Comments on: Palm Shrugs Off Apple’s Multi-Touch Patent, Confident That Pre Will Launch On Time

By: Sharad Patel

Sharad Patel — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:05:43 +0000

Everyone hates bullies – Apple may find that even if it has a case it may suffer from negative publicity (just look at SCO and the Unix debacle). I have been using my fingers to interact with the world (digital and real) ever since I can remember – does Apple intend to patent the finger? I am a huge Apple fan – ever since the very first Mac – but that relationship may come to an end. I sincerely hope not.

By: Choda Boy

Choda Boy — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:53:06 +0000

I really do not understand all the fuss about multi-touch on the Pre. The only multi-touch gestures I have seen anyone use on the Pre so far is the pinch to resize. Big deal! Also, from what I understand, the Cypress screen actually interprets the gestures, not the Pre software. So, wouldn’t they be the ones sweating about multi-touch?

By: ColdReality

ColdReality — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 10:47:16 +0000

This is just a repeat of Apple’s efforts to claim it invented the GUI, window/menu/icon and mouse back in the 1980s. They lost that effort due to prior art as well.

I’ve used copy machines and navigation system touchscreens years before the iPhone was even conceived that utilized multi-touch interfaces. Touchscreens are nothing new, and trying to claim exclusivity over a touchscreen that recognizes more than one touch is not going to pass muster.

Apple should compete by coming up with new ideas like Palm has, not by trying to game the legal system.

By: Martin Pasch

Martin Pasch — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 03:42:43 +0000

Apple’s multi-touch patent is potentially prior art. In 1996, I bought a Mitac 5031 Notebook. This notebook already had a touchpad you could use as any other touchpad, except if you put two fingers on it. Then you could resize/move the selected windows…