The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Multi Touch

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by jnickell, Jan 25, 2009.

  1. jnickell

    jnickell Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    18
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Can current laptops support multi touch with Windows 7?
     
    jnickell, Jan 25, 2009
    #1
  2. sipp11

    sipp11 Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    25
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Multi-touch screen? Yes, Dell Latitude XT + N-Trig software could.
     
    sipp11, Jan 25, 2009
    #2
  3. jnickell

    jnickell Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    18
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Does Window's 7 not support multi touch on the mouse pad - like a Macbook Pro? My wife just got one and the multi touch features are awesome. I'm afraid our current touch pads cant handle the multi touch. Although, I may have misread windows new features on multi touch anyway.
     
    jnickell, Jan 26, 2009
    #3
  4. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    467
    Messages:
    1,348
    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    81
    Windows 7 multi-touch will be on the panel itself, not on the trackpad.

    Apple has aggressive patents on their touch technology. They are even trying to get patents on the hand gestures that control their interfaces. There's no technological reason why every laptop doesn't have a multi-touch pad; it's simply because of Apple's patents.
     
    S.SubZero, Jan 26, 2009
    #4
  5. jnickell

    jnickell Notebook Consultant

    Reputations:
    18
    Messages:
    207
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    30
    Punks - they need to share!
     
    jnickell, Jan 27, 2009
    #5
  6. CalebSchmerge

    CalebSchmerge Woof NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,126
    Messages:
    2,395
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    55
    I don't think thats really true. You have to have special hardware to truly recognize two points. If you use a touch screen like that in a palm pilot or a synaptics touchpad (maybe their new ones are different), it just recognizes the center of where the different points you are using is.
     
    CalebSchmerge, Jan 27, 2009
    #6
  7. Theros123

    Theros123 Web Designer & Developer

    Reputations:
    116
    Messages:
    1,589
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Also, I'm sure Apple has special "rights"/agreements with Synaptics and the other touchpad driver people that prohibit anyone else from doing anything similar. THOUGH, I have seen netbooks that have similar technology? So what the heck? All laptops generally share the same types of touchpads...
     
    Theros123, Jan 28, 2009
    #7
  8. davepermen

    davepermen Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    2,972
    Messages:
    7,788
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    i find it funny that apple got the patents (actually, sad and scary fits more my feelings). espencially as there IS WORLDWIDE PRIOR ART. the first requirement for a patent is to be first.

    see www.ted.com for tons of amazing things about our world. one was a multitouch presentation and it's uses years ago. it showed the zooming and dragging of photos and much more. it was with very big chance, the video that inspired someone at apple to do the same.
     
    davepermen, Jan 28, 2009
    #8
  9. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    467
    Messages:
    1,348
    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    81
    S.SubZero, Jan 28, 2009
    #9
  10. CalebSchmerge

    CalebSchmerge Woof NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,126
    Messages:
    2,395
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    55
    Oh really? Would you like to back that up a bit?
     
    CalebSchmerge, Jan 29, 2009
    #10
  11. S.SubZero

    S.SubZero Notebook Deity

    Reputations:
    467
    Messages:
    1,348
    Likes Received:
    121
    Trophy Points:
    81
    S.SubZero, Jan 29, 2009
    #11
  12. CalebSchmerge

    CalebSchmerge Woof NBR Reviewer

    Reputations:
    1,126
    Messages:
    2,395
    Likes Received:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    55
    I will admit that I misinterpreted part of your first post. That said, the hardware in both your videos is for a multitouch application. A synaptics from several years ago won't do that.
     
    CalebSchmerge, Jan 29, 2009
    #12