Google axed Android multitouch at Apple's request

[happyandyv]

No multi-touch kind of kills the device and possibly the platform for me.. Not only are there a number of application developers and development firms that have multi-touch games and apps in progress that now much be scrapped, but now the platform is just not capable of performing like it needs to to become a serious mobile platform.. I mean.. no Tap Tap Revenge.. not cool...

This is going to cost the devs that were hopeful, sitting waiting for multi-touch a lot of time and probably money, and i doubt their discouragement from that experience will permit the format change from apple to android any longer.

When you start limiting a platform from achieving what has widely become accepted in the PDA/smartphone world as the future and the new normal, you definitely start limiting the longevity of that platform as well.

I am going to go back to work now.. sit and check the market every once in a while for the apps that for months now haven't come, and won't be coming today...

The question becomes.. When these limited functionality paid apps start dropping, will the be written extemely well and make the android platform retain the mark of mediocrity, or will they be just as fail crazy and buggy as the rest of the platform and applications for it and let any idea of an Android Phone become the new razor....? I think netbooks, sure I'll buy an andoird netbook.. but when it has been beaten and abused for so long now in this market.. no thanks..

I need to see some exciting impressive stuff pretty soon or I will be hitting up ebay to get rid of this thing.. I still get excited about the game and all releases I see for other phones.. All i get excited about concerning G1 is updates to FIX my broke ass $400 phone, and when an app that is worth installing drops; not buying, not using, but merely installing...

OK I FEEL BETTER NOW SORRY. JUST BUMMED TO HEAR THAT. I AM STILL PROBABLY RIGHT BUT.. I LIKE MY PHONE. HOPEFULLY THE DEVS WILL COME THROUGH FOR US.

[renatog]

Thank you JesusFreke: JF1.41 RC 33

[Chris Davies]

What might be an interesting multitouch twist: http://www.slashgear.com/patent-inve...found-0933495/

[Nativex]

Apple is becoming very so much like MICROSOFT!!!!!
mo⋅nop⋅o⋅ly [muh-nop-uh-lee]


–noun, plural -lies. 1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices. Compare duopoly, oligopoly. 2. an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government. 3. the exclusive possession or control of something. 4. something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service. 5. a company or group that has such control. 6. the market condition that exists when there is only one seller. 7. (initial capital letter) a board game in which a player attempts to gain a monopoly of real estate by advancing around the board and purchasing property, acquiring capital by collecting rent from other players whose pieces land on that property.

[GasBot]

aye, the link has been butchered, go here.

I agree, this seems plausible. Google heavily develops for the iPhone, they have alot to lose to make apple their enemy...

I would say that Apple has even more to lose if they were to piss off Google. Imagine Google Maps, Gmail, Google Earth, Search, etc. suddenly not working on any iPhone. People would be pissed and be dropping the iPhone like it was radioactive.

[mlevin]

If that's true, that's really disappointing. Google is big enough that it doesn't need to defer to Apple's wishes. To the person who pointed out that Google develops a lot of apps for iPhone and wouldn't want to make an enemy of Apple, I point out that Google could just as easily say, "hey, we write lots of apps for iPhone, so if you don't back down, we're not gonna allow iPhone to use any of our stuff." Google is the one with the cool services that iPhone wants to leverage.

Google is in a position to behave more like Wal-Mart (although I hate to hold them up as an example of good behavior, because they're a horrible comopany) -- basically, they say, "do it our way or don't play with us."

[Fare]

there must be a motive.

yes, you both are right in that Apple has as much to lose as Google does, but what does Google really have to gain from having a multi-touch android device...right now? If Google is in it for the long haul, they have more to gain from not engaging in frivolous cases making unwated enemies while they "build up" and establish an overwhelming powerful stance in the gadget world (with apps, services and OS/hardware). I believe Google will provide multi-touch at some point, when they have more to gain than to lose by doing so.

Google is immensly powerful, I don't think it's from making bad decisions...

[happyandyv]

If that's true, that's really disappointing. Google is big enough that it doesn't need to defer to Apple's wishes. To the person who pointed out that Google develops a lot of apps for iPhone and wouldn't want to make an enemy of Apple, I point out that Google could just as easily say, "hey, we write lots of apps for iPhone, so if you don't back down, we're not gonna allow iPhone to use any of our stuff." Google is the one with the cool services that iPhone wants to leverage.

Google is in a position to behave more like Wal-Mart (although I hate to hold them up as an example of good behavior, because they're a horrible comopany) -- basically, they say, "do it our way or don't play with us."

Wrong. Count the number of iPhones. From either giants view, there is too much to lose if they leverage their perceived value against the other giant.

Also - They would never break for that reason, they may hate eachother in the end, they may not be as helpful in future app development, but they will not give up each-other's service. Google gets an additional 20 million eyes and counting from apple's iPhone alone (google is in the business of eyes) (random guess at the # but they sold 7mil units in 4th quarter so..) And apple gets to ride the web wave that google is piloting through the 21st century with dozens of new "features" for their devices and more.. If some CEO made the decision to brush off one or the other, they would be quickly removed and the position reversed.

It would be like if the US suddenly said they won't do business or let its citizens do business with the UK any more because the UK would let us say "Jolly Ho You Cracky Dannigans!"

[gbk1]

Apple is becoming very so much like MICROSOFT!!!!!
mo⋅nop⋅o⋅ly [muh-nop-uh-lee]


–noun, plural -lies. 1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices. Compare duopoly, oligopoly. 2. an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government. 3. the exclusive possession or control of something. 4. something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service. 5. a company or group that has such control. 6. the market condition that exists when there is only one seller. 7. (initial capital letter) a board game in which a player attempts to gain a monopoly of real estate by advancing around the board and purchasing property, acquiring capital by collecting rent from other players whose pieces land on that property.

Even though Google give you somewhat a feeling of choice in their services, aren't all of us G1 users making GMail their primary email now? Pretty soon cloud computing is going mainstream and we all will be sucked in the Google Environment. To make sure, or pretty damn sure, Google makes their services as compatible with as many file types/programs there is.

How about Google for monopoly? I wouldn't mind. No one else here is complaining. What does that say about us? (Google fanboys?)
I like Apple's UI tho, using Macdroid 2.33


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[wildstar]

I posted this information on Google intentionally leaving it out months ago. While I obviously agree that, now that they know the extent of the patents Google should open up what they legally can...


Everyone here is missing a critical part of this. Google didn't leave it out because Apple warned them, they left it out intentionally to boost Apple.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt is ON THE APPLE BOARD. Until he isn't, we will never, ever see anyone budge on the multi-touch at Google.



The only hope at this point is for Apple to back down on the scope of their claims.
Or that people in the open source community defy Google and start releasing the Android dev kit with multi-touch. But that is far less ideal because none of the android built-in apps will come with multi-touch awareness so this will continue to set us back.


I'm really hoping that all the myriad of prior art out there (I've posted the link to the TED multi-touch demos and other patents before apple) causes Apple to ease up on their claims.
Jeff Han full demo of multi-touch with pinching zoom, flick motions, etc.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcKqyn-gUbY"]YouTube - Multi-touch interface (from Adobe TED)[/ame]
Several Universities have multi-touch patents loooong before Apple or fingerworks.
A few references here too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch