iPhone multitasking idea

[RoboCop001]

How about an option...

It comes defaulted to running only one app at a time.

But what about having an option where you can 'turn on' multitasking for those people who aren't totally neurotic and open 1000 apps at once leaving them all on? So that you can actually run more than one app at once if you wanted to?

Then they can throw in a "quit app" button or something that actually closes it.

For example.

As I'm told, on a Blackberry, if you wanted to you could be looking at a map and then, say, switch over to email. Then when you go back to the map, it's exactly the same. Same thing with switching back to email. The screen is the same, you don't need to open your email from the drafts folder to continue.

But on the iPhone it would have to reload the map, right? Because the map app closed? Or you'd have to navigate to the drafts folder and continue typing the email, yes?

So would a "switch" for multitasking ability be possible, or even practical?

 

[terrrrrible]

i donlt know what i'm talking about.

 

[crazzyeddie]

On my Touch it saves the current state of the app before it quits, for most things. So on Maps it saves my search, map data, etc... and will bring it back up even if I don't have a wifi connection at the time.

Also, in Mail it will return to the email or inbox that you were in before closing the app.

 

[Hls811]

I was thinking the same thing - I came to start a new thread but searched and came across this one so I'll add my 2 cents here.

Now that the App Store is available there needs to be a way to let Apps run in the background - Theres 2 or 3 "key" apps for me that I'm running and its a waste of time to have to go back and forth. The 2 apps I'm using are Palringo for IM'ing and NetNewsWire for an RSS Reader.

Its frustrating to have to open up Palringo, wait for it to connect, see who's online, and then close out - open up the newsreader, wait for it to sync, view what I want, then go back and do it again. And if you're in the middle of a chat session with someone you're pretty much stuck and can't do anything else. A 3rd App I use alot is PageOnce which lets me check multiple email accounts that I don't want permanently configured on my iPhone so thats another app I need to open, wait, sync, close...

These should all be able to run in the background - even on Edge if its just periodically polling for updates it shouldn't slow things down that much.

They could provide another option for double-clicking the 'Home' button and have it bring up an open App list (or triple clicking?)..

I understood the logic when you were limited to the "legit' apps with the original iPhone OS, but now that they have the app store and people can legitimately install countless programs it seems a little backwards to only let you fully utilize them one at a time.

 

[philgilder]

has anyone used a windows mobile phone?
they slow down within 2 hours of use, because of all the background apps running, using RAM

this solution has been solved, with apples push notification service
it tells you when you have a new IM, or a new RSS feed or.......

 

[Hls811]

has anyone used a windows mobile phone?
they slow down within 2 hours of use, because of all the background apps running, using RAM

this solution has been solved, with apples push notification service
it tells you when you have a new IM, or a new RSS feed or.......

Thats Windows Mobile.. My blackberry didn't have any slowdowns with the apps I had installed on it. And it gave the option to close down any I wasn't using. Its possible to design it in a way that it will work efficiently...

And as for Apples push notifications, how does that work for IM's? The only app-store app I found that even allows Yahoo or Google IM's is Palringo - is there another one that will use the Push notifications which I can keep running in the background?

 

[7on]

Thats Windows Mobile.. My blackberry didn't have any slowdowns with the apps I had installed on it. And it gave the option to close down any I wasn't using. Its possible to design it in a way that it will work efficiently...

And as for Apples push notifications, how does that work for IM's? The only app-store app I found that even allows Yahoo or Google IM's is Palringo - is there another one that will use the Push notifications which I can keep running in the background?

Are you sure BBs let apps run in the bg? Maybe they do what Apple does and Saves states or whatnot, maybe even allow AIM, etc. to run in the background?

I knew I loved Palm back in the day because I never had to worry about if an app closed or not.

 

[philgilder]

Thats Windows Mobile.. My blackberry didn't have any slowdowns with the apps I had installed on it. And it gave the option to close down any I wasn't using. Its possible to design it in a way that it will work efficiently...

And as for Apples push notifications, how does that work for IM's? The only app-store app I found that even allows Yahoo or Google IM's is Palringo - is there another one that will use the Push notifications which I can keep running in the background?

well, push hasnt been enabled yet. will be in september, and im sure palringo and others will support it

 

[Niiro13]

has anyone used a windows mobile phone?
they slow down within 2 hours of use, because of all the background apps running, using RAM

this solution has been solved, with apples push notification service
it tells you when you have a new IM, or a new RSS feed or.......

Push is amazing .

The one problem it doesn't solve:

Radio.

 

[Hls811]

Are you sure BBs let apps run in the bg? Maybe they do what Apple does and Saves states or whatnot, maybe even allow AIM, etc. to run in the background?

I knew I loved Palm back in the day because I never had to worry about if an app closed or not.

I'm positive.. I'd leave my chat program (Jivetalk) or BB messenger (the built in IM program) and I'd get notified if I got a new message, or I could just switch to the newsreader app and any updates since my last visit would be there.

When you wanted to close a program you had the option to close or exit.

 

[philgilder]

I'd leave my chat program (Jivetalk) or BB messenger (the built in IM program) and I'd get notified if I got a new message

thats what push is for...

I could just switch to the newsreader app and any updates since my last visit would be there.

syncing NNW only takes seconds, doesnt it?

 

[Hls811]

thats what push is for...

In theory, yes - but the way the apps are written once you open a new App it logs you off of your current IM sessions - so push won't help if the OS is logging you out.

thats what push is for...
syncing NNW only takes seconds, doesnt it?

Yeah, I wasn't saying the time to sync takes long, its more the fact that I have to go into the program to see if there are any updates and in order to even do that I have to close out of whatever other programs I have.

In both instances, if the OS allows multiple programs to be running in the background then yes Push will help when/if its implemented.