iPhone - but is it multi-touch or multi-finger-touch?
January 15th, 2007 | by dnw |
Okay, so Apple have announced they’re going to release an iPhone. Interesting how the concept of the device interface is along the lines of what I commented on back here in my post Simplify Convergence - where usability is increased by simplification of the interface.
But the 64 thousand dollar question I can’t find the answer to anywhere, even in apple’s page explaining the iPhone’s “high technology” is this.
Is the “multi-touch” screen dependent on using an actual human finger to “touch” it?
Will my mouthstick work the “multi-touch” or a pen, or a plastic stick…?
Is it a “multi” touch display in terms of “multiple ways” of touching or merely “multiple finger” touch?
Did anyone at Apple actually think of people who don’t have full use of their fingers?
I truly hope so.
Anyone at Apple listening? Want someone whose fingers don’t work to test it for you?
No Responses to “iPhone - but is it multi-touch or multi-finger-touch?”
By BDK on Jan 16, 2007 | Reply
Well then, for the handicapped people that don’t have fingers, there are hundreds of other phones out there. Quit whining.
By Will Parker on Jan 16, 2007 | Reply
Dave: I’m sorry to say that the answer to your question is very likely to "No, you can’t use a mouthstick with the iPhone.
By all accounts, the iPhone touchscreen is capacitance-based. Devices of this kind use changes in the ambient electrical fields to sense pointer position, and in most cases, the pointer must be living flesh. (I could be wrong about this, but that’s what I’m getting from reading about the iPhone.)
Additional evidence comes from number of blogs and articles, which have mentioned that 1) that the screen doesn’t respond to stylii, including long fingernails and 2) that the screen is solid, not a pressure-sensitive sandwich as used on Palm and PocketPC devices. If this is true, ‘click’ events are probably triggered by changes in the local electrical field due to compression the fingertip itself - less flesh between screen and finger-bone, for example.
There may be a workaround of some sort for capacitance-based touch sensors, probably in the form of some sort of active stylus that emits a field that mimics that of a finger, but I’m not aware of any widely publicized.
I’m an active member of a UI design mailing list that includes a number of usability/accessibility experts. I’ll see if I can get you some better answers and workarounds, if any exist.
By Dave the Lifekludger on Jan 16, 2007 | Reply
Thanks for your enlightened comment. What’s your field of expertise..stating the bleedin obvious?
By Dave the Lifekludger on Jan 16, 2007 | Reply
Thanks so much for your considered response. I did in dfact find exactly what you are saying. This certainly does look an excellent interface. I’ve experienced different types of stylii based UI and find them very efficient given the correct inpout method for the ability. I look forward to seeing more of the multi-touch idea. Thanks again, Regards, Dave.