http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/ Engadget Comments for Editorial: Google's multitouch dilemma http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Do you think if you keep asking Steve jobs about the tablet, "keep pressing him" as you say, he'll give you a real answer?]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Because that's totally the same thing...]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/These guys only answer what they want to answer.]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/or maybe Google employees are secretly betting on how many articles they can get out of Engadget regarding this "issue".]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
So then what's the point of having a show or interview? Just post up a press release instead of wasting our time]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Nexus one is Google phone, are they saying they have no control over their own phone in europe?

Everybody knows that Google is trying not piss off Apple and that's it, Google make their money from the ADs not the hardware and I'm sure they don't want to lose the millions of ipod touch/iphone users which come built in with many Google App and Main search engine set to Google in these products.]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:08PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
I'm sorry, and this isn't so much a personal response or attack, but I feel most people agree with your point of view.

"Everybody knows that Google is trying not piss off Apple and that's it, Google make their money from the ADs not the hardware and I'm sure they don't want to lose the millions of ipod touch/iphone users which come built in with many Google App and Main search engine set to Google in these products."

The problem is, Google is far stronger and more influential than Apple. While there is a large customer base to upset by having Apple pull start an attack campaign against big G... The iPhone wouldn't be what it is without Google. Yes, Apple owes the iPhone's success to Google. Imagine how crippled functionality would be platform-wide if you ripped Google maps from the iPhone, not to mention people having to adjust to another (to-be-implemented) mapping system. What's the second best right now? Nokia Maps? Yeah, Nokia will play ball with Apple, LEWL.

If I'm missing something obvious that makes this whole thesis invalid, let me know. Please.

tl;dr
Google and Google maps built the iPhone and it's platform into the mass phenomenon that it has become, and can easily take it away, so why is big G playing ball with Apple and not reverse?
(down votes incoming)]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 8:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/i know you guys are CNN but "bitching"?]]>Jan 19th 2010 10:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 10:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
In what world is Google more stronger and influential than Apple. Apple has a bigger market cap, more money, more employees and more profits than Google. Something like 80 percent of Google's revenue comes from search. If Microsoft is able to put up more of a challenge with Bing, Google is in deep shit. As for your rant about the iPhone wouldn't be where it is without Google don't make me laugh. Apple built the iPhone maps application they only used the backend from Google, they could have gotten another company to supply the data. Apple even bought their own mapping company so it seems they are ready to dump Google. Stop overhyping Google's influence.]]>Jan 19th 2010 10:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 20th 2010 6:13AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
"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?... If Google doesn't have any control over the Milestone, why does it allow Motorola to load Google apps like Gmail on it?"

Add to that "If they don't control it outside the US, how did they manage to postpone the launch in China?" - seems like there's a LOT of contradictions coming out of a well-oiled machine, no?

I think the 'control' issue really should be pressed, and is way more important than something as trivial as a pinch-zoom implementation.

Personally, if text-reflow works well in the browser, I'll take a single handed operation like double-tap zoom over pinching any day.]]>Jan 20th 2010 11:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 20th 2010 12:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
getting an answer from them at this point is moot because we already know the answer. my guess is it's one of these "as long as you don't do multitouch, we'll continue to let you ship the google suite on our iDevice..."]]>Jan 20th 2010 1:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Apple makes 15 billion dollars more a year than google?]]>Jan 20th 2010 2:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://bit.ly/nexus-one-official-details-and-questions]]>Jan 20th 2010 9:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Second, the HTC Nexus One is just the first Google Phone and the fact that Google sell the phone itself doesn't mean that Google have the control over it.
Third, I have pinch-to-zoom on my old HTC Magic (myTouch 3G) since I have Android 2.0 on it so I don't care.

When you're saying that there is no multi-touch on the Nexus One, it's like saying that Windows is bad for web surfing because it's default browser is IE ... unlike on Apple products, on Nexus One and Windows, you have the choice to use whatever you want.
On Android, all applications are equal ;)]]>Jan 21st 2010 10:21AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
No they don't want, why don't you go inform yourself.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_inc]]>Jan 21st 2010 4:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Nevermind! I'm out of it. Had to read it a few times.]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Like you this is not, my young Engadgeteer]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:55PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Well done. :)]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Am I not allowed to agree with an unbiased article?]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:42PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
I agree that the article is more fair and balanced than most. But I feel like if Microsoft had explicitly refused to deny that their product's lack of multitouch was because of a backroom deal with another company, Engadget would have published their straight-forward conclusion that the backroom deal was obviously the reason for multitouch's absence.

