Pinch/Zoom Debate

[boatman]

Using xscope browser, w PZ. Great stuff. Don't know why others can't do this.

Don't believe GOOG is afraid of APPL, in fact, they might want to take them on. They have the size and the cash, APPL is doing nothing for GOOG. The iphone is NOT going to run Android, MBP are not going to run chromeos.

VZW on the other hand doesn't want to take a hit on phone sales vs. appl, especially if rumors of vzw iphone this summer are true. I am more inclined to think this ia vzw decision than a goog decision.

Would be interesting to see if GOOG offers phones unlocked to have PZ, MT.

 

[DroidJnkie]

What I don't understand is this whole "Google doesn't want to do it" crap.

Doesn't the HTC Eris, a GOOGLE BRANDED PHONE, have pinch and zoom features? YES IT DOES.

So why blame Google? It has to be some other explanation. I can't think that Motorola is afraid of Apple, but that's the only variable here.

 

[Needsdecaf]

Here's some food for thought.

I just had a Droid Eris for 2 months. It's a Google phone. It's not an Apple phone.

You can use pinch zoom on anything. Email, pictures, browser, message screen, anything. It's easy to use with one hand and smooth.

I'm guessing it's part of Sense UI? I never really tried it when running stock Android 1.5.

So the whole "Apple blocking it" thing is a wash. I guess Google would rather leave it up to the end user (i.e. HTC) to design it in? Google says "we won't put it in Android, we'd rather let someone else fight it out"?

Makes no sense to me...

 

[sooper_droid12]

Quickly to answer two uninformed posts:

1) It wasn't a Verizon decision to keep out pinch zoom because a) The Eris is a VZW phone has pinch (see#2) and b) the Nexus One that's shipped FROM GOOGLE does not have pinch zoom.

2) HTC Eris has pinch zoom because HTC LAYERED over the native OS their SENSE UI interface which is essentially a THIRD PARTY application. If APPL did go after anyone for this, they'd go after HTC not VZW or GOOG.

 

[DroidJnkie]

Quickly to answer to uninformed posts:

Thank you for clarifying that. I hate being uninformed, stupid, idiotic, and whatever else you were implying. I am now enlightened.

Thank you so much!

Let's give it up to Sooper droid!!!

 

[droidosis]

But to make it more confusing: UK Droid (milestone) has pinch zoom from the native vanilla OS. Flip of the switch.

Google can enable, Motorola can enable.

The question is who/why --> won't/didn't.

Did ex-apple, but now Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin pressure have anything to do with it?

Has anyone actually push these questions on Google/Motorola for a straight end all answer without all this speculation?

-droidosis-

 

[sooper_droid12]

Thank you for clarifying that. I hate being uninformed, stupid, idiotic, and whatever else you were implying. I am now enlightened.

Thank you so much!

Let's give it up to Sooper droid!!!

Hey, if you want to equate uninformed with stupid, idiotic go right ahead. I was using the word "uninformed" in the LITERAL sense, in that, the post was not expressing any informed content. If you were enlightened by that, great. You're welcome, sarcasm and all.

 

[sooper_droid12]

But to make it more confusing: UK Droid (milestone) has pinch zoom from the native vanilla OS. Flip of the switch.

Google can enable, Motorola can enable.

The question is who/why --> won't/didn't.

Did ex-apple, but now Google VP of Engineering Andy Rubin pressure have anything to do with it?

Has anyone actually push these questions on Google/Motorola for a straight end all answer without all this speculation?

-droidosis-

It was asked at the CES press event and Rubin dodged it like Evander Holyfield in a fight with Mike Tyson.

 

[DroidJnkie]

Hey, if you want to equate uninformed with stupid, idiotic go right ahead. I was using the word "uninformed" in the LITERAL sense, in that, the post was not expressing any informed content. If you were enlightened by that, great. You're welcome, sarcasm and all.

lol. Yes, I was being sarcastic, but not mean. thanks for the info!

 

[droidosis]

So he dodged the question! LOL.

Someone is going to have to ask the same question to whoever is above him. And be sure to add "Is it disabled because one of your own employees is trying to give your competitor an edge when there is absolutely no valid reason not to have the inherent OS feature/option enabled in the US?" ref: this thread

Could it be possible he used his influence to scare top level Google execs into thinking that this is the right decision? (to disable) Execs who are possibly still yet to totally understand the complete issue at hand, or lack of one!

If it was Google's decision to not enable the feature in order to spark new methods and innovation, then it wouldn't be enabled in the UK either.

It definately has something to do with the patent, a patent which may have a lack of enforceability! And/or possibly an employee who may not have Google's best interests in mind. The longer it stays disabled, the harder it becomes to enable it seems.

PAIR, PAIR, PAIR.

-droidosis-

 

[droidosis]

Well, I guess Andy is reading this thread after all

Andy Rubin:

"It's not an America versus outside America kind of thing. It's a decision that is a result of the OEM model. I personally don't like two-handed operations... there is no conspiracy."

