Mutitouch?

[mcobit]

Here is an approach to add multitouch to googles android phone with just a single touch recognition.
They said they wouldn't use this method, but maybe it can be used for some apps on Pandora?

http://hackaday.com/2009/01/13/multitouch-...d-into-android/

 

[fragmage]

It wont be possible since the Pandora uses a resistive screen and not a capacitive touch screen like the G1 and iPhone.

 

[mcobit]

So it isn't possible with this tecnique since it is no real multitouch, does it matter if it is a resistive or capacitive screen?

 

[MarkoeZ]

It wont be possible since the Pandora uses a resistive screen and not a capacitive touch screen like the G1 and iPhone.

Actually it IS possible through some software, just not very accurate so no very usable either

 

[mcobit]

Maybe just accurate enough to zoom or rotate some pictures?

 

[kloplop321]

maybe... but not so sure, it would take some complex algorithms to do that

maybe... but not so sure, it would take some complex algorithms to do that

EDIT: bah, just going to leave it.. Stupid mac's at school.

 

[Tinnus]

I really can't see multitouch working on something like the Pandora due to the placement of the screen and the device's overall form.

 

[EdCa22]

Is mutitouch like, some kind of way of spreading an evil zombie virus infection or something?

 

[conso]

Is mutitouch like, some kind of way of spreading an evil zombie virus infection or something?

didn't you see kill bill 2? the multitouch heart explosion technique°

 

[EdCa22]

Nope, havent seen it. But I think our wires are crossed. MUTI-touch. Its the title of the thread.

 

[riosingh]

Nope, havent seen it. But I think our wires are crossed. MUTI-touch. Its the title of the thread.

Du you think muti touch could be third base with a dog?

 

[CandidStan]

Of course the Panda has Mutitouch, it also hafs sdfs cards and a touca skreeen.


I can has Mutitouch?

 

[Chip]

Resistive touchscreens cannot do multitouch. If you touch the screen in two different places, the actual point of contact will register halfway between them. It is a limitation of the technology and no amount of "algorithms" are going to give you useful data from multiple contact points on a resistive touchscreen.

Multitouch is the Nintendo Power Glove of handheld UI interfaces. Everybody wants it because it looks so cool, but it is actually of very limited use. There is nothing that multitouch does that cannot be done just as easily with a single finger or stylus - and you don't need to use both hands to do it.

 

[Karel Jansens]

Yes, resistive touchscreens can do a form of multitouch. Gary Birkett (AKA "Lcuk" on the Internet Tablet Talk forum) incorporated a proof-of-concept in his Maemo program Liqbase. Go here and search for "multitouch simulation". Those who have a (working) Nokia tablet can try it out; it's obviously a test, has glitches and isn't as precise as on capacitive touchscreens (although it isn't clear whether that's due to the nature of resistive touchscreens or because it's a rough alpha), but multitouch it certainly is.

And if moderators were a bit less anally retentive about closing down threads, I wouldn't have had to start a new one.

 

[Racemaniac]

i also found it harsh that they said it was only a fad, and had no advantage what so ever compared to single touch.

for a multimedia course at my university, i've done some user studies with multitouch, and although so far it's mainly zoom/rotation that it's used for, it's simply better at those tasks than single touch. and zoom/rotation are *very* useful things on such a small screen (okay, rotation not so, but quick and easy zooming is a huge advantage).

wether it is possible or not on the pandora screen, we'll see, but it's an interesting topic imo

 

[GregorR]

From that link you posted, the "multitouch" "simulation" (yes, I'm putting both of those words in quotes) is about as powerful as I'd expect it to be on a resistive touchscreen ... specifically, completely and utterly worthless.

If you keep one finger stationary and move the other, it can guess where the other finger is. That is, if it can "guess" that you've put down a second finger, which is based solely on the pointer moving farther than it expects (so you'd better not put your second finger right next to the first one). This is trivial. And also totally worthless. Anything you can do with this you can also do with an onscreen button and /not/ awkwardly holding one finger down without moving it.

If both fingers were moving, you're stuck. Hell, you couldn't even tell how far apart both fingers were.

