Sure, and that's the case on Windows too. You can launch and switch exclusively through the start screen and never use the recent-apps swipe. It's just included

Sure, and that's the case on Windows too. You can launch and switch exclusively through the start screen and never use the recent-apps swipe. It's just included in the tutorial popups for whatever reason (maybe because Windows users are expected to be more keen on multitasking, given its desktop heritage and since that's a point of differentiation for Windows vs. the iPad).