So there's our answer? Just because he doesn't like it, the user base is denied the functionality/option to use it. It still sounds like a dodgy answer with a hidden agenda if you ask me.

Andy Rubin on multitouch in Android: 'I personally don't like two-handed operations' -- Engadget

I think more people have to pressure the right people at Google to enable.

Go Android Army!

ENABLE!

-droidosis-

 

[chippy]

You can't assume that it would feel natural to everyone. From the sounds of it, you must have had an iPhone/Touch so you're mobile viewing has been conditioned with pinch. Now that it's gone, you obviously feel it's more natural. But for people who have only played with pinch and are fully versed in Android, pinch is not really an issue.

If I want to zoom on a particular part of the page, I DT that part of the page or picture. Slide and zoom to whatever degree I want. Good enough for me.

Nope actually I hate Ipods/Itunes, I'm a zune man. The HD has pinch pull on it and I realllllly liked it the first second I tried it.

Oh and BTW, not to get my panties in a bunch, but I don't ever remember "assuming" as you asserted, that it would feel more natural to everyone. In my original post I'm pretty sure I use the word "I", as in me.

 

[djclark]

Let me see: Motorola sold 1M units and really needs this phone to stay in the game. Would Apple go after them to take them out of the game once and for all? Especially since Motorola ain't got nothing on them?

no. truthfully, I dont think apple even considers the droid a threat. Its nowhere near as nice as an iphone in the ergonomics department, let alone in the software area.

They haven't moved on Palm because AS I'VE SAID Apple has infringed on so many of Palm's patents that it would be unwise to litigate against Palm only for them to return the favor. Palm stands to gain in that legal battle.

uninformed drivel. Apple is not afraid of palm. Apple was building user interfaces long before palm even existed. Palms first device ( ie flop ) was in 92/93 time frame. At that point Apple had been building UIs ( lisa etc... ) for 14 years. Shit in 93 apple debuted the newton. Palm on the other hand licensed geoworks for its first hand held. I guess my point is this - apples been building hand helds and computer interfaces for a long time. Anything that palm could pull out of their ass as a challenge, can be easily deflated. Truth is, palm doesn't matter any more. this is an iPhone vs Android thing.

But one thing that you neglect to recognize is the Andy Rubin (GOOG) used to work for Apple, so it is likely that he has some personal reasons for not using MT or Apple's patents. I don't think it's ball-less. I just think he's chosen a certain direction to take Android. I think that what will happen is he wants to demonstrate how successful Android can be without MT when it finally overtakes Apple for market share.
At that point, we may see MT.

If that is the case - Rubin is an idiot. If you are trying to beat the iPhone - you better match if feature for feature. You aren't going to get any converts going halfway with things. I'm one of those people who loves Multitouch. It rocks and should be standard. This shit where they turn it off on one phone and its on on another - is idiotic. Think about it. You have a someone who uses the iPhone. If you ever want those people to chose android instead - you need the basic interactions to be the same.

 

[AnerisDroid]

Here's my opinion: We don't need pinch zoom if not having it drives innovation. However, if there is no other innovation as to how to utilizing multi-touch gestures in order to create more efficient commands, then allow pinch. In other words, if Google won't use pinch for a zoom function, then come up with something better. In my opinion, it's lazy that the wealth of Google engineers cannot formulate something better than a +/- bar for zooming. Shoot, even Google Maps has a slider bar for scaling. I guess I'm more frustrated that Google didn't do MORE with 2.1. Maybe we just have to wait for Flan or wait for Apple to go after Palm for IP infringement only for Palm to counter-sue and blow Apple out of the water with the number of Palm patents that Apple violates!

Word. I have an idea: double tap or something to activate a "zoom mode," draw a circle around the area you want to zoom into, and that area fits to screen. If I see this idea on a future phone, I'm going to demand royalties.

 

[MicroNix]

So we have a LOT of people here demanding that Google imitate Apple's pinch to zoom. I have never seen so much debate over something so minuscule. I have had an iTouch for two years and can say that pinch to zoom is *highly* overrated. First its slow. By the time you pinch and zoom, I can double tap, and I only need to use one hand. Two, pinch to zoom is clumsy if your graphics rendering don't keep up. Yes, even on the almighty Apple products, pinch to zoom can be clumsy. Three, the Droid on almost any web page only needs stock res and one double tap to make anything readable. Is it so difficult to double tap ONCE? I'm just not getting all shattered dreams that Droid doesn't pinch to zoom...

 

[mrthundercleese]

First of all, not an ex-iPhoney here ... but I big puffy fluffy heart pinch/zoom. It is much more analog, and the last time I checked, humans are more analog in nature than digital. It is intuitive and inspiring. Tap to zoom is ... err ... not.
...

No animals were harmed in the making of this post.

FWIW I big puffy fluffy second this post . No it's not hard to to tap but pinching feels good to me.