Multitouch confusion

[trick202]

OK, so I have a few (possibly stupid) questions regarding multitouch.

I just watched a video over at Engadget confirming that the droid does not have multitouch on the virtual keyboard. They showed the iphone VKB and the guy was holding down one key while typing other keys. The droid wouldn't do this (although it disregarded the fact that the droid was predicting words etc).

Question 1:
What am I missing here? Do I want to be able to tap more than one key at once? I can hold down keys to get number on my hero. On my iPhone I had to bring up the numeric KB for that.

Question 2:
When I had my iPhone and used maps in the car, it was a real PITA to pinch zoom. I would have preferred the single tap system any day. I thought pinch zoom was kind of "cool" - but not a lot more than that.


Am I missing something big here? This is NOT an apple bashing thread (I think the iPhone is an awesome piece of kit) - I'm just scratching my head a bit.

 

[jiltedcitizen]

I agree. I've never used an iphone keyboard, I was wondering what multitouch would give me, beyond a shift key. I think the best virtual keyboard I ever used was Touchpal for winmo. It's not bad for the Android, just needs some polish and features the winmo one has. I don't get why I want multitouch either. tapping seems easier and just fine. What I really want is gestures. Something like webOS, swipe up to close an app, left or right to switch, etc

 

[rvonder]

I think the best virtual keyboard I ever used was Touchpal for winmo. It's not bad for the Android, just needs some polish and features the winmo one has.

I definitely agree re Touchpal. I had been using it on my Samsung Omnia with WM 6.5.1 and never found anything better. I read on the Cootek site that they had a beta version for Android, and it referred me to the Market to download it... but I sure couldn't find it there. May I ask where you found it to download? I really miss the T9 functionality and the 2-letters-per-key layout, which I found much faster and more accurate because I have big thumbs!

Also, what 'polish and features' did you find missing on the Android version?

thanks, Rob

 

[Brian]

the big issue with multitouch for my crew is just that apple said nobody else can have it so naturally we all want it...on our android devices. the multitouch keyboard is a must for devices without hardware keyboards. pinch and zoom is where everyone really sees multitouch happen and i dont think its that big of a deal.

 

[DigitalForayDude]

the big issue with multitouch for my crew is just that apple said nobody else can have it so naturally we all want it...on our android devices. the multitouch keyboard is a must for devices without hardware keyboards. pinch and zoom is where everyone really sees multitouch happen and i dont think its that big of a deal.

Well, given that both the Palm Pre (which I'm in the process of selling right now) and ostensibly Android 2.0 have multitouch capability, it would seem this is more a software limitation rather than a hardware one. So, where's the fire then, exactly?

 

[jeffyo]

I've been using multitouch on my droid since day1. I have the Eris. I'm confused when. People use droid as the motorola when its verizons way of saying Android.

 

[trick202]

the multitouch keyboard is a must for devices without hardware keyboards.

Why?

My VKB on the hero is way more flexible than the one on my 3g iPhone. You can long-press for numbers, brackets etc.

Why would I need multitouch for my keyboard?

 

[spottyelephant]

the big issue with multitouch for my crew is just that apple said nobody else can have it so naturally we all want it...on our android devices. the multitouch keyboard is a must for devices without hardware keyboards. pinch and zoom is where everyone really sees multitouch happen and i dont think its that big of a deal.

I think there's something to remember here. The thing is that the pinch and stretch action have become synonymous (spelling?) with changing the zoom on a device, whether it be due to iphone owners, or people using an iphone once or twice. So it has become "the standard", and generally people dont like methods that dont use "the standard".

Take the "changing screens action". If you pick up any phone and want to view the screen that you know virtually exists to the right of where you are, the standard on all phones is to drag your finger left to "pull it over". Imagine how confusing it would be if some phones implemented a method whereby to get the screen on the right, you swiped your finger right (to indicate thats the direction you want to go.

Now see, no one (that i know of) patented the swipe-direction action, whereas apple patented pinching (maybe in the US only, not sure). However the general public is used to pinching now, and expect it to be the standard on any phone, which is why people aren't v impressed with double tapping etc.

Personally the zoom action i like best depends on the situation. I use my phone in my right hand. If my left hand is otherwise engaged (nothing dirty mind you!), then pinch zooming is very difficult trying to stretch my fingers around correctly etc. However if both hands are free, i find it much easier and quicker to pinch zoom with my left hand while holding the phone in my right. So i dunno, it would be nice to be able to zoom using both methods!

 

[jiltedcitizen]

I definitely agree re Touchpal. I had been using it on my Samsung Omnia with WM 6.5.1 and never found anything better. I read on the Cootek site that they had a beta version for Android, and it referred me to the Market to download it... but I sure couldn't find it there. May I ask where you found it to download? I really miss the T9 functionality and the 2-letters-per-key layout, which I found much faster and more accurate because I have big thumbs!

Also, what 'polish and features' did you find missing on the Android version?

thanks, Rob

I found it in the market. It took a few tries searching, for some reason it didn't come up all the time. It doesn't have a minimize button, which it needs. Winmo had a dedicated button for that, android does not. There is no top bar in the android version, which isn't bad, but no cut and paste or storing custom messages...I think. I find the HTC keyboard decent.

 

[katsuru]

Motorola Milestone ( Droid in USA Milestone in Euro ) Has multitouch, Droid doesn't, but comes with Google Navi, Milestone comoes with Motonavi or something...

Those are the differences between both.

 

[FireRunner]

Ever since using the iPhone 3GS I cannot get used to browsing on anything else that does not have multi-touch. The scrolling, moving around the page, zooming in/out, everything is so much faster.

 

[fatboybeanbags]

I agree with Firerunner. Ever since I have has my iphone which has been for the last 6 months the multitouch function is just fantastic.I couldnt live without it. When I think about the phones I use to use, it just makes me shudder.

 

[flan]

Is it possible that people that type really fast will be able to take advantage of multitouch, just to type a little faster? In other words, their left thumb is on the 'w', and before they let go of the 'w', their right thumb presses the 'o'?

 

[trick202]

I think you're reaching a little here.

Multitouch has it's uses -WITHOUT DOUBT. I have owned 3g iphone, and liked the novelty of pinch to zoom. I didn't like it so much with maps, but that's another story.
However, my iphone still stumbled and tripped when I tried to type at "blackberry speeds" ;-)

I'm not saying multitouch is useless - I'm just saying: "and?"


Is it such a biggie?