Cell phones forum: Touch screen technology question

The HTC Touch has a Resistive screen. That is when you press on a point, there is circuitry that "reads" a varying resistance for the horizontal and the vertical directions. Because the resistance can only be one value, in either direction, this input can not be used to read two points at the same time. So, the iPhone-type of screen motions (like the "pinch" or the "rotate") can not be performed.

The iPhone has a capacitance type of screen, which can "read" the "signal" at multiple places at once. That is because one point's reading is not affected by a second or third or more fingers placed on the screen at the same time.

The operating system of the phone can limit the number of points that will be read on a capacitive screen at one time. I believe the iPhone is currently limited to two points. But that is plenty, and enough, to be very useful for such a small screen, as used on a cell phone.

I was at the Microsoft demo room, up in Redmond, WA, and played with a "Surface." The Surface is a very large, (this one it was a horizontal table) flat screen, and a few of us had our hands on all at the same time. Each of us were separately playing around, "grabbing" pictures, rotating them, sliding them like hockey pucks across the screen. So, the operating system for interfacing that Surface was capable of many, many touches all at the same time.

The Google G1 phone also has a capacitive screen, BUT Google limits the input touches right now to just one. It is rumored that Google did not want to fight Apple on UI infringements.

The Palm Pre also has the capacitive screen, and they are allowing (at least) two touches to be read at the same time. I hope Apple is NOT going to try and sue Palm for Palm's UI. But if Apple does I hope they lose! The idea of what can be done with multi-touch should not be kept out of the free market. IMO.

You think that is long? Well, March of 2008, over a year ago, the SonyEricsson Xperia X1 was shown. (Look it up - it really is nice.)

The Xperia X1 is a WinMo (Windows Mobile) 6.1 (may yet be 6.5) cell phone with a resistive (boo!), but otherwise really great screen (high res 800x480). It also has a slide-out keyboard. It looks beautiful.

It is a GSM phone, and has a type of "Panels" main screen that can easily be tailored by the user.

But in the year since being shown, it still is NOT AVAILABLE in the U.S.!!

This is the phone I would have had when it came out, if I could have gotten it. But, lucky for me, it is not available here yet, plus it is not supposed to be subsidized by any phone carrier (will work on AT&T network - my current carrier), so the cost is speculated to be between $600 and $800!! (Way, way too much, and I would have hated to spend that much. I might not have gotten it, because of that.)

So, here I am, a full year later, and now Palm is showing the Pre (big YEAAAH!!). Which looks like a better OS, better UI, cheaper price, cell phone.

I am so glad that SonyEricsson was so late in getting the Xperia out.

That's the plan. I am right now trying to convince Sprint that they ought to provide "temp" phones, which can be traded back in (as long as they are in good condition) for the Pre, when it becomes available.

I have two cell phones (for my wife and me) and she does not want or need anything like the Pre, so I have her getting another phone that will match her needs. Her phone is available right now, but I don't want to switch until we can both switch from our AT&T Family Plan to the Sprint Family Data Plan.

Seems that the people I am in contact with are very short sighted. They tell me that's not the way it works, blah blah blah. I am trying to convince them that if they make it work that way, then Sprint can start pocketing my money right now, and depending upon the phone - such as if it was an existing Palm model, then Palm can start getting some needed money right now too.

It is a now-business decision, that will have to be decided upon by someone higher up. I hope I can get to that person.