3 ms·

Again, not to belabor a point but in a previous HN post, I noted that Microsoft Surface was likely an earlier prototype with multi-touch, as well as demos of a

Again, not to belabor a point but in a previous HN post, I noted that Microsoft Surface was likely an earlier prototype with multi-touch, as well as demos of a working "Pinch-to-zoom" back in 2006. I have no clue if and when iPhone already had this feature in a prototype, but Microsoft was definitely demoing this pre-iPhone. http://channel9.msdn.com/blogs/laurafoy/a-peek-inside-microsoft-research-reveals-tom-cruises-technology-today http://channel9.msdn.com/blogs/laurafoy/a-peek-inside-micros... So the funny thing about the article is that it states as fact that Google copied Apple's pinch-to-zoom (but that it was a good thing), when in fact the case could be made that Apple copied Microsoft's pinch-to-zoom (I'm not sure if they did or not).

robin_reala 15y ago
Apple bought FingerWorks along with their associated multitouch patents in 2005: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks
alok-g 15y ago
See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch Excerpts: A breakthrough occurred in 1991, when Pierre Wellner published a paper on his multi-touch “Digital Desk”, which supported multi-finger and pinching motions. ... however both the function and the term predate the announcement or patent requests, except for such area of application as capacitive mobile screens, which did not exist before Fingerworks/Apple's technology
- tensor 15y ago
  It's even worse, the pinch gesture goes back to 1983. [1] [1] http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html
recoiledsnake 15y ago
Click here to see pinch to zoom in action in 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKh1Rv0PlOQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=174s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKh1Rv0PlOQ&feature=playe...
technoslut 15y ago
Multitouch is not necessarily the issue but the technology used to accomplish multitouch. Multitouch has been in development for 30 years. The Surface did not use the same kind of tech as in the iPhone to accomplish multitouch. If the courts were to ever rule in Apple's favor, it would probably revolve around the tech behind it.
deleted 15y ago
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robin_reala 15y ago

Apple bought FingerWorks along with their associated multitouch patents in 2005: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FingerWorks

alok-g 15y ago

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch Excerpts: A breakthrough occurred in 1991, when Pierre Wellner published a paper on his multi-touch “Digital Desk”, which supported multi-finger and pinching motions. ... however both the function and the term predate the announcement or patent requests, except for such area of application as capacitive mobile screens, which did not exist before Fingerworks/Apple's technology

tensor 15y ago
It's even worse, the pinch gesture goes back to 1983. [1] [1] http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html http://www.billbuxton.com/multitouchOverview.html

recoiledsnake 15y ago

Click here to see pinch to zoom in action in 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKh1Rv0PlOQ&feature=player_detailpage#t=174s http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKh1Rv0PlOQ&feature=playe...

technoslut 15y ago

Multitouch is not necessarily the issue but the technology used to accomplish multitouch. Multitouch has been in development for 30 years. The Surface did not use the same kind of tech as in the iPhone to accomplish multitouch. If the courts were to ever rule in Apple's favor, it would probably revolve around the tech behind it.

deleted 15y ago

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