Verizon's Motorola Droid DOES include MultiTouch and Pinch & Zoom

[MattMatt757]

Check out my reply below for more but, they left it out to avoiding glitching up android phones already put out in the U.S. w/o the need specs to run multitouch smoothly...There are apps and upgrades already rolling out!

 

[Getaphixx]

many apps in the android market already use and abuse the ability to do multitouch...
Down w/ the Droid -

Many?.... Please enlighten me... Picsay is the only one I know of.

 

[PowerPlayGraphix]

I installed picsay but it doesn't work with pinch and zoom like it shows in the video. Do you have to have picsay pro? all that happens when I try is to move the pic around.

 

[PowerPlayGraphix]

never mind... I got it to work. it seems a bit finicky but it works. Great proof of concept anyway.

 

[uujim]

Hmmm. The OS is capable of pinch and zoom. But the user can't access it. Why the celebration? Has someone discovered a commitment to an upgrade that will let users actually USE this feature?

 

[LifeIsABeach]

Hmmm. The OS is capable of pinch and zoom. But the user can't access it. Why the celebration? Has someone discovered a commitment to an upgrade that will let users actually USE this feature?

No, but this means two things:

1. Third-party browsers can enable it

2. When the device is finally rooted someone can mod the operating system to allow it on the default applications. Someone in the Hack forum said they already know what code to change - they just need to be able to have access to do it.

 

[uujim]

Great! You gotta love open source

 

[EntropikOne]

and if you dont love open source.....you dont belong on the internets

 

[Willyammer]

"Pinch and zoom" is not an Apple only app. I have it on my Zune HD (talk about buyer's remorse!!!).

 

[PowerPlayGraphix]

Apple was awarded a "Multi Touch Input" patent. This patent covers using multi point contact on a computing device with a touch screen to implement input into that device. This INCLUDES pinch & zoom. The patent covers ALL multi-touch input in a touch screen computer device, not just pinch and zoom. (Here's an article on the patent Apple Gets Their Multi-Touch Patent; Is Palm Screwed? )

Now, the reason Motorola/Google haven't implemented it on the base program is because they don't want to deal with the headache of fighting it if they can come up with options that work almost as well. Pick your battles. If a 3rd part app adds it, then let THEM fight with Apple but don't blatantly rip on their patent. All these other devices will probably run into trouble with Apple sooner or later. Apple just finished with Psystar so they now are free to pick their next fight. I personally don't miss pinch and zoom like I thought I would. What WOULD be cool is a press and drag option to highlight an area you want to zoom in on. I think that would be even better than pinch and zoom.

 

[alm0614]

would opera mini or any other browser possibly include multitouch

 

[chudilo]

Apple was awarded a "Multi Touch Input" patent. This patent covers using multi point contact on a computing device with a touch screen to implement input into that device. This INCLUDES pinch & zoom. The patent covers ALL multi-touch input in a touch screen computer device, not just pinch and zoom. (Here's an article on the patent Apple Gets Their Multi-Touch Patent; Is Palm Screwed? )

Now, the reason Motorola/Google haven't implemented it on the base program is because they don't want to deal with the headache of fighting it if they can come up with options that work almost as well. Pick your battles. If a 3rd part app adds it, then let THEM fight with Apple but don't blatantly rip on their patent. All these other devices will probably run into trouble with Apple sooner or later. Apple just finished with Psystar so they now are free to pick their next fight. I personally don't miss pinch and zoom like I thought I would. What WOULD be cool is a press and drag option to highlight an area you want to zoom in on. I think that would be even better than pinch and zoom.

If that was the reason, then single touch is also a part of the patent. Read the text. I believe they are holding out for something.

 

[Corinacakes]

Ok...
I'm someone who likes to get the best value for my money....now I'm DEFINITELY getting the Motorola Droid....but with all this talk about new versions of Android (2.1) to be released in early 2010, as well as the QWERTY-less version...(which I do NOT want)...this is all leading me to believe that they are going to push a fix/ updated hardware AND software Moto Droid (1.5) sometime before the June 2010. Anybody getting that impression?
Right now, I'm reluctantly moving back to 'on the fence' with my purchase of the Droid.....UGHH!

Dude!! Why wait!! yur just torturing yourself!! get it now and be in heaven with the rest of us!!

 

[Corinacakes]

holy cow ya'll there's an app in the market called dolphin browser and it blows the default browser away!! its faster, easier to see and has something called "gestures" where you swipe your finger on the screen and it does things you have it set for when you swipe your mark. i also wrote the owner about pinch and zoOm because according to many comments....lots of other phones have it with this browser. i will update when he writes me back about when pinch will be added for droid.

 

[jimdelong]

GoToMyPC, Wave

The 2 sites I'm keen to be on are GoToMy ... PC, Meeting, etc. and Google's Wave. any idea about those?