Anyone hate the way multitasking was implemented?

[cliffboley]

multitask icon

How about apple adding a icon on the status bar to tell/warn you that an
app is still running in the background and sucking down your battery.

Then when you open the recents list the running app jiggles so you can whack it if you want to.

Apple?? Steve??

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

There is only one element of the multitasking implementation that requires you to 'quit' an app to conserve battery/memory and that is an app which uses background GPS, and as I think someone has already mentioned, the app creator should stop using background GPS anyway if you aren't actually in a trip which is down to the app creator and the way they have applied the background GPS API.

As for anything else there is no reason whatsoever to quit an app through the fast app switcher as they're not actually doing anything. The only other backgrounding type which may cause confusion is background music but this can be paused from the music controls.

GPS, Music, VOIP, and task completion. For task completion the app can continue to run for up to 2 minutes after closed I think, draining the battery. Also, there may be some apps that don't lend itself well to the save state feature. I could imagine some people wanting to open an app later and NOT return exactly where they left off.

Flicking up would probably take even longer to clean out the quick-launch bar (which you don't have to) because it requires more motion. You would have to keep sliding your finger up for all of the apps, whereas you can just tap in the same spot quickly in the method we have right now.

Possibly. But should people really be going through and cleaning out the quick launch bar anyway?? That is not what apple wants us to do (so we must listen! ) But I could see someone wanting to close out 1 or 2 specific apps. The flick would work well for that.

Don't get me wrong, I do like how Apple implements it (although i'm sure it can be confusing to many people). But I do wish there was a simpler way to quit and "minimize" the apps

 

[M-5]

Possibly. But should people really be going through and cleaning out the quick launch bar anyway?? That is not what apple wants us to do (so we must listen! ) But I could see someone wanting to close out 1 or 2 specific apps. The flick would work well for that.

Don't get me wrong, I do like how Apple implements it (although i'm sure it can be confusing to many people). But I do wish there was a simpler way to quit and "minimize" the apps

Well no, people shouldn't have to be cleaning out the quick launch bar, and that's why I put "which you don't have to" in parenthesis. And I'm not sure how well the flick would function. It would work well if the task bar on the bottom was stagnant, but it slides to different pages, so it would have to differentiate if you're moving an app off the screen or scrolling through the apps.

 

[robweg]

I like the multitasking implementation itself just fine. But i hate that all apps that you used go in the taskbar. It may make sense if you clean it out all the time, but after a day or so you usually got 20+ Apps down there. Whats the purpose of that? Its not faster to double press and swipe to the right a few times until you find the app, than to just single press and open the app from where you know it is.

 

[robweg]

Some of the comments on this thread has proven the ignorance people have about how multitasking is implemented in iOS. The only apps running in the background are the ones that:

1)Use location (GPS)
2)Use VOIP (skype)
3)Use audio (pandora)

Its ignorant to believe people had to know that.
And besides, there ARE apps that drain battery while doing whatever in the background and there is no little gps-arrow or a music-playsymbol in the top bar. You may call them faulty, i say it happens. And it would be less off a problem if there were a way you could distinguish running from closed apps in the taskbar. Just a little bloody hourglass or whatever on the corner of the icon would suffice.
But hey, Apple did that their way, so it must be great, right?

 

[applefanDrew]

Its ignorant to believe people had to know that.
And besides, there ARE apps that drain battery while doing whatever in the background and there is no little gps-arrow or a music-playsymbol in the top bar. You may call them faulty, i say it happens. And it would be less off a problem if there were a way you could distinguish running from closed apps in the taskbar. Just a little bloody hourglass or whatever on the corner of the icon would suffice.
But hey, Apple did that their way, so it must be great, right?

What are you talking about? Gps (location) puts a little symbol next to the battery when it's running. Music puts a play symbol in the same place. Apple made it very easy to see Which apps are running in the background.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I like the multitasking implementation itself just fine. But i hate that all apps that you used go in the taskbar. It may make sense if you clean it out all the time, but after a day or so you usually got 20+ Apps down there. Whats the purpose of that? Its not faster to double press and swipe to the right a few times until you find the app, than to just single press and open the app from where you know it is.

Right... but if you have to go 20 apps deep you aren't supposed to use the quick launch bar. That bar was designed to help you "multitask" between various things you are working on at that moment. If you haven't used it in a bit you should just direct straight there as normal.

What are you talking about? Gps (location) puts a little symbol next to the battery when it's running. Music puts a play symbol in the same place. Apple made it very easy to see Which apps are running in the background.

