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Pinch Zoom Browser/Photo Viewer--When?

These are the two features that would make the droid perfect for me. Anyone forsee 3rd party apps that can do these soon? I would think the company that made a pinch zoom browser would make a fortune.

I am still amazed at how much importance people put on this feature...

That said, it's on the Hero, so clearly if it is patented by Apple or someone else, they are willing to license it.

So it's just a matter of time and money, as in all things technical after the lawyers are gotten out of the way. If a 3rd party app developer smells some money (and they should, given the number of posts talking about the lack of pinch zoom) they will come and they will develop. :)
 
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I'm surprise it's that important to people too, but the pinch zoom can for pictures; I'm sure there's an app for that.. and the browser, only way I know of is root but don't do that.. not with a brand new toy like this one. There is not enough reasons for this one. Too many negatives. But I'm sure a developer will create one soon for pinch zoom on browser in the coming months..
 
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Damn Apple
dry.gif
 
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Pinch zoom is great. so easy to quickly size a webpage especially when fitting pics and video. Tap to zoom sucks, especially on a capacitive screen, which is not as accurate as a resistive screen with stylus. HTC's unified inbox, photo viewer and browser all have it, so it is quite stupid that the droid doesn't have it out of the box.
 
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I would have to imagine that this could be corrected by an app that someone could develop using the 2.0 SDK.
You would think right? I mean internally the devices are the same so it is all in the software. So many people like this although I could do without it but it is nice to have when you are not one handed browsing and would like to be precise you know?
 
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You would think right? I mean internally the devices are the same so it is all in the software. So many people like this although I could do without it but it is nice to have when you are not one handed browsing and would like to be precise you know?

Personally, I don't care much about pinch zoom. Too me, I think it is a nice to have - something that the iPhone has so now everyone thinks it is a must have. I don't mind double tap - especially with the Droid because scrolling is so smooth and fast.
 
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I think pinch zoom is a pretty big deal since it does give far greater control than double tapping. No a deal breaker for me but a big plus.

This fact that the GSM version of the device offers multitouch raises more questions than it answers. If Google removed the feature from the US version, why? If the answer is because it is Apple's intellectual property, wouldn't that be protected internationally? Or perhaps it's Verizon's lawyers that pulled the plug? Perhaps the GSM simply has a later build of the OS and it's coming to the Droid? If the feature was indeed intentionally blocked, then I would expect any third party solution will require some sort of hack or rooting since Google presumably wouldn't allow it on their Market.
 
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I think pinch zoom is a pretty big deal since it does give far greater control than double tapping. No a deal breaker for me but a big plus.

This fact that the GSM version of the device offers multitouch raises more questions than it answers. If Google removed the feature from the US version, why? If the answer is because it is Apple's intellectual property, wouldn't that be protected internationally? Or perhaps it's Verizon's lawyers that pulled the plug? Perhaps the GSM simply has a later build of the OS and it's coming to the Droid? If the feature was indeed intentionally blocked, then I would expect any third party solution will require some sort of hack or rooting since Google presumably wouldn't allow it on their Market.

I Am astounded that the German version has pinch zoom on the browser. Would it be possible to install the german browser on a US droid?
 
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A viable alternative to pinch zoom | zoom in/out functionality in Android: Two fingers spaced a certain distance apart (changing the distance between fingers does nothing), touching the screen and turning counterclockwise for making something smaller and turning clockwise for increasing the size of something. The functionality is akin to turning up or down the volume via "knob" your analogue tv/radio etc.

thinking this idea would be just as easy to implement and NOT cause issue with lawyer types who left out pinch zoom functionality in US for fear of Apple flack

ps I agree that double tapping is not precise enough/weak feature
 
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Keep in mind that the droid on VZW is a "with google" device.. the milestone may not be a "with google" device, and therefore has multitouch features enabled.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone were to write a multi-touch enabled browser for Android 2.0 that could be used on the Droid.

Google supposedly has that agreement with apple saying that they won't implement multitouch. "With Google" devices are sanctioned by google... so it would be a violation of any such agreement if it does exist.
 
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A viable alternative to pinch zoom | zoom in/out functionality in Android: Two fingers spaced a certain distance apart (changing the distance between fingers does nothing), touching the screen and turning counterclockwise for making something smaller and turning clockwise for increasing the size of something. The functionality is akin to turning up or down the volume via "knob" your analogue tv/radio etc.

HOLY!#$%^&* That is an aweaome idea!! If only android developers read that!
 
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Unless you like pinch zoom. Really a personal preference isn't it?

Yes, an over rated personal preference. It shouldn't be a deal killer for buying a phone though. It will most likely in some way shape or form be incorporated anyway. It is in the EU version already, shouldn't be too difficult to port it over one would think.

I have a iPod touch and I like it but I don't have it on my Imagio and really, I don't miss it that much, not a big deal I guess if your not used to it to begin with but if it's become ingrained as a habit I can see where some might have a hard time getting by without it.
 
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A viable alternative to pinch zoom | zoom in/out functionality in Android: Two fingers spaced a certain distance apart (changing the distance between fingers does nothing), touching the screen and turning counterclockwise for making something smaller and turning clockwise for increasing the size of something. The functionality is akin to turning up or down the volume via "knob" your analogue tv/radio etc.

thinking this idea would be just as easy to implement and NOT cause issue with lawyer types who left out pinch zoom functionality in US for fear of Apple flack

ps I agree that double tapping is not precise enough/weak feature

Funny... I just sent a contact message to Phandroid asking them to please make an article explaining what multi-touch is, that the Droid/Android does indeed utilize multi-touch (just not pinch-zooming), and that pinch-zooming is only one multi-touch gesture (not multi-touch itself). I'm tired of seeing reviewers/bloggers/commenters stating that Droid/Android does not support/utilize multi-touch. Along with that, I provided my idea of a replacement gesture that is very similar to your idea, except that you don't really need to be 2 fingers... you could just use one finger in a circle/spiral type gesture. Clockwise zooms in, counter-clockwise zooms out. This way you could do it one-handed, you could change the focus of the zoom by moving the spiral as you perform the gesture, and there would be no question whether it infringes on any patents.
 
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people seem to say the ability to control the zoom % is the big deal with the pinch gesture. assuming that apple has some sort of control- then why not another gesture like hte others suggested?

Another alternative is like opera does on their mobile browser. Touch the middle of the right side of the display and you get a zoom slider that you move your finger along to adjust the zoom.

Not sure opera's is exactly the best but point is like the good ideas above- something besides pinch could be just as good.
 
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people seem to say the ability to control the zoom % is the big deal with the pinch gesture. assuming that apple has some sort of control- then why not another gesture like hte others suggested?

Another alternative is like opera does on their mobile browser. Touch the middle of the right side of the display and you get a zoom slider that you move your finger along to adjust the zoom.

Not sure opera's is exactly the best but point is like the good ideas above- something besides pinch could be just as good.

Exactly... makes no sense. Why does there seem to be a "pinch-zoom gesture or nothing" mentality??
 
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