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iPhone AIM - So Close... Yet... Still So Far?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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DaringFireball points out an interesting bit of information from the iPhone SDK documentation that could have implications on the effectiveness of a native AIM chatting client
Only one iPhone application can run at a time, and third-party applications never run in the background. This means that when users switch to another application, answer the phone, or check their email, the application they were using quits. It’s important to make sure that users do not experience any negative effects because of this reality. In other words, users should not feel that leaving your iPhone application and returning to it later is any more difficult than switching among applications on a computer.
Click to expand...
From my brief research this does not appear to be an artificial limit placed on "3rd party applications" vs Apple applications, however. It appears that all applications are also subject to this limitation. Which simply means that only one "app" runs at one time on the iPhone. Now, Apple appears to get around this limitation in ways -- allowing music to be played in the background and also certain alerts to appear (such as SMS) -- but these may be based on special OS X services (not full apps) running in the background.

But what does this mean for an application like AIM or iChat where you want to be always available? I'm not sure. Off hand, I'd say a small time developer might not be able to accomplish a true ever-present AIM client, but Apple may have some ways to work around this, at least for a developer as big as AOL.

Article Link
 
one interesting point is the unofficial 3rd party AIM clients seem to work in background, but not sure if that's just because they aren't playing by the rules.

arn
 
Surely a company like AOL will create a service to run in the background, keeping you connected, and poping up when someone msgs you?

That would be the obvious solution, but can these apps also install services?

Anyone with a Dev Kit know the answer?
 
I don't think they mean what you've said here. I'd *guess* that there will be a way to store on suspend and reload into memory on reload.
 
Andrmgic said:
So does MobileChat, both even feature wifi and EDGE keep-alive to keep it from disconnecting even if the phone goes to sleep.
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MobileChat does not have EDGE keep-alive, and AFAIK Apollo's doesn't work on newer firmwares (I think I read this on these forums somewhere).
 
It's because jailbroken apps are running as root with full access to everything. When the SDK comes out, assuming nothing changes between now and June, the apps running now are running in "user" mode which would not have access to functions such as running as a service (which apps that are running on jailbroken iphones are able to). That's the difference.

I think they've chosen to do this because, at least in my experience, if you have a jailbroken iPhone, and you open a lot of apps, especially multiple ones that are running in the background, the battery life sinks so fast it's not even funny. I went one morning to an afternoon and lost more than 25%. After you reboot, all the apps are forced to close until you re-open them, but until then, you keep losing massive amounts of battery life.

Apple just wants to have one application open at a time so when it closes, it'll free up all that extra memory and make sure it's not pinging or constantly using the Locate Me function, thereby draining battery. Just my opinion though.
 
People still use AIM? Why?
It's a terrible app.

A lot of people have since migrated to MSN or Yahoo.
And since they both play nice with each other, the Microsoft haters don't have to use an MSN client to talk to other MSN peeps.
Hell GTalk is better than AIM.
 
rjohnstone said:
People still use AIM? Why?
It's a terrible app.

A lot of people have since migrated to MSN or Yahoo.
And since they both play nice with each other, the Microsoft haters don't have to use an MSN client to talk to other MSN peeps.
Hell GTalk is better than AIM.
Click to expand...

All my friends use AIM. People only change when all their friends switch. Sure, one of my friends can start using MSN but I'll still be using AIM with everyone else.
 
Given the fact that AIM is one of the flagship apps for the iPhone SDK, it is obvious that AOL has the connections to make it function exactly how we expect it to.
 
I just use adium, so I can use them all! But really, about 98% of my friends use aim, so that's basically all I need, but have a few using Y! and msn...
 
amemoryoncelost said:
I just use adium, so I can use them all! But really, about 98% of my friends use aim, so that's basically all I need, but have a few using Y! and msn...
Click to expand...

Adium is the best. Connects to the AIM network, and is a great app as well. Very customizable, very personal. I love it. I'm hoping Adium gets built for the iPhone.
 
rjohnstone said:
People still use AIM? Why?
It's a terrible app.

A lot of people have since migrated to MSN or Yahoo.
And since they both play nice with each other, the Microsoft haters don't have to use an MSN client to talk to other MSN peeps.
Hell GTalk is better than AIM.
Click to expand...

Purely your opinion, and yours only.
Im no fan of AOL either, but if anything good did come of it, then AIM was one. iChat after all is merely a glorified AIM client. I find MSN awful. I don't speak "Smilie" which all the kids on there go gooey for. And Yahoo, well.. I cant even remember what its like and don't know anyone who uses it either.
But its all better than IRC! How antiquated is that.. Reminds me of my early online experiences using a C64. Yes, really.

Back on topic.. I'd certainly like a good AIM client for my currently unhacked iPhone. I don't even care if it can't be used in the background. After all, how chatworthy can you be if its in the background anyway?? Either you are available for conversation, or you are not. If not, use email! iPhones are quite good for email too ;)
 
Luap said:
Purely your opinion, and yours only.
Im no fan of AOL either, but if anything good did come of it, then AIM was one. iChat after all is merely a glorified AIM client. I find MSN awful. I don't speak "Smilie" which all the kids on there go gooey for. And Yahoo, well.. I cant even remember what its like and don't know anyone who uses it either.
But its all better than IRC! How antiquated is that.. Reminds me of my early online experiences using a C64. Yes, really.

Back on topic.. I'd certainly like a good AIM client for my currently unhacked iPhone. I don't even care if it can't be used in the background. After all, how chatworthy can you be if its in the background anyway?? Either you are available for conversation, or you are not. If not, use email! iPhones are quite good for email too ;)
Click to expand...

Commodore 64, wow lol. I'm too young for that.

You make a good point, however many people like to be left messages while they're not available for chat. Also multitasking such as changing a song or reading an email while being available for IM is necessary IMO. Leaving AIM to check the map shouldn't sign you off.
 
thegman1234 said:
Commodore 64, wow lol. I'm too young for that.

You make a good point, however many people like to be left messages while they're not available for chat. Also multitasking such as changing a song or reading an email while being available for IM is necessary IMO. Leaving AIM to check the map shouldn't sign you off.
Click to expand...

I think AOL is primarily an american thing...everyone i know overseas is on MSN or Yahoo.
 
The real question is when will apple release ichat on the iphone which handles multiple types of IM services.

it only makes sense especially if they move to a 3G and moorestown chip.

Remember iphone firmware 2.0 is still far off.. Apple may very well have many goodies to surprise us with.
 
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