Google axed Android multitouch at Apple's request

[happyandyv]

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.

The problem is that you are yelling monopoly at a patent. The patent although quickly becoming the basis for user interface for an entire industry, it is not yet the standard or at all the basis for said industry. Apple's user base is still tiny in terms of PC and PDA use worldwide, but they are the trend, they are the popular, they offer the premium product for 3x the price - but a trend is a trend, and we are in economic down turn right now.. 3x the price isn't worth it right now.. Apple won't sit where they are long.. All of their software innovation comes from linux or 3rd party, doesn;t it make more sense that linux would take a leap instead of apple? Most especially considering that a dual core 2.6 with 4gb and non integrated video for linux costs $500 and for apple it costs $3000...

I don't know.. all speculation really but.. just don't think they can be considered at all monopolistic, or at all "the future". You pay them too great a compliment.

[hawtseks]

Like everything else, profits rule over progress.

[G1andonly]

It"s ok guys and gals apple needs something to have that we dont and since our phone is just better all around( copy and paste, 3.2 camera, keyboard, awsome look, removable battery, sd cards....shall i stop there). I bet its hard for those apple guys to sleep knowing there is a G1 out there.....love it

[ickyfehmleh]

...
Just because Apple patented any process which involves putting more then one finger on a capacitive screen everyone is hostage to yet another frivolous patent which stifles innovation.
...
This crap needs to end, all these damn software patents and crippling innovation and the progression of technology.

You say it stifles innovation but you haven't invented anything. If/when you do, and someone takes your idea and puts it in their product, you'd be pissed and demanding royalties; it was your money, nights, weekends, and time away from your family that made the technology possible, and you should see some sort of compensation for it. Go watch Flash of Genius for inspiration.

Google is free to license Apple's (or any other company's) technology for use in their products; they had already done so with NavTech/NAVTEQ until a falling-out occurred. Google opted not to, much like Google was free to use a J2ME implementation for Android but instead opted to potentially fork Java by using the Dalvik VM, presumably because they don't want to pay royalties for things (note that abundance of open source technology used at Google, including the Linux kernel and the Python language).

You can hate Apple for whatever puerile reasons you have, but all companies patent things -- including precious Google, who tried to patent delivering ads to users based on their geolocation and customer behavior, something that another company put the kabosh on due to prior art. Google has, however, patented a data center in a shipping container, something seems pretty self-explanatory but Google will not doubt enforce that patent should another company put a data center in a shipping container and call it a day.

[nuc70]

This is all a Bull. Apple is scared that Google Android is taking over. Only thing lacking is Multi touch. Its just matter of time some one comes out with a Nice looking phone.

APPLE STOPE BING SCARED AND SUCH A BITCH AND LET ANDROID HAVE MULTI TOUCH.

This is also very unfair to all the other industry as well. Just cause of Apple Patent you have wait for Apple to come up with muti touch. Imagine every peach of technology you own is only patent and made by 1 Company.

There is hundred of application to Multi touch and now its not possible NO THANKS TO APPLE.

I my self own a Macbook and love but Apple come on give it up plz!

[yunlin12]

The way I see it, HW < SW < Content. Apple may have the HW and SW, but Google has the content, and in the end, that's what gets users addicted.

Google is biding its time to get their content (GoogleMaps, Gmail) entrenched in all mobile phone platforms. Once that's accomplished, they will be free to write their own ticket.

This reminds me of how M$FT took over the IBM PC. They did whatever they needed to do to make DOS the dominant OS on the PC platform, and the rest is history. At that time, it was M$FT's SW vs IBM's HW, and SW won. This time it will be Google's content vs Apple's SW, and I think content will win out in the end.

[Wrytch]

Maybe Google should disable/prevent multi-touch functions in GoogleMaps until they are allowed to include the feature in their own OS?

Limit their applications to the functional restrictions (requests) place upon their OS by Apple.

[ickyfehmleh]

Maybe Google should disable/prevent multi-touch functions in GoogleMaps until they are allowed to include the feature in their own OS?

Limit their applications to the functional restrictions (requests) place upon their OS by Apple.

Yes, and when you get an incorrect bill you should self-immolate outside that business's office. That'll show 'em!

It makes absolutely no business sense to hold a grudge and intentionally damage your product on a competitor's platform.

I'm quite surprised (and saddened) that none of you have thought that Google would out-Apple Apple by inventing something better than multitouch, patenting it, and offer Apple to license its patent.

[yunlin12]

Maybe Google should disable/prevent multi-touch functions in GoogleMaps until they are allowed to include the feature in their own OS?

Limit their applications to the functional restrictions (requests) place upon their OS by Apple.

I thought GoogleMaps is an API that Apple wrote their own code for the iPhone. Don't know if Google can do anything to shut down multi-touch.

What's puzzling is why the GoogleMaps code on the G1 isn't open sourced. I wish they would release the code so we could get multi-touch on it like the browser in JF 1.41-RC33 (thanks JF & Luke!)

[prash]

Well, I for one am not frothing at the mouth for multi-touch features, but at least this explains why Google did not include it even when the hardware was capable. I'm a self-proclaimed google whore so I trust in the all mighty GOOG to do the right thing.

Apple (hate it or love it) will always be around like the macs are. Their fanboys are always going to be just a little annoying to talk to, but just knowing that Google is slowly taking over everything makes it all better.