It's no secret that Apple and Google are quite chummy. They have a fairly good working relationship which may explain why Google complied with Apple's request to exclude multi-touch from the Android feature-set. If you are even remotely familiar with Apple's iPhone, you will know that multi-touch allows for multiple input on the touchscreen at the same time, allowing for "pinching" and "stretching" images on the display. You can read more about this at our sister site, The iPhone blog.
Palm has made no such attempts to play nice by offering their own multi-touch on the upcoming Palm Pre device, where they may have painted a big patent-infringement bulls-eye on their back for Apple to take aim. It will be interesting to see what Apple actually does with the Palm situation, but given Google's compliance with Apple's request, they may sit back comfortably with a tub of popcorn and watch the fur fly, so to speak. Personally, I would LOVE having multi-touch on my G1. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's easy to get spoiled after using an iPhone for a while. Maybe Google has played their cards right by serving up an open OS so that some nameless, faceless developer out there can serve up some multi-touch, 3rd-party-style, and skirt the legalities altogether?
| Filed Under: News; Tags: Apple iPhone, google android, multi-touch, multi-touch patent, palm pre | 8 comments » |
Comments
Multitouch is available for the G1 with a tweak to one of the device drivers...
http://android-dls.com/jesusfreke-updates/78-jesusfreke-releases-v14-of-his-rom-which-includes-working-multitouch.html
Apple and Google ?? hahaha Rumors have circulated over the last couple days that Google may be interested in buying Apple. The rumors stem from a recent New York Magazine article: http://www.litde.com/stationen-der-deutschen-lyrik/
Check out the "Apple vs. Palm: the in-depth analysis" on engadget.
Palm had a touch screen phone for YEARS you don't think they have a warchest full of touchscreen patents?
For them to use multitouch... means Apple is infringing on other things.. read the article and conclude for yourself.
http://www.engadget.com/2009/01/28/apple-vs-palm-the-in-depth-analysis/ here is a link to the article..
[...] zu Google: Benutzt auf dem G1 lieber kein Multi-Touch! (via Android Central) Mit Geschäftsbeziehungen ist es ja manchmal so eine Sache. “Sie küssten und sie schlugen [...]
I find it hard to believe that Google would be kowtowing to anyone much less Apple. There was probably some sort of quid pro quo that was done behind the scenes.
[...] is all mere speculation but following the news that Apple asked Google to not include multi-touch in Android (which Google complied with) we have some speculation that Apple also asked Google not to include [...]
Google Complied With Apple's No-Multi-Touch Request
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