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iOS 7 - True multitasking?
- Thread starter iCole
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iOS 6 multitasking was limited to apps using a select few APIs that were would run in the background. Any app that was in the background had it state frozen and would not run. Now its more like other operating systems that the app continues to run and not frozen
It is still not a "true" multi-tasking. It's just that more APIs have been opened up. Apps that do not use any of the APIs will still be in the frozen state.
I am in a rush right now but I will post a list of the new APIs if no one does so before I do.
Thanks for the clarification - I thought it was along the lines of the traditional aspect of multitasking. Going to the iOS7 webpage on apple.com confirms its a "smarter" multitasking. I'm not on the beta so I was only going what I heard from the keynote which admittedly I misunderstood.
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It's really not much different from iOS 6.
It just means that Apps now have the option to tell iOS that they want to run periodically to update content.
It just means that Apps now have the option to tell iOS that they want to run periodically to update content.
In addition, push notifications can be used to trigger this sort of background update as well.
It does hit a couple key areas lacking with the current system. Fetch is now possible for RSS and email apps. And apps can pre-load data related to push notifications, meaning your game or IM app doesn't spend so much time refreshing when you respond to a notification.
Not perfect, but still better.
iOS 7 will also monitor when you open which apps so for example if you open a news app on your lunch at 1pm everyday iOS will learn this and refresh it around that time so its ready for you.
Still very dissapointed with apple's "multi-tasking". Ideally imo multi-tasking is being able to do more than one thing at a time. Not switch between apps.
For instance,
The note 2 is a great example for multi-tasking. The screen splits in 2 and you can run 2 apps at the same time. (Watch a movie on you tube on the top part and on the bottom check email or text.
Why has apple not caught on to this?
For instance,
The note 2 is a great example for multi-tasking. The screen splits in 2 and you can run 2 apps at the same time. (Watch a movie on you tube on the top part and on the bottom check email or text.
Why has apple not caught on to this?
Not true. Go to another app and then switch back to multitasking tray. You will see that the weather app isn't updating in the background anymore.
But if you check the clock icon in multitasking view it works all the time. I guess it is mostly the matter of whether apps are using those APIs or not. But the possibility is there.
You are right - a lot of us are also missing this feature. (See the discussion at https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1608212/ ) And no, don't expect Apple to introduce it in the future either. Our only hope is the JB-only Quasar - if it'll ever be updated to support iOS6+.
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Yup. It certainly doesn't hold a candle to Android's approach, particularly
- that of Samsung's dialects, which allow for unrestricted windowing, even on smaller-screen phablets
- the forthcoming 5.0 version, which is rumoured to have - in addition to the, compared to iOS, much superior (invisible) multitasking - true windowing support on larger-screen devices.
Because it seems like one of the most worthless features ever?
If you're watching a movie... WATCH THE MOVIE.
If you're checking email... CHECK YOUR EMAIL.
None of which has any bearing whatsoever as to what would be useful to someone else.
I've seen the split screen apps on the Note 2. It's not exactly practical but it works. That same function on a Galaxy S4 looks terrible. It would be unusable on a iphone's 4" screen.
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Totally agree. It could however work well on a screen as large as the iPad mini at the least.
FWIW, when Apple added multitasking to iOS (back in iOS 4), this is how Steve Jobs introduced it at WWDC.
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/steve-jobs-live-from-wwdc-2010/Steve Jobs said:
In that sense, there's nothing for Apple to "catch on to". They purposefully designed iOS to not multitask like the Note 2 does.
It really makes no sense for a mobile phone to multi-task. Not only does it kill battery but there isnt enough screen real estate to really do 2 things at once.
That doesn't make it the right decision.
That was the same reasoning behind the iPhone not having Apps to begin with.
The idea that "people don't need Apps" is hilarious to us now, but that's what Steve Jobs said.
iOS didn't need multitasking.
Then the limited multitasking they added in iOS 4.0 was enough.
Now they're adding more.
Notice a trend?
I'd settle for the ability to play the audio from a movie in the background while I did other stuff (or even had the screen locked).
The trend I've noticed is that after four iOS versions feature multitasking, they're still not offering the "true" multitasking that some people want.
Makes me believe that they're standing by their "we don't want to kill the battery" statement.
Seems like it'd be a lot easier for them to implement "true" multitasking vs. trying to re-invent it, like they've been doing.
I still hope part of that re-invention will include the ideas Apple highlighted with openDoc way way back in the 90's. The idea that a large document might have multiple specialist editor app all working together within a layout app. That apps can hand off content to each other and have non-destructive editing up the chain. The biggest thing against this at the moment seems to be the sandbox and that they haven't opened channels between sandbox as yet.
Sure not picture in picture or windowing that seems to be what people call "true" multi-tasking but to me would be more valuable to users, open up a range of productive apps and help sell more devices.