Patent Question

[Felch]

My understanding is that Apple has a patent on the user interface for the iPhone, particularly the way that zooming in and out works.

Didn't Microsoft already have this done in their multi-touch Surface product? Is the difference that Apple made it work on a cell phone? How is Apple able to patent this, and thereby gimp my Blackberry Storm?

[Asher]

My understanding is that Apple has a patent on the user interface for the iPhone, particularly the way that zooming in and out works.

Didn't Microsoft already have this done in their multi-touch Surface product? Is the difference that Apple made it work on a cell phone? How is Apple able to patent this, and thereby gimp my Blackberry Storm?

There are patents on multi-touch going back to the 1980s. Decades before Apple started playing with it.

The first multi-touch display was developed at the University of Toronto in 1982.

"Pinching" motions (the "zoom" gestures) were first used in 1991 by Bell Labs.

Microsoft's been using multi-touch inside Microsoft Research (in Surface prototypes) since 2001.

Apple has a handful of patents relating to multi-touch being used in specific ways on the iPhone/iPod touch. It was enough to scare Google and RIM from implementing it, as Apple's lawyers are busy as always in fearmongering that any other phone implementing multitouch will probably infringe their specific patents. Palm obviously doesn't think Apple has a strong case, so the Pre implements them. Microsoft similarly doesn't think Apple has a case, and/or isn't scared of Apple, so they do it also in the Zune HD, Windows 7, and Microsoft Surface.

This article is good: http://gizmodo.com/5142445/dissectin...n-it-stop-palm

Now that Google's CEO was kicked off Apple's board, I expect to see an Android update enabling multi-touch on the Android phones.

[Felch]

Well good.

I've got a deep seated hatred of Apple dating back to grade school (their computers dominated in schools back in the day). Plus I hate that twerp and his turtlenecks.

Google I like. I'm looking forward to them taking on Apple.