In short: The moderator was right, this link's multitouch is nowhere near sophisticated enough to deserve the name "multitouch".

 

[Wolfsclaw]

I won't really add much to the discussion, just my personal experience (I have both a NDS and a Ipod Touch 2G): Zoomin in and out from Webpages via Safari on the Ipod Touch is extremely comfortable because of the multi-touch. It is not completely and utterly worthless. At least not when there are no hardware keys to zoom in/out as they are going to be on the pandora - but for ipod touch/iphone multitouch it has certainly it's use. You just put your finger somewhere on the screen and with another finger you scroll up or down which makes zooming possible. It certainly feels better than having to touch a little on-screen virtual button for zooming (the screen isn't the biggest, so this would waste even more space)
There's also the bonus of not having to find your styles, or pulling it out of your device - not that it really gives you more time, but it feels just good.

 

[marshal]

I won't really add much to the discussion, just my personal experience (I have both a NDS and a Ipod Touch 2G): Zoomin in and out from Webpages via Safari on the Ipod Touch is extremely comfortable because of the multi-touch. It is not completely and utterly worthless. At least not when there are no hardware keys to zoom in/out as they are going to be on the pandora - but for ipod touch/iphone multitouch it has certainly it's use. You just put your finger somewhere on the screen and with another finger you scroll up or down which makes zooming possible. It certainly feels better than having to touch a little on-screen virtual button for zooming (the screen isn't the biggest, so this would waste even more space)
There's also the bonus of not having to find your styles, or pulling it out of your device - not that it really gives you more time, but it feels just good.

I think the "completely and utterly worthless" comment was about the "multitouch simulation".
That is trying to emulate multitouch on a resistive screen like the one of the pandora.

The Iphone as a capacitive screen that is designed to do multi touch (but you can't use a stylus on it). It is two different technology and both have their plus and minus.
I don't think anyone said that the multitouch on the iphone was worthless.

 

[Chip]

"Multitouch" as described in that link is really just a PoC tech demo. It is far less convenient in actual usage than traditional single-point input. Someone could certainly add that functionality to a program, but it would be more for the ability to say "My program has multitouch" than to actually improve the user experience.

Multitouch is a gimmick. It is a useful gimmick for capacitive touchscreens which are not particularly precise, but it doesn't (can't) give you much (any) benefit on a resistive screen. Having the multitouch option on a capacitive display gives you many different options for UI interfaces, which allow you to avoid capacitive's weak points. However having to use two hands would be particularly awkward with the Pandora's clamshell design, even if it was technically possible.

The previous thread was closed because the question had been accurately and completely answered, and the last half dozen posts were completely off topic. Nothing useful can come from leaving a thread open when there is nothing left to discuss but people keep posting asinine comments anyway.

 

[Karel Jansens]

"Multitouch" as described in that link is really just a PoC tech demo. It is far less convenient in actual usage than traditional single-point input. Someone could certainly add that functionality to a program, but it would be more for the ability to say "My program has multitouch" than to actually improve the user experience.

Multitouch is a gimmick. It is a useful gimmick for capacitive touchscreens which are not particularly precise, but it doesn't (can't) give you much (any) benefit on a resistive screen. Having the multitouch option on a capacitive display gives you many different options for UI interfaces, which allow you to avoid capacitive's weak points. However having to use two hands would be particularly awkward with the Pandora's clamshell design, even if it was technically possible.

The previous thread was closed because the question had been accurately and completely answered, and the last half dozen posts were completely off topic. Nothing useful can come from leaving a thread open when there is nothing left to discuss but people keep posting asinine comments anyway.


You closed the previous thread with a blanket statement that was wrong, but because you decided to use your moderator powers to close the thread, you made it impossible to reply to that statement. It doesn't matter how useful or not multitouch is on resistive screens, the point is that it is possible, contrary to your ex cathedra statement.

As to the advantage of single-point input, even that is debatable. Apple Newtons have resistive touchscreens, yet the O/S provides a rich set of stylus gestures, none of which are single-point, but all of which enhance the UI.