Multitasking = cumbersome?

[jclardy]

Well, what if I don't use SMS that often to warrant a place in the dock?

You put it on the first page and hit the home button once?

The multitasking bar is there to let you actively switch between apps that you are using, say messages, email and safari. It is not a favorites menu. Another time I may be switching between mail and maps, or Weather and calendar so the bar keeps track of what I am doing at the time.

 

[RobertD63]

....they can't address peoples OCD issues.

Cant agree more! Literally its not a hard concept to grab. Im 100% sure people who have no idea how to really work a computer will multitask fine on the iPhone 4.

 

[esadb]

Okay, please see image below.

After using apps all day, you get to accumulate apps in your multitask tray. Say I want to fast switch to SMS app.
This is what happens...

I hope the visual aid helps in explaining myself.
I would like an option of setting only certain apps to access the multitask tray so that I can easily find the app I'm looking for without swiping many many times searching for it.

This is what I mean by "cumbersome" thread title... I hope people get it now
Thank you...

Open SMS from your Front page where its in your DOCK.

Or jailbreak if its a 3G or 3GS and get the "Remove Recents" it does exactly what your wanting to do, this way the multitask bar stays at like 3-4 items

 

[Matthew Yohe]

Your example of the TomTom situation is why I think Apple needs to build in a simple Close Button or means to actually close the appplication. Trapster is like that too. It's just a matter of the next gen 4.x updates I hope.

No, this is a TomTom app issue. The app should realize that you've clearly made it to the destination and then stop telling you directions.

 

[mcmlxix]

What I'd like to see added to the fast switching tray is Spotlight. If I'm using Spotlight to search my email and tap a particular mail, I'd rather double click the home button and tap Spotlight than single click the home button and swipe to get back to my Spotlight results.

Sure, either way it's the same number of steps, but including Spotlight in tray would make the UI more consistent. Just a preference.

PS I don't know why Apple included all (rather than just 4) of the "open" apps in the fast switching tray. How many people are going to be fast switching between more than 4 apps. Since when has Apple given too much choice, rather than limiting choice to what they think is essential. I think including all of the "open" apps on the tray is what's confusing some people.

 

[Ntombi]