I don’t think there is much left to wonder about. When a company explicitly refuses to deny a leaked product we generally say that that is confirmation of its existence….
]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:45PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
If the problem is that Apple and Google have a backroom deal to protect Apple's multitouch gestures, then the real question is: Why the %#@& is anyone allowed to patent gestures??]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
I've said it before in regards to WinMo and I'll say it in defense of Android. Multi-touch is a feature. Nothing else. It does not make the OS or the phone experience significantly better. It's nice to have but definitely not worth the hype. I use it on my iPod Touch on occasion and don't miss it on my WinMo phone.

I'm all for giving people as many options as possible. In a perfect world multi-touch would be on every device. That said, making a stink about it is just silly. Unlike copy and paste (which I do use every day), multi-touch falls squarely in the "nice to have" column.

Between capacitive screens and multi-touch I just don't get why Engadget gets hung up over these few minor features.]]>Jan 19th 2010 8:19PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Well said kmobs, the article is definitely well-written and makes many valid points. I think Nilay is asking a lot of fair questions and he's also right when he says they didn't keep pushing Erick because it didn't look like he was backing down.

As for the Engadget bias, we have to realize that Engadget is comprised of many different authors and editors and they don't all agree on everything. Topolosky clearly has the most notable bias(es) and this is irrefutable, all empirical evidence supports this claim. However, Nilay appears be a lot more sensible and well-rounded. I'm sure in some ways he's subject to Topolsky's reign and can't in principle refute what the overlord says. Even so, his general smartness shines through and I'm very pleased with this approach to this article.]]>Jan 19th 2010 8:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/@Abe

And the truth is revealed: http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/03/09/apple-talks-tough-to-handset-makers/]]>Mar 11th 2010 2:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Multitouch is pretty important nowadays, its pinch-to-zoom thats a useless/acquired taste. And seeing as Android is only lacking the latter... I don't see what the problem is.]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Individual programs support it, but if you have it oriented in landscape and are driving with it docked, good luck navigating through to find the phone dialer, etc...]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/My G1 does that. I'm using a hacked version 1.6 or whatever of android though.

It got included in the default features at some point. Have you ever upragded your device?

Or do you not have a G1?]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/YES! Autorotation of the Homescreen is more important than Pinch-Zoom!]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Just get the appropriate app for that! Oh wait, you said Android, not Windows Mobile.]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
...and I find multi-touch gimmicky on my iphone. I use the double tap to zoom in a lot, wouldn't mind a zoom slider by the side for apps. Is there anything else multitouch is really useful for?]]>Jan 19th 2010 7:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
The system supports it, but there are specific programs that disable it. I've done app development on Android, and accelerometer rotation is enabled by default unless you specifically go through the trouble of turning the feature off for your program.

If you have a problem with the home screen or dialer not rotating with the accelerometer, just download a replacement home screen and a replacement dialer that do.]]>Jan 19th 2010 8:29PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 8:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 9:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 9:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/No it isn't. Unless you're using two fingers, which isn't at all necessary.

To explain, I give you a simple analogy: Touch screens work the same way touch pads do, and most of those are not multitouch, but you can stilll put a finger down and move it anywhere and it'll register. Just because that registration is used to move the mouse on a computer and the screen itself on a mobile phone doesn't make it multitouch. Also, most resistive screens can do this trick, eg, the N900 has multiple home screens and is resistive, not multitouch.]]>Jan 20th 2010 12:37AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 20th 2010 1:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Android. The new WinMo. Only cheaper.]]>Jan 19th 2010 6:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/
Ah, I love seeing "lowest ranked" comments! It's really the high point of this site. It's sort of ironic, don't you think? They grey the comment out, so that people will hopefully ignore it - but really it just calls attention to blatantly ignorant fanboism.

It's okay though, I won't judge you for pouting about an article that isn't about the god phone. Apparently everyone else has already beat me to it : ) ]]>Jan 20th 2010 8:11AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/19/editorial-googles-multitouch-dilemma/Jan 19th 2010 6:33PM