Eee Is 1st Windows Laptop To Support Multi-Touch

An anonymous reader writes "CNET UK has just put up its review of the Asus Eee PC 900 Win running Windows XP and discovered that it's the first Windows machine to support multi-touch, 'Better still, the mouse trackpad supports multi-touch gesture inputs — even in Windows XP. A pinching motion lets you zoom in on images, stretching lets you zoom out, and a two-finger vertical stroking motion allows you to scroll up and down through documents. MacBook Air and iPod touch users have enjoyed this feature for some time, but it's the first we've ever seen it implemented on a Windows laptop.'"

Comments

Umm...

[Facegarden]

Damn, 3 comments and no one mentioned anything about the phrase "vertical stroking motion". I'm impressed. I kinda wanted to wait and see how long it would be before someone else mentioned it, but it've screwed that up now... -Taylor

Re:Where's the patent???

[Anonymous Coward]

Why do you assume Apple has the patent on multi-touch?...., which it doesn't!

But good luck to them if they tried to patent the gesture.

ps I am patenting my own gesture to apple for being a ripoff company.

Terminology

[PingPongBoy]

Multi-Touch is kind of unimaginative, when you consider the alternative: Fondle.

Now consider a computer that responds to touch all over. The intent of the user tends to be a bit vague however.

Re:Terminology

[Anonymous Coward]

Now consider a computer that responds to touch all over. The intent of the user tends to be a bit vague however. Chi?

Re:Where's the patent???

[Solra Bizna]

maybe if you're lucky, the author of http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=527884&cid=23125954 will license their newly acquired patent on shutting up to you!

Why don't you establish prior art and shut up yourself?

Because that would invalidate the patent, silly.

-:sigma.SB

Thanks

[JamesRose]

But I still haven't got bored of my keyboard nipple yet ;)

Re:Thanks

[grm_wnr]

If someone implements "pinching" on a trackpoint, that will add a completely new layer to the ubiquitous nipple jokes.

Re:Where's the patent???

[naveenoid]

Isnt it obvious?? MS pinched the idea :P

Re:Where's the patent???

[grm_wnr]

It's all a matter of expectations.

Hardcore Mac users will expect to buy hardware that is certified to work and pay a premium for it. And they say "everything just works on a Mac".

Hardcore Linux users will expect to buy Hardware they heard good things about on the internet, tweak the configurations a bit, download a few packages and patches, maybe compile a kernel or two, and fiddle about until they're satisfied. And they say "everything just works on Linux".

Hardcore Windows users will expect to buy just about anything, maybe install a driver, and then have it more or less working. And they say "everything just works on Windows".

The bottom line is: Never ask "hardcore" people about usability. And this being /., everyone is hardcore.

Re:Where's the patent???

[I(rispee_I(reme]

That's right- look until you can't find 'em.

Re:Where's the patent???

[@madeus]

When the iPod came out, hard disk based MP3 players where a new thing. The only other multi gigabyte MP3 player at the time based device was the poorly received Nomad - which was the size of a CD player (not something you could fit in a regular pocket).

Apple have paid for the UNIX OS,they pay licensing fees to the Open Group. They contribute back their changes to software such as GCC, KHTML/WebKit and other pojects - as is well documented.

But I guess the facts just get in the way of a bit of blind hatred.