Philips head (the kind with the X) and slot screws are quite common. And they don’t work nearly as well as they should.

McFeely’s sells square drive screws (see Kevin Kelly — Cool Tools.) These are better in every way. And you don’t have them.

Why? Because the "original" kind are good enough. And once Home Depot and the local hardware store and the contractor agree on something that’s good enough, the market gets stuck and we end the relentless search for better.

If it weren’t for the web, these screws would have their own tiny niche (except in Canada, where they know better). I wonder if thanks to a few blogs, better starts showing up?