Which is why they surpassed the Motorola Razr in sales (over 6 million in the US), and so many other smartphones want to be just like it! ....
Apple Awarded iPhone and Multi-Touch Patent
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Which is why they surpassed the Motorola Razr in sales (over 6 million in the US), and so many other smartphones want to be just like it! ....
Your post would be better if it were true. But LG beat Apple to the touch interface and look by about 6 months.
Note that Apple's patent application was in 2006.
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
chequepoint
macrumors member
I feel like there are some seriously not bright people here.
Apple was awarded the patent. All that means is that they turned in the piece of paper saying "This is my idea" and the research department at the government couldn't find anything that instantly redflagged itself as being exactly like something someone else had filed.
THATS IT.
It doesn't:
1) Prove that any of the things listed in the patent application are actually protectable under US Patent law.
2) Prove that someone else didn't come up with the idea first that may surface with concrete evidence later, even if they didn't patent it.
3) Guarantee the enforceability of the patent in any way, shape, or form.
A patent is a statement from the US government that, to the best of their knowledge, no one had turned in the exact same concept to them before. It is an official registration that your idea existed at a certain place and time. Nothing more.
It is apples responsibility to defend that patent, or they will lose it. It is a judges responsibility to evaluate the patent in the event that it is challenged, and quite frankly it is the responsibility of other leaders in the technology field to challenge apples patents if they feel they aren't valid.
Apple was awarded the patent. All that means is that they turned in the piece of paper saying "This is my idea" and the research department at the government couldn't find anything that instantly redflagged itself as being exactly like something someone else had filed.
THATS IT.
It doesn't:
1) Prove that any of the things listed in the patent application are actually protectable under US Patent law.
2) Prove that someone else didn't come up with the idea first that may surface with concrete evidence later, even if they didn't patent it.
3) Guarantee the enforceability of the patent in any way, shape, or form.
A patent is a statement from the US government that, to the best of their knowledge, no one had turned in the exact same concept to them before. It is an official registration that your idea existed at a certain place and time. Nothing more.
It is apples responsibility to defend that patent, or they will lose it. It is a judges responsibility to evaluate the patent in the event that it is challenged, and quite frankly it is the responsibility of other leaders in the technology field to challenge apples patents if they feel they aren't valid.
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
Yep. I also think the key to the iPhone's success was its launch in the USA - a country which does not usually get to experience cutting edge mobile phone technology like Europe and Japan does. With the lack of competition in this sector (style and function), the iPhone was a guaranteed success.
Yep, I have no problem with that. I was just responding to a poster's comment that before the iPhone, nothing looked close to it.
kdarling
macrumors P6
Nope, no thesis. Just LOTS of related jobs and 17 years of touchscreens. I did page-flipping code on a touchpad in 1982 or so. Later I graduated to using capacitive touchscreens in 1992 in gaming systems (you might have used some of my stuff, if you've been in a casino). I've been programming touchscreen handhelds since 1998. Tens of thousands of field workers use my apps.
I'll take the easy way out and (once again) post this nice history of multi-touch, recommended by one of the great Apple UI gurus:
Multi-touch systems I've known
=MuLti-CeLL=
macrumors 6502a
I agree.
And congrats to Apple on the patent.
My question is, if this does shut down these other phones such as the Pre what are the alternatives to a Multi-touch screen like the iPhone?
Ya know, some of you are saying that this doesn't necessarily KILL the competition but pushes innovation from other phone makers. Well, what do you think that next HUGE innovation would be?
The iPhone UI is pretty slick, would be (and has proven to be so far) hard to surpass with some NEW UI that's gonna draw people away from Apple.
big dainjerus
macrumors regular
Which is why it sells like hotcakes......
lil wayne sells songs like hotcakes too, does that mean he isn't a joke?
big dainjerus
macrumors regular
Which is why they surpassed the Motorola Razr in sales (over 6 million in the US), and so many other smartphones want to be just like it! ....
thanks to you trusty fanboys who will continue to buy every rendition of the iphone regardless of how many features are left out (just so they will get you to buy another one).
