I understand that getting sued by Apple isn't the kind of press Google wants - especially when trying to launch a new device - but are Apple's patents even valid? The first I heard of Apple's multi-touch patent was in April of 2006. It seems like there was plenty of prior art floating around by then - most notably Minority Report (2002) and Microsoft Surface (2003~2005).

salviati

If companies keep waiting around for apple to come up with the idea's el'radicale, then they will always seem exclusive. They take chances that turn into innovation.

Now screw it and hack the damn thing and give us multitouching beastiality that is..something or other G1ish

Stacky Botrus

The touch screen on the G1 doesn't seem like it's sensitivity can handle multi-touch that well. I used a co-workers G1, and while the phone was great, multi-touch was like pressing the touch screen of a Treo.

Joseph

@salviati: Yeah, I agree.

But what I'm wondering is, is patenting "multi-touch" functionality not anti-competitive? Are all phone/pda devices in future relegated to single finger usage?

Maybe I'm missing something here. I know there are devices other than the iPhone that have multi-touch gestures. So how is it HTC couldn't give the G1 multi-touch without stepping on Steve Jobs toes?

kazemizuhi

So, wait, lemme get this straight:

"I have an idea that you can use a computer with 2 hands... PATENTABLE?

Okay, I get dibs on eyes. I am common-law patenting that my computer allows you to look at it!

HA!

One eye, Two eye, mine mine mine mine! And furthermore, one day the eyes will control my computer.... mine mine mine mine.

Seriously. Multi touch is not patentable, only the mechanism by which it is implemented is.

Enough worrying folks.

-JGB

jamesgbennett

@jamesgbennett: God I wish that was how it worked. Common sense patent laws? lolololol

termitehead

Hello? Apple has a patent on the software and hardware that make multitouch possible on the iPhone. They don't have a patent on multitouch itself.

sos10

Apples patens are considered not valid currently. The lack of multi touch is because HTC wanted the ability to change the screen later on if need be. This was stated by Rye but john missed it.

Technogen

I would think that you can't patent a function. only the implementation of that function.

jchabotte

@prince_of_paradox: I'm thinking that too. On my G1 I feel the zooming function works very well. On my Cousins iPodPhone I had trouble zooming in and out. I'm sure I would have gotten used to it, but it seemed awkward to me.

Ike_Skelton

multitouch is overrated

prince_of_paradox

I thought it was basically a firmware issue or something. I thought because of the nature and type of touchscreen, it had the capability to be 'multi-touch' but it just wasn't programed in. Apparently I imagined this seemingly truth?

And I don't get people saying the G1's screen isn't responsive enough for 'multi-touch.' I have found the screen on my G1 to be extremely sensitive to the lightest touch from my finger.

Ike_Skelton

How about this...

Users want the G1 to have multi-touch.

Users want the iPhone to have push-and-hold.
(I assume this because I would like it)

How about a trade?

topernicus

if its between Flash 10 and multi-touch i would prefer Flash for sure.
Apple, most of the time give us good and innovative things, but some other times they make a loud buzz for not-so-important things to make us forget the important.

Thats part of Steve Jobs genius-ity in sales!!

medopal

Bilski is just the beginning.

hologon

@topernicus: Heh, I've had my G1 for a few weeks now and I was in an Apple store today playing with the iPhone. Just wanted to use it after having a G1. One of the first things I did was long press on a note to try to delete it. :-)

ryaninc

@Joseph:

Hmm, actually that isn't true. At all. I use my buddy's G1 all the time, the screen is the same as the iPhone in that it is capacitive rather than resistive, and thus is sensitive to even the slightest of touch.

jspeed04

I thought this was talked about a month before the phone was released o_O
nd im sure that a browser will come out to resemble the iphone's safari so that it could at least pan and zoom in and out faster and smoother.

SneakerFiend

@prince_of_paradox: have to agree with you, I had some time to tool around with a ipod touch the other day and didn't find it to be such a wonderful innovation. More of a gimmick.

wombat90

Apple has prior art on multitouch from the 90s. Check out Bruce Tognazzi's website: http://www.asktog.com/columns/070iPhoneFirstLook.html

BoEndeis

@Joseph: So you have already used multi-touch, on a phone that doesn't actually have it yet?

I think something is fairly sluggish around here, and it certainly isn't the phone =P

TheLostVikings

It was told well before.. Because of Apple's patent Google and HTC together had to disable it's multi touch feature in G1..

[en.wikipedia.org]

arunkamal.chowdhary

Any evidence that Apple's patents aren't valid? They bought the technology (and presumably the patents?) from Fingerworks before they went under. Fingerworks released the TouchStream (multitouch keyboard without the display, although they were talking about the overcoming the hurdles to making a version with a display) in 1999.

StanfordCoyote

Multitouch may not be new, but "using the pinching motion where the zoom is relative to the space between the users fingers … meets the base requirement for patentability," according to Peterman. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2008/02/multitouch_patents

ErasmusNangified

well if htc developers followed software design and development 101...

"always remember to deleted commented out code before you submit your final product... it makes it seem more professional, eligent and saves space for those folk still runing windows 3.1"

[and yes due to an insane amount of repetation by my "loving" teacher i remember this off by heart]

[hahahaha thank gawd 3.1 stopped selling.. WOOT FOR NON-ELIGENCE]

KingKash

@TheLostVikings: Ha Ha! That's a very nice way to put that point!

sxr7171