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The problem with multitasking is that all the prior implementations on phones sucked- it's a miserable experience on Android. This actually looks like a good so

The problem with multitasking is that all the prior implementations on phones sucked- it's a miserable experience on Android. This actually looks like a good solution.

steverb 17y ago
And that's how people will defend it.
Terretta 17y ago
So far, the live blogging is sounding as though certain types of things will use Apple code to run those types of things in the background (eg., audio streaming, answering events, etc.). Hopefully this isn't going to allow apps to just run any random equivalent of a tight loop of their own (memory chewing CPU and battery consuming) design. I'd also like a reverse chronology notification history that pops up from tapping on the click.
- enjo 17y ago
  Which limits an entire class of applications. It's not multi-tasking, it's system services that multi-task for you. To even call it multi-tasking is a joke.
  - metachor 17y ago
    What is a use case for multi-tasking on a phone that you want/need that could only be covered by full preemptive multi-tasking of third party apps?
    - mortenjorck 17y ago
      SETI@iPhone.
locopati 17y ago
Multitasking on the Pre works pretty darn well
- nailer 17y ago
  Yeah, having used iPhone and Android for a while, the Pre's implementation blows them both away.
jasonlotito 17y ago
Which has nothing to do with what I said. I was referring to the people defending the lack of multitasking as a feature. They would always crop up. Indeed, I remember one person using that same argument: That other MT implementations sucked, Apple shouldn't/couldn't do it for the iPhone. The reality is, MT was a missing feature, and it took them till revision 4 to deliver it. It wasn't because MT isn't important. It's because they didn't know how to implement it. That's a fair reason. I didn't see people suggesting that, and they were right.
- jolan 17y ago
  The other problem was that the original iPhone and 3G model were nerfed with 128MB of RAM.
  - orangecat 17y ago
    Right, and the OS itself takes up most of that. I think Apple made the right call there; multitasking is probably more trouble than it's worth when you're that memory-constrained.
Batsu 17y ago
I've had no qualms about multitasking on my Hero. Switching between my browser and gchat is a matter of holding down the home key for 3 seconds and pressing on whichever icon I want to go to. Things that run in the background, such as uploads, leave a notification on the top when it's finished. What's so bad about that?
- colinplamondon 17y ago
  The management side- I have to have a Task Killer app running in the background to kill off all the random apps that wind up going. The problem on Android, to me, is more of a failure in caring about UI than a failure of technology- which is also my problem with the platform as a whole.
  - orangecat 17y ago
    I have to have a Task Killer app running in the background to kill off all the random apps that wind up going No, you don't. Just because an app shows up in a process list doesn't mean it's consuming resources. (Other than memory, and background processes are automatically killed as needed to free up RAM).
  - nooneelse 17y ago
    http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/ http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-wi...
jpcx01 17y ago
Seriously? Have you used a droid or a nexus one? Multitasking has been one of the killer features for me. Swap between the web browser, email, podcasting app and it never loses your spot. There's no going back once you really feel like you have a computer in your pocket. Really hoping iPhone 4 can replicate this experience.
gamble 17y ago
Absolutely. There's a reason that task manager apps are popular downloads for every phone that offers multitasking. You won't see them on iPhone OS 4.0.
- rimantas 17y ago
  http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-or-a-task-manager-they-blew-it/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-...
- orangecat 17y ago
  There's a reason that task manager apps are popular downloads for every phone that offers multitasking. The reason is that intermediate users who know just enough to be dangerous think that they're necessary, when they aren't: http://droidtalk.net/should-i-install-a-task-managerkiller-on-my-android-device/ http://droidtalk.net/should-i-install-a-task-managerkiller-o...
  - gamble 17y ago
    Android gives app developers enough rope to hang themselves, or at least waste the battery by constantly firing up the radio or GPS. I agree that you don't need a task manager to conserve memory, but there's no automatic solution for overactive apps except the automatic cleanup for long-running apps. Even the link you supplied admits it: "Is it really necessary to be notified about every new tweet or status update? Reduce the refresh times on your social networking applications and reduce the number of items you’re notified about. Reduce the number of widgets you have on your home-screen, instead replace them with program shortcuts, you’ll still have quick access to your most used programs without the constant battery drain caused by continuous data pull."