NT1440
macrumors P6
You cant place the millions and millions of sales of the iphone down to apple fanboys or the uneducated. There is a reason why people love it. I think it comes down to the ease of use in such a good looking package.
Fact is that the iphone does lack some features, but most consumers clearly either dont care about those features, or dont care enough about them to warrant buying anything else.
Lack of copy/paste,MMS, etc a pathetic phone does not make.
kdarling
macrumors P6
You think it only took a year to make it? Nevertheless, I had the idea 7 years ago.
Best response yet!
=MuLti-CeLL=
macrumors 6502a
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
I hope Apple will do the right thing and license the technology, if it is actually being used by Palm (another poster in the industry suggested that the patent affects only a very small aspect of the interface).
A couple of years ago, Creative Labs won the patent for the interface used by MP3 players such as Apple's iPod. Apple and Creative had talks and managed to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. This is how it should be with this. But it's Apple calling the shots this time, and I'm not sure how friendly they'll be about it.
NT1440
macrumors P6
I dont think Apple will take the name calling and attitude palm has towards them lightly.
PCMacUser
macrumors 68000
Well, I dunno. Creative and Apple were at each other like rabid dogs before Creative got the patent. Money has a great way of healing old wounds.
NT1440
macrumors P6
big dainjerus
macrumors regular
I think you understand what I am really trying to say. The iphone is a great idea and we all know why its great yada yada, but if they are going to leave basic and important features out of it, and then patent the touch screen and judging from what people are saying in this thread; eliminating all competitors from using it, then that is bush league.
It lacks enough basic features to me to justify not getting it, so I am waiting for either it or another phone to come out with what everyone wants. But now apple is going to attempt to shut that down and make me wait for them to dish out a "software update" that will never come? Maaan, FUNK DAT!
According to Innovator's Dilemma, a book by a Harvard Business professor, companies that do what customers say they need to do, fail. Companies that guess correctly what customers will actually want 2 or 3 years later, often something completely different from what they said they wanted, are the ones that succeed.
NT1440
macrumors P6
You're clearly not even reading the thread if you think this means apple has a patent on the touchscreen.
Apple isnt forcing you to do anything.
I still find it funny that a phone is a piece of junk merely because it excludes a few features you want. The phone as it is, with what it has, is great. You cannot say that the only reason it sells is fanboys, there simply arent that many to drive sales in the tens of millions (or whatever its at now).
99MustangGTman
macrumors 6502
Pretty neat.
NT1440
macrumors P6
This is where apple has almost always been ahead of the game. Most companies just deal with the here and now, while apple goes and tries to see what you will want later. In doing so they are often at the forefront of innovation.
Like many people say here: Apple gives you what you didn't even know you wanted, but after using, couldnt live without.
Wrong, 90% of iPhone users are brand new to Apple and use Windows.
kdarling
macrumors P6
As for the title of this thread... well, it's about as accurate as the recent "Apple allows 3rd party browsers in the App Store".
Did anyone bother READING the patent before posting? No? Didn't think so. Every claim starts with "ONE or more fingers". That alone indicates it's NOT a patent about multi-touch per se. It's a patent about how to decode certain single finger gestures as well.
Ah well, few will bother to get the facts first. So here you go, another tidbit from the patent that should cause another bogus tempest in a teapot...
"The wireless communication may use any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), ... snip...., code division multiple access (CDMA), ... snip..., Wi-MAX, ... snip ...."
HOLY SMOKES. IT'S ACTUALLY A PATENT FOR A CDMA or WIMAX iPHone!! Woo hoo!!
Did anyone bother READING the patent before posting? No? Didn't think so. Every claim starts with "ONE or more fingers". That alone indicates it's NOT a patent about multi-touch per se. It's a patent about how to decode certain single finger gestures as well.
Ah well, few will bother to get the facts first. So here you go, another tidbit from the patent that should cause another bogus tempest in a teapot...
"The wireless communication may use any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), ... snip...., code division multiple access (CDMA), ... snip..., Wi-MAX, ... snip ...."
HOLY SMOKES. IT'S ACTUALLY A PATENT FOR A CDMA or WIMAX iPHone!! Woo hoo!!