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I still don't get it

WhySoSerious

WhySoSerious

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 30, 2007
1,460
97
Dallas, TX
Still after all this time, I still don’t get the point of the multi tasking bar. Please tell me how these scenarios differ other than option 2 taking more time/effort/presses?

Do it along with me…

Start from a clean slate…..all multi task items closed out.

Pick 2 apps of yours that are located on your first page…for me, I will use Safari and Mail (but works with anything).

Option 1:
- Tap Safari to open it to a web page
- Press home button to close Safari
- Tap Mail app
- Press home button to close Mail
- Tap Safari to open it again in its suspended state and resume where I left off

Option 2 (“multi task”):
- Tap Safari to open it to a web page
- Press home button to close Safari
- Tap Mail app
- (here is where it differs) Double-press home button to pull up “multi task” dock
- Tap Safari to open it again in its suspended state and resume where I left off

Ok, so Option 2 required 1 extra press of the home button. Both options achieved the exact same thing….so WTF is the point of this “multi task” dock? It literally makes no sense to me. What is the difference in just closing one app and tapping a new one from your home screen vs using a doc? To me, the dock looks like your home screen only squished into an dock row. To use it, requires you take more steps in pressing the home button twice rather than just once to go back to the home screen.
 
Say it with me "It's not a multi-task bar...it's a recently used apps bar"

So, if, for example, you are in one app and you want to go to an app you just used, but that app icon is located on your third page of apps and embedded in a folder, double tapping the home button and selecting it from your recently used apps list is a hell of a lot easier.
 
I agree. I don't get it either. Even if the apps you want aren't on the home screen, you may still have to swipe over when the dock is open to find them...just as you'd swipe home screens. I don't get it.
 
WhySoSerious said:
i'm not assuming anything. i gave an example, not an assumption.

give me a different scenario then to make your point.
Click to expand...

If you have multiple pages of apps or lots of apps buried in folders then finding the app you want to switch to takes longer than double tapping home and finding it in the recently used apps list.

For apps in your dock or if you only have one or two pages of apps then then the task bar doesn't buy you much.
 
seajay96 said:
Say it with me "It's not a multi-task bar...it's a recently used apps bar"

So, if, for example, you are in one app and you want to go to an app you just used, but that app icon is located on your third page of apps and embedded in a folder, double tapping the home button and selecting it from your recently used apps list is a hell of a lot easier.
Click to expand...

i see what you are saying, but swiping thru your dock isn't really any different than swiping a page or two over from your home screen. you're still swiping apps over to get the desired app you want.
 
miamialley said:
I agree. I don't get it either. Even if the apps you want aren't on the home screen, you may still have to swipe over when the dock is open to find them...just as you'd swipe home screens. I don't get it.
Click to expand...

Then, don't use it. Life is a series of choices, make the ones that are best for you.
 
seajay96 said:
Then, don't use it. Life is a series of choices, make the ones that are best for you.
Click to expand...

here is the problem, i can't turn the feature off. i would if i could.

however, there is a huge thread in here about the issues with the home button and how single taps will often bring up your dock.

point is, i want the dock disabled because i don't see a use for it. if you can't disable it, then at least fix the home button issue (apple) so when i press once, the home screen comes up, not the dock.
 
WhySoSerious said:
so WTF is the point of this “multi task” dock? It literally makes no sense to me. What is the difference in just closing one app and tapping a new one from your home screen vs using a doc? To me, the dock looks like your home screen only squished into an dock row. To use it, requires you take more steps in pressing the home button twice rather than just once to go back to the home screen.
Click to expand...
Think of the bar as "list of apps I am interested in using right now". It also shows apps that are meaningfully paused at the moment (like games).

WhySoSerious said:
here is the problem, i can't turn the feature off. i would if i could.
Click to expand...
Jailbreak it, and you can.
 
WhySoSerious said:
here is the problem, i can't turn the feature off. i would if i could.

however, there is a huge thread in here about the issues with the home button and how single taps will often bring up your dock.

point is, i want the dock disabled because i don't see a use for it. if you can't disable it, then at least fix the home button issue (apple) so when i press once, the home screen comes up, not the dock.
Click to expand...

Well, if this is your big complaint of the day, then I guess life aint so bad :)
 
I find it takes longer to scroll through the dock then just go to where the app is. In the dock I have no idea what page it is on, it could be 4 pages deep but I know exactly where every one of my apps is on my desktop pages.

I never use it.
 
The nice thing about computers is there are multiple use scenarios. If you don't like the "double click the home button" use scenario, you can use the "scroll through your apps" use scenario.
 
if you have multiple pages of folders filled with apps it's much more convenient to double tap the home button than swipe through pages, opening folders to get back to a recently used app...was playing with a friends 3G, it sucks to not have this feature
 
Why are you whining about it...?

If you don't like it, don't use it

As a matter of fact, it's quite useful for the millions of iPhone 4 users
 
WhySoSerious said:
Option 2 (“multi task”):
- Tap Safari to open it to a web page
- Press home button to close Safari
- Tap Mail app
- (here is where it differs) Double-press home button to pull up “multi task” dock
- Tap Safari to open it again in its suspended state and resume where I left off
Click to expand...

You don't HAVE to use that way, you could still press the home button once and then tap on Safari. The problem with your scenario is that you picked an app (Safari) that already kept its state between runs. Many other apps start over but with multi-tasking you go back to where you were.

seajay96 said:
Say it with me "It's not a multi-task bar...it's a recently used apps bar"

So, if, for example, you are in one app and you want to go to an app you just used, but that app icon is located on your third page of apps and embedded in a folder, double tapping the home button and selecting it from your recently used apps list is a hell of a lot easier.
Click to expand...

Say it with me "You are wrong!!!!"

It is a multi-tasking bar, the apps in there are just suspended but they are still running. If it were a "recently used apps bar" it would mean that you are just relaunching them when you tap on them.
 
ac4lt said:
If you have multiple pages of apps or lots of apps buried in folders then finding the app you want to switch to takes longer than double tapping home and finding it in the recently used apps list.

For apps in your dock or if you only have one or two pages of apps then then the task bar doesn't buy you much.
Click to expand...

This guy gives a perfect answer to your question and proves you wrong and obviously you just ignore the comment.
 
HitchHykr said:
Say it with me "You are wrong!!!!"

It is a multi-tasking bar, the apps in there are just suspended but they are still running. If it were a "recently used apps bar" it would mean that you are just relaunching them when you tap on them.
Click to expand...

Nope, actually, you are wrong. Apps are shown in the bar in order of last use. This does not mean they are actually running or even simply suspended. The OS controls the multi-tasking, state-saving, suspending operations regardless of what's in the bar. Go to the very last app in your "bar" and I can almost guarantee that it needs to be started from scratch.

Edit: Or, figure out which is your last run app, go to the home screen and start it from there. It switches to it exactly the same as if you tapped it from the bar.
 
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