Can't stand the IOS4 Multitasking

[Rahstyles]

get beejive

 

[eastercat]

They have it all over their website as multitasking. I posted the definition of multitasking and this is an incorrect interpretation of it. As well false advertising it can do many things in the background but not edit contacts is a joke

You don't seem to be reading beyond the headline, because if you look at the multitasking page, you'll see their definition of multitasking.

you can run your favorite third-party apps — and switch between them instantly — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.

If you have any expectation of multitasking beyond this, then you're expecting too much--especially when Apple has gone to the trouble to define what you're going to get.

edit: I did a multitasking test. I opened my contacts to find a phone number for someone, then I closed it out and opened up the AT&T account app. I went to the apps list and went back to my contacts. It opened up to the entry that I had. I'm not sure what issue there is with native Apple apps, but I see none in this simple operation.

 

[Daveoc64]

Multitasking works fine. I have an app called Radiotime in which I can listen to every radiostation around the nation. Before Multitasking, I wasn't able to go on the web and listen to the radio together. Now I can run Radiotime in the background while I go on the web. Multitasking is ok. No complaints.

Yes, the background audio API is very good.

Now try to use IM and see how well you think that works!

 

[err404]

Now try to use IM and see how well you think that works!

Beejive IM, for example, works wonderfully well with the background service. It stays connected while in the background (via task completion API) and notifies you via local pop-ups of new messages. When you return to the app, the messages are already there and ready for you to respond.
If you are not using the app for an extended period of time, it will put the app to sleep and use server side push pop-ups for your notification. When you return to the app it wakes up and quickly retrieves the server side cache. It's a great hybrid solution providing responsive cross app performance with minimal impact to long term battery life. I couldn't ask for a better implementation.

BTW - The background services, while surprisingly robust, does need work with location services. I have several GPS apps that will run forever consuming battery life, if I don't explicitly exit them. While I can see that location services are being used, it's hard to identify the specific app. I'd like to see a compass badge on the icon for apps actively utilizing the service. (I know the settings app will show which apps have called the service in the last 24 hours, but that is not intuitive)

 

[thedarkhorse]

yeah it's frustrating that even games designed for iphone 4(gun range) don't save any state, when you switch back it starts up again. It seems like it's either developers just don't know how to do it properly or it's too hard/time consuming to add in. I don't know, I'm not a developer, if I was I might try to get multitasking working as advertised though...

 

[DarwinOSX]

I hate when people say this in response. I have the same problem as the OP with many apps, and you know what? All of the apps which interact poorly with iOS 4's multitasking are Apple's built-in apps, the ones that come with the phone. SMS, Contacts, Stock App, etc. These are all as un-multi-tasking as they always were, or in some cases, actually worse-off than they were prior to iOS 4.

I find it annoying that if I am listening to a Podcast synced over from iTunes it dies if I switch to something else. Apple's multi-tasking makes sense right now for good battery life but Android's just works. I don't get as good a battery life from my Droid X as I do my iPhone 4 but it's close enough.

 

[err404]

yeah it's frustrating that even games designed for iphone 4(gun range) don't save any state, when you switch back it starts up again. It seems like it's either developers just don't know how to do it properly or it's too hard/time consuming to add in. I don't know, I'm not a developer, if I was I might try to get multitasking working as advertised though...

Actually you don't want games to rely on fast task switching. Games use a larger memory footprint than most apps, so are more likely to be force killed by the OS. Games should use task completion to autosave the game state on exit and auto load on startup.

 

[err404]

I find it annoying that if I am listening to a Podcast synced over from iTunes it dies if I switch to something else.

Most apps have been respecting the current playing track for a long time. If you are seeing this on apps you commonly use, contact the developer to fix it.

 

[Daveoc64]

Beejive IM, for example, works wonderfully well with the background service. It stays connected while in the background (via task completion API) and notifies you via local pop-ups of new messages. When you return to the app, the messages are already there and ready for you to respond.

If you are not using the app for an extended period of time, it will put the app to sleep and use server side push pop-ups for your notification. When you return to the app it wakes up and quickly retrieves the server side cache. It's a great hybrid solution providing responsive cross app performance with minimal impact to long term battery life. I couldn't ask for a better implementation.

I'd want it so that my IM app can run in the background on a continual basis.

I've tried several IM clients and none of them push successfully.

The best one I got working is Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger, but I only seem to get a notification if someone sends me several messages in a short period of time.

It's really crazy that Apple can't make it so that an Application can wait for basic text messages to arrive over the internet without draining too much power.

 

[gloss]

I'd want it so that my IM app can run in the background on a continual basis.

I've tried several IM clients and none of them push successfully.

The best one I got working is Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger, but I only seem to get a notification if someone sends me several messages in a short period of time.

It's really crazy that Apple can't make it so that an Application can wait for basic text messages to arrive over the internet without draining too much power.

That's odd. I've never missed an IM with Beejive.

 

[visible horizon]

multifl0w on os 4

Is it possible? I updated to os 4, but don't like Apple's "multitasking". After installing multifl0w, which I previously used and loved, it appears to crash every time i use the activating technique. Is there no way to use 3rd party multitasking apps on os4? thanks.

 

[BlondeBuddhist]

Personally I love the feature. I do clean it out past the first slide of apps for speed reasons. Good Job Apple!

 

[Wicked1]

Geez they already got rid of the guy responsible for the iPhone development bc well we don't know why, but what do you want them to do now, recall it and redesign the whole thing...

Seriously they need to allow everyone to turn this feature on and off in the Settings, kind of like WiFi, just a switch for Multitasking ON/Off

 

[MotherFinMike]

Is it possible? I updated to os 4, but don't like Apple's "multitasking". After installing multifl0w, which I previously used and loved, it appears to crash every time i use the activating technique. Is there no way to use 3rd party multitasking apps on os4? thanks.

If you look in cydia you can disable apples task switching

ad the repo

http://www.sinfuiliphonerepo.com and look for "Disable I0s4 multitasking"

 

[marksman]

So the OP is unhappy because he can't figure out how his phone actually works is the gist of the thread.

 

[itsmemuffins]

So the OP is unhappy because he can't figure out how his phone actually works is the gist of the thread.

Pretty much.