Linux MPX Multi-touch Alternative to MS Surface

An anonymous reader writes "Gizmodo has published an article (with video) on the Linux-based free alternative to MS Surface along with a quite interesting interview with its creator, Peter Hutterer. "It may not be as fancy-schmancy as Microsoft Surface or Jeff Han's demos but this video of a Linux-based MPX multi-touch table shows that things are moving full speed ahead in the land of the free penguins. We talked with developer Peter Hutterer, who gave us his insight on the project, the iPhone and the ongoing multi-touch craze." He talks about Jeff Han's work, MS Surface and defines the iPhone as "not the first in what it's doing, but definitely a huge impact" in the field."

"schmancy"? well la-di-da

[icepick72]

It may not be as fancy-schmancy as Microsoft Surface

I love how the community words stuff, sounds like a child being envious of big brother syndrome. I don't consider Microsoft offerings superior to others, just pointing out the wording and what is sounds like. I hear that kind of stuff way too often. Linux should be comfortable in what it is and not feel the need to compare.

Hardware

[Anonymous Coward]

I have been looking at MPX since hearing about the iphone and Surface. But where is the hardware to be able to use it?

Ke?

[MrBandersnatch]

Im was trying to work out what the big deal is here....there have been multi-touch drivers around for quite a while now and that video on the table looks rather primative compared to what a lot of DIY enthusiasts have running (e.g. overhead projector). Then I realised that the big deal is having multiple input devices for one X session and that the multitouch table is actually getting in the way of that and has the potential to be quite interesting. Anyone up for missile command? :)

Actually it's more impressive...

[kebes]

You know what makes the video demo in TFA more impressive that the Microsoft Surface demos I've seen?

This demo uses real applications! It's easy for MS (or whoever) to throw together a video of someone using a neat interface. You see all kinds of slick animations of photo-libraries and data being automatically uploaded to cellphones. The problem is it's probably all fake--the visual equivalent of a mockup. Basically they are showing you the way they *hope* it will look at work. If you look at some of the older Vista demos (before it was released) you'll see alot of mockup video that was never realized into actual code.

In this demo, they actually start by using Google Earth and scrolling through webpages. The fact that they are using real applications is much more impressive. It makes me believe that they may have something functional in a reasonable amount of time. It also shows that they are thinking about it as an extensible platform that can run generic software, rather than something locked-down that will only run approved code (i.e. just a really big PDA interface, rather than a novel way to interface with existing computer hardware and software).

Arbitrary window rotation?

[LoudMusic]

Are these table displays going to be the first need for arbitrary window rotation? We'll be having people sitting on all sides of the display - eventually someone will want a window squared to them, but they won't be squared to the table. Does this cause difficulties with rendering the content?

Everything should be vector drawn, so theoretically it shouldn't be a problem. But it will require pretty high resolution to keep from getting too fuzzy of text. At least that's how it seems to me.

demo shows flakiness

[edxwelch]

Did anyone notice in that video that he had to click couple times to get some of the widgets to activate?
Maybe the mouse still has some advantage?

Re:Again Microsoft copies other people's technolog

[Anonymous Coward]

When will Microsoft do something original?

funny coming in with an article praising linux for ripping of ms.

but then again what can we expect from people who also think that ripping off unix is innovation?

Re:MS Motion-Detect is more like

[east coast]

While this may be true it's like saying that a mouse is just a couple of wheels that need to be moved on an X-Y axis basis to move a cursor. It's trickery on a certain level, sure. I guess that's why it's called an interface.

I don't understand all the sour grapes associated with this. While I have no use for the interface it's not to say something worthwhile can't be produced.

Re:Patents you say?

[seandiggity]

"Every time some[thing] innovative comes out or a new idea the open source community makes their own version."

Microsoft is not an innovator, and never has been (the history speaks for itself). Microsoft gets credit as an innovator because of its incredible power, gained through dirty business tactics. The same could also be said for many (most?) corporations.

This touchscreen technology has been in development for a long time, before Microsoft even looked at it and long before the vaporware announcement of the Surface. The ideas behind the technology (i.e. what Microsoft's patents are made of) are no doubt even older. Should only Microsoft be allowed to develop software for multi-touch displays?

Also, Microsoft's Surface is likely nothing more than a glorified demo and can't run real applications. This MPX system is running real applications already, but needs a lot of work (like so much other software).

For free software to avoid patent litigation, software patents need to be abolished. Thankfully, we have licenses like GPLv3 that provide some forms of protection in the meantime.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion