Apple Requested Android Multitouch Support Be Cut?

According to an unnamed Android team member, Google actively pulled multitouch support from the Android platform after Apple requested its removal.  The decision, which the source claims was done to avoid souring Google's ongoing relationship with Apple, left the T-Mobile G1 with hardware that would support multitouch but a platform that restricts input to just a single finger.

Various hacks have surfaced recently, demonstrating how to adapt the Android platform to enable multitouch, including suggestions that Google themselves commented-out relevant code that had been active in pre-production builds.  The source claimed that Google's key priority was avoiding a legal contest over IP, such as seems to be brewing between Apple and Palm with regards the multitouch and gesture implementation in the iPhone and the Pre.

The Android source also suggested that Intel are currently investing heavily in supporting Android based netbooks.  While there's still no word on how exactly Intel sees its role as panning out with the open-source OS, there are apparently "many different" netbooks running Android, together with "other Android projects" not related to netbooks or smartphones, currently rushing through development.

[via Android Community]