Google's move into the mobile market space gave the consumer another choice for a mobile platform. It's is also no secret that Apple and Google work closely together on products and according to one source Apple told Google to not include multi-touch on its Android platform.While it would be easy to ignore this "source" there seems to be quite a bit of credibility to the matter. Firstly, the G1 and Android do support multi-touch; if the phone has the hardware and software backing for the technology why wouldn't they include it? The source claims that Apple asked Google to forgo including the technology.
Besides Apple asking Google to not include multi-touch there is also a possible PR disaster waiting to happen. If Apple were to go after Palm for the Pre's multi-touch capabilities then it would have to go after Google as well. Apple and Google are tightly linked together and suing your business partner would not go over well with investors.
The real reason why multi-touch was not included in the G1 will probably be never known. The bigger question is not if, but when, will Google enable the feature for the Android platform and what will Apple do about it?
That is true but my personal taste (and i'm sure many share it) is to always use one hand for any hand held device, multi touch requires the use of both hands.
No you missed my point, you need the second hand to hold the device while another hand doing to multi touch moves.
Proof ?
US Patent 6492979 - Dual sensor touchscreen utilizing projective-capacitive and force touch Issued on December 10, 2002
US Patent 6297811 - Projective capacitive touchscreen Issued on October 2, 2001
Issued long before apple even considered the iPhone.
Although the ideas in the Palm Pre and the iphones multi-touch may have some similarities the technologies do not have the same design.
So... Google can really do as they wish. I'd say it's more of a case of lacking first/experimental model would be more appropriate then this fud.
Proof ?
US Patent 6492979 - Dual sensor touchscreen utilizing projective-capacitive and force touch Issued on December 10, 2002
US Patent 6297811 - Projective capacitive touchscreen Issued on October 2, 2001
Issued long before apple even considered the iPhone.
Although the ideas in the Palm Pre and the iphones multi-touch may have some similarities the technologies do not have the same design.
So... Google can really do as they wish. I'd say it's more of a case of lacking first/experimental model would be more appropriate then this fud.
These only cover single touch. The dual sensors are for error correction in single touch applications so this does not disprove that Apple can still claim a multi touch patent on this.
This must be some kind of dubious lobbying.
Now that every company wants an iPhone clone, they should make an even better, different product instead of playing "sue you sue me" games.
So Microsoft should have filed a patent for double click or right-button menus. But they´re not so playboy-nerd Apple style.
Last edited by luis mazza on 10 Feb 2009 - 17:26
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