Brief Video Preview of iOS 4.2 for iPad: Multitasking, Unified Inbox, and More

[Spectrum]

Try Atomic web browser for iPad/iPhone. It has replaced Safari on my iPad, though its a little to bulky on my iPhone. I'll let you browse without reloading as often as Safari, has tabs but costs a few $...

Another vote from me for Atomic. You can have as many webpages open as your free memory allows. With Safari, I only ever got 2. A complete waste of time and download allowance, not to mention the frustration of flicking between open tabs and LOSING content if you happen to be out of network coverage (I commute 60 miles each way by train). Safari has already blanked the page before checking that you have network coverage to reload!

With virtual memory hack enabled, and using Atomic, I've currently got about 15 open as immediately accessible tabs - just like a desktop browser. A second great feature of Atmoic is the ability to "Open link in Background Tab" by touching a link for a second to bring up the contextual menu. By comparison, Safari on iOS is like a browser from the last century.

Personally, I'm currently not seeing any major benefit (to me) of iOS4.2 over 3.2 with jailbreak+backgrounder+virtual memory. I've read the arguments, and don't believe that using a page file will kill the flash memory at all.

 

[koach]

If that is the case then I'd agree that it is a problem. It would make sense to me to treat web pages at pretty much the same level as Apps ie. chuck out old Apps before newer web pages and vice-versa.

Does anyone want to tell us how the 4.2 beta behaves in reality?

I can only speak to how it works with iOS4 on the iPhone. Since all safari windows run as one process, I suspect what the OS does is free up memory within a process (Safari) before closing out other processes (mail, iPod, Angry birds, etc.) which is why this happens.

Another vote from me for Atomic. You can have as many webpages open as your free memory allows. With Safari, I only ever got 2. A complete waste of time and download allowance, not to mention the frustration of flicking between open tabs and LOSING content if you happen to be out of network coverage (I commute 60 miles each way by train). Safari has already blanked the page before checking that you have network coverage to reload!

With virtual memory hack enabled, and using Atomic, I've currently got about 15 open as immediately accessible tabs - just like a desktop browser. A second great feature of Atmoic is the ability to "Open link in Background Tab" by touching a link for a second to bring up the contextual menu. By comparison, Safari on iOS is like a browser from the last century.

Personally, I'm currently not seeing any major benefit (to me) of iOS4.2 over 3.2 with jailbreak+backgrounder+virtual memory. I've read the arguments, and don't believe that using a page file will kill the flash memory at all.

I've read about the virtual memory hack but not a lot of details. Is it something you get through Cydia or something?

 

[alent1234]

I feel like I usually have more time on my hands when dealing with my iPad than with my iPhone... the idea of multi-tasking on iPad is cool, I guess, but nothing to go crazy over.

And unified inbox, woopty do - way overdue.

Nothing to get excited about. Poor use of screen real estate, IMO.

if you have rules on an exchange mailbox to send emails to different folders, the unified inbox is a useless feature

 

[runeapple]

I have downloaded the beta but it wont let me use it on my iPad as I am not a developer which sucks..

Anyone know a way around this?

 

[kingtj]

No it's not!

I believe you're talking about two completely different things here!

Mail folder rules simply allow sorting of emails coming into that particular mail account.
(I guess you *could* set up Exchange and Outlook/Entourage so it pulls in mail from other personal POP3/SMTP accounts you've got ... but I wouldn't want my personal emails to exist on the hard drive of my work's Exchange server!)

On my iPad, I check both my Exchange mailbox at work, and two different Yahoo mail accounts, my MobileME account, and a Gmail account. Right now, I have to step back to select each one of those accounts independently, and then go back through the "Inbox" folder of each to see what's new in them.

It'd be far easier if I could see all the new messages, consolidated together from all those accounts, in one screen.

if you have rules on an exchange mailbox to send emails to different folders, the unified inbox is a useless feature

 

[Kfcbill]

Multitasking and unified mailbox are very essential updates of course. Personally I would like to see these features:
- directly be able to close a safari window (and return to the screen with open pages)
- in Mail app being able to put Exchange .ics meetings into iCal by clicking attachment

Me too!

 

[birch25]

I have downloaded the beta but it wont let me use it on my iPad as I am not a developer which sucks..

Anyone know a way around this?

Nope. The purpose of the beta is to let developers test their apps on the new OS not for users to use an unreleased product.

 

[kristoffer4]

Just a question. Can Airplay stream video from itunes to an ipad?

 

[twoodcc]

yeah so far so good on my iPad

 

[kristoffer4]

yeah so far so good on my iPad

So you can watch videos from itunes on your ipad via Airplay?

 

[dpace32]

has anyone else noticed that you can no longer "view account" under cellular data with the 4.2 OS? where can I change plans now?

 

[Spectrum]

I've read about the virtual memory hack but not a lot of details. Is it something you get through Cydia or something?

I did exactly what is written in this thread:

http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288228&page=8

Works great most of the time. A bit choppy with more than five or six apps open, but it has really revolutionized the iPad for me. I could NOT use it for work as a commuting device without the backgrounder and VM hacks. I recently left Atomic open for days with 15-20 tabs full of useful pages, and still been able to switch between other apps - mail, iAnnotate, Goodreader etc.