I think he's talking about apps that do task completion or those that seem to have negative battery life while in the quick launch bar for no apparent reason. People have reported that several apps seem to drain the battery even when they aren't in use. Of course this is difficult to prove due to so many factors

 

[applefanDrew]

Right... but if you have to go 20 apps deep you aren't supposed to use the quick launch bar. That bar was designed to help you "multitask" between various things you are working on at that moment. If you haven't used it in a bit you should just direct straight there as normal.



I think he's talking about apps that do task completion or those that seem to have negative battery life while in the quick launch bar for no apparent reason. People have reported that several apps seem to drain the battery even when they aren't in use. Of course this is difficult to prove due to so many factors

I think the battery life complaint with certain apps "running" is a myth. People are just paranoid about battery life on the iPhone.

-sent from my iPad. just got it yesterday.

 

[Dominat0r]

certain apps do run in the background....not all of them listed, but it will drain your battery faster (granted not MUCH faster).

I think iOS4 multitasking is a JOKE...its shouldnt even be called though, or maybe referred to as Limited Multitasking.

However, with a few apps you can change that...i use backgrounder and remove recents. I also use remove background (with sbsettings tab) to quickly close whatever i have open. Yes, sucks, should be like this to begin with...

 

[applefanDrew]

certain apps do run in the background....not all of them listed, but it will drain your battery faster (granted not MUCH faster).

I think iOS4 multitasking is a JOKE...its shouldnt even be called though, or maybe referred to as Limited Multitasking.

However, with a few apps you can change that...i use backgrounder and remove recents. I also use remove background (with sbsettings tab) to quickly close whatever i have open. Yes, sucks, should be like this to begin with...

Well yea apple apps have always run in the background. I'd rather have apples way of multitasking. It doesnt drain battery *cough* android *cough*

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

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Paranoia is a possibility.

Congrats on the iPad!!! I'm holding off for v2 with 4.2. I have a feeling the iPad will feel more like a computer and less like a toy at that point

 

[applefanDrew]

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Paranoia is a possibility.

Congrats on the iPad!!! I'm holding off for v2 with 4.2. I have a feeling the iPad will feel more like a computer and less like a toy at that point

Thanks and I will be getting gen 2 as well.

 

[Statik]

I think the way we have to close apps is stupid, would be a lot easier if we could just flick them upwards to close the app.

WebOS fan?

 

[applefanDrew]

Random.....how do you create a signature?

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

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Haha. Did this become a chat room?

Well I think it only posts on email... Should be the same place as the iPhone. Under settings -> mail

But I only has an iPhone so what do I know?

 

[astrorider]

Why do so many apps every app end up in the multitasking bar?? 99% of the time I want the app to actually close out an go away. Very few apps actually make sense to be multitasked (Loopt, Pandora, etc.). But some apps have no business ending up in the multitask bar. Is there no way to tell an app to actually stop and stay out of the multitask bar?

Funny, I love the way it's implemented. No need to ever worry about background apps...don't need to worry about whats running, whats using memory, what's wasting the battery, etc. It all just works for a device like the iPhone and iPad. I use the fast app switching bar to quickly switch between the last few apps I've used, but otherwise don't spend much time down there. The only exception to this is gps apps like Navigon, which I've occasionally not realized was still routing and the iphone felt quite warm when I pulled it put of my pocket. A quick look at the menubar shows that a background app is using location services, i realize my mistake, tell Navigon to stop routing and all is well. Overall a very slick, no muss no fuss setup.

 

[applefanDrew]

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Haha. Did this become a chat room?

Well I think it only posts on email... Should be the same place as the iPhone. Under settings -> mail

But I only has an iPhone so what do I know?

Lol I meant a sig on macrumors. I've looked around my profile, can't seem to find it.

 

[Jusfer]

Allow for custom setting

If you ask me, and you did, I am not all happy with the way it is implemented. Some things are good, others not so.

Good is, IMHO, that some apps open on the same page you last left them. Bad is, that some others do the same.

It is good when I want it that way. For some apps, I do. But when I use the iPhone's Settings, I don't want to be in the page of the last setting task I had. I want the home page to select my new settings task. But I have to go back as many levels as I went into, first. That sucks.

I think, each app needs a settings option where the user can select how s/he wants the app to close--fully, or retaining last status, or how it opens--home page or last-opened page. That would solve most of my issues.

One other issue is my iDB database (a $10 app which was abandoned by Evince Technologies!): when I open it after having closed it a while ago, it is unlocked right away, all the security is ineffective. So I have to do the A - F routine every time I want to close it for good. That sucks too. Screw Evince Technologies!