Editorial: Google's multitouch dilemma
By Nilay Patel 
posted January 19th 2010 6:25PM
posted January 19th 2010 6:25PM
Of course, the problem with having someone as funny, sharp, and bright as Erick on the show is that they tend to come in extremely well-prepared, and Erick was no exception -- he'd read the many comments where you all asked for solid answers regarding the state of multitouch gestures on Android, and he had his answers ready and polished to a high shine. Like we've been hearing for months now, Erick told us that Android now supports the recognition of multiple touch inputs -- the basic definition of "multitouch" -- and that the real issue is actually how multitouch is implemented. It was a fascinating exchange that I encourage you to watch, but here's the main quote:
That's a solid, respectable answer, and it was delivered with confidence, poise, and charm. There's just one problem: it's not actually an answer, because the semantics don't matter. No matter how you look at it, the lack of "specific multitouch implementations" is still a huge issue with Android -- one that's become a growing distraction.When people say 'why doesn't Android have multitouch?' it's not a question of 'multitouch'... I want to reframe the question. We have multitouch -- what people are asking for is specific implementations in the UI that use multitouch, like pinch-to-zoom, or chording on the keyboard.
In fact, all this talk about Android and multitouch just reminds me of the endless bickering about the iPhone and copy-and-paste before iPhone OS 3.0 came out: it didn't matter that the App Store was redefining mobile software sales or that the iPhone was turning into something much more than just a phone, because it lacked a single feature that everyone wanted. Every conversation about the iPhone involved at least some bitching about copy-and-paste with a side order of moaning about MMS, and it still hasn't completely subsided. And now the exact same thing is happening with Android and multitouch, or "specific multitouch implementations," or whatever Google wants to call it. Pinchy-pinch. Squeezy-weezy. SuperTouch 3000. Guess what? It's not in the platform by default, and everyone is constantly talking about it.
Actually, in some ways it's even worse than the copy-and-paste situation, because the things we've heard Google say about multitouch so far raise some troublesome questions. For example, when we asked Erick why the European Motorola Milestone has pinch-to-zoom in the browser but the Droid doesn't, he told us that "the software isn't in Google's control" when it leaves the US. So... does that mean Google exerts control over Android in the US? How much control? Did it actively forbid Motorola from using pinch-to-zoom in the Droid's browser? Why didn't Google use Motorola's pinch-to-zoom code in the Droid, but use HTC's code in the Droid Eris? And then not use it in the Nexus One? If Google doesn't have any control over the Milestone, why does it allow Motorola to load Google apps like Gmail on it? Until someone can answer these questions in a reasonable way, they're going to keep coming up over and over again.
Google prides itself on transparency and openness, and a secret deal forbidding Android from having pinch-to-zoom flies in the face of that culture. |
Of course, there's always a chance that Google and Apple really do have some backroom deal that prevents Android from having native pinch-to-zoom in the US -- Erick refused to explicitly deny such a deal when Josh asked him about "conspiracy theories" on the show. But that's a hard pill to swallow. First, it puts Google at a huge competitive disadvantage from the get-go, which is a terrible business strategy for a company that's pretty damn good at running its business. Second, Google prides itself on transparency and openness, and a secret deal forbidding Android from having pinch-to-zoom flies in the face of that culture. You say it's a patent issue? Nothing's changed since the last time I walked that lonely road: I still have yet to see an Apple patent that covers the pinch-to-zoom gesture, and Palm, Microsoft, and a laundry list of other companies are all now using the move without consequence. Besides, it's freaking Google -- the same company that up and decided copyright law was broken and started scanning out of print books because it wanted to try something new. Even if there is some mythical Apple patent on pinch-to-zoom, Google is one of the few companies that has the financial and legal resources to get it invalidated -- and there's plenty of prior art out there that'll help it along the way.
Look, this is simple. We love Android, and we want it to succeed. But we can't move on to other, more important conversations -- just where is that full Unicode support? -- until the distraction of the multitouch issue goes away. That doesn't mean Google has to code pinchy-pinch into Android 2.2, and it doesn't mean it has to retool the UI. It just needs to tell its customers what's really going on.
As a *huge* fan of Google, their products, and their services, I've said from the beginning that their responses thus far on the multitouch issue are complete and utter bull----.
Personally, I believe there is a back-room deal between Google and Apple, forbidding multitouch on US devices. How?
- Apple allowed Google Maps as a native iPhone application.
- Apple added multitouch to Google Maps on the iPhone as a "differentiator".
- Google signed something preventing them from doing the same.
It's simple. It's legal. It's the only rational explanation remaining -- and it's NOT a conspiracy theory. And, it explains why Google can't give a sold %&*@*!$ answer on the subject. And, consider that Apple recently bought a company that provides mapping software (an alternative to Google Maps).
This issue will not go away. Every subsequent Android release will suffer the same asterisk-ridden headline (*still no multitouch), until, if I'm correct, Google pulls Google Maps off the iPhone, stands up and says f--- you to the cartel in Cupertino. Thus far, they've been unwilling.
@PhineasJW
Yeah find a way to blame Apple for everthing. I guess big ol' Google is scared of Apple. By the way is it only the iphone that has Google Maps, you conspiracy theorists are a bunch of deluded morons.
dont feed the engadget reporters...
Well said. I found the way Tseng obviously dodged the question on the show extremely disturbing. If there were any legit reason to not have "multitouch implementations" he would have simply said what it was. But the way he dealt with that question leads me to believe he's hiding something.
As I read through all of these comments, I find it amusing that the minute someone's comments lean in the Apple direction, their comments get down-ranked. Seems awfully hypocritical to rag on the Fanboys and then try to shut them up when you know they have a legitimate argument.
Here's a video of a multitouch keyboard on the droid. A bit buggy but promising.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy90vqZpUGc
Nilay, thank you for writing this piece. Thank you everyone at engadget for supporting this piece and the questions you've posed. I hope your collective persistence gets to the bottom of this issue!