superior to independent fly-by-wire joysticks (Airbus philosophy).
A video from CBS shows a very eye-opening demonstration of tactile feedback the mechanical linkage can provide. It's a feedback loop that the non-flying pilot can't ignore.
http://youtu.be/kERSSRJant0?t=3m9s
However, it doesn't mean there aren't other pilots who prefer fly-by-wire joysticks and can list (safety) advantages over mechanical linkages.
I'm a glider pilot, and gliders universally use sticks (presumably because they're mechanically simpler and considerably smaller, and space is at a premium). I've flown planes with yokes before, and have on rare occasions more recently, and I don't like the feel of it at all. The stick gives much better control and feedback in my opinion. However, that could just be because it's what I'm used to. In any case, I don't think the joystick is a problem, but rather how it's implemented, with no feedback in the system. A yoke implemented in the same way would have had the same problem.
I used to be a glider pilot (and an instructor). A disadvantage of a yolk is that when you are flying one handed and apply g (or encounter turbulence) the g forces on your arm induce roll inputs, a stick reduces that. As most powered aircraft are optimised for cruising at 1g this is not so much of a problem but with gliders varying g forces are quite common.
The other consideration is that with most light powered aircraft the pilot and passenger get in from the side and a traditional stick sprouting out of the floor gets in the way, a yolk doesn't. With gilders you usually enter from above so the stick is not a problem.