The problem with multitasking is that all the prior implementations on phones sucked- it's a miserable experience on Android. This actually looks like a good solution.

steverb 17y ago

And that's how people will defend it.

Terretta 17y ago

So far, the live blogging is sounding as though certain types of things will use Apple code to run those types of things in the background (eg., audio streaming, answering events, etc.). Hopefully this isn't going to allow apps to just run any random equivalent of a tight loop of their own (memory chewing CPU and battery consuming) design. I'd also like a reverse chronology notification history that pops up from tapping on the click.

enjo 17y ago
Which limits an entire class of applications. It's not multi-tasking, it's system services that multi-task for you. To even call it multi-tasking is a joke.
- metachor 17y ago
  What is a use case for multi-tasking on a phone that you want/need that could only be covered by full preemptive multi-tasking of third party apps?
  - mortenjorck 17y ago
    SETI@iPhone.

locopati 17y ago

Multitasking on the Pre works pretty darn well

nailer 17y ago
Yeah, having used iPhone and Android for a while, the Pre's implementation blows them both away.

jasonlotito 17y ago

Which has nothing to do with what I said. I was referring to the people defending the lack of multitasking as a feature. They would always crop up. Indeed, I remember one person using that same argument: That other MT implementations sucked, Apple shouldn't/couldn't do it for the iPhone. The reality is, MT was a missing feature, and it took them till revision 4 to deliver it. It wasn't because MT isn't important. It's because they didn't know how to implement it. That's a fair reason. I didn't see people suggesting that, and they were right.

jolan 17y ago
The other problem was that the original iPhone and 3G model were nerfed with 128MB of RAM.
- orangecat 17y ago
  Right, and the OS itself takes up most of that. I think Apple made the right call there; multitasking is probably more trouble than it's worth when you're that memory-constrained.

Batsu 17y ago

I've had no qualms about multitasking on my Hero. Switching between my browser and gchat is a matter of holding down the home key for 3 seconds and pressing on whichever icon I want to go to. Things that run in the background, such as uploads, leave a notification on the top when it's finished. What's so bad about that?

colinplamondon 17y ago
The management side- I have to have a Task Killer app running in the background to kill off all the random apps that wind up going. The problem on Android, to me, is more of a failure in caring about UI than a failure of technology- which is also my problem with the platform as a whole.
- orangecat 17y ago
  I have to have a Task Killer app running in the background to kill off all the random apps that wind up going No, you don't. Just because an app shows up in a process list doesn't mean it's consuming resources. (Other than memory, and background processes are automatically killed as needed to free up RAM).
- nooneelse 17y ago
  http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-with-android/ http://geekfor.me/faq/you-shouldnt-be-using-a-task-killer-wi...

jpcx01 17y ago

Seriously? Have you used a droid or a nexus one? Multitasking has been one of the killer features for me. Swap between the web browser, email, podcasting app and it never loses your spot. There's no going back once you really feel like you have a computer in your pocket. Really hoping iPhone 4 can replicate this experience.

gamble 17y ago

Absolutely. There's a reason that task manager apps are popular downloads for every phone that offers multitasking. You won't see them on iPhone OS 4.0.

rimantas 17y ago
http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-or-a-task-manager-they-blew-it/ http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/08/jobs-if-you-see-a-stylus-...
orangecat 17y ago
There's a reason that task manager apps are popular downloads for every phone that offers multitasking. The reason is that intermediate users who know just enough to be dangerous think that they're necessary, when they aren't: http://droidtalk.net/should-i-install-a-task-managerkiller-on-my-android-device/ http://droidtalk.net/should-i-install-a-task-managerkiller-o...
- gamble 17y ago
  Android gives app developers enough rope to hang themselves, or at least waste the battery by constantly firing up the radio or GPS. I agree that you don't need a task manager to conserve memory, but there's no automatic solution for overactive apps except the automatic cleanup for long-running apps. Even the link you supplied admits it: "Is it really necessary to be notified about every new tweet or status update? Reduce the refresh times on your social networking applications and reduce the number of items you’re notified about. Reduce the number of widgets you have on your home-screen, instead replace them with program shortcuts, you’ll still have quick access to your most used programs without the constant battery drain caused by continuous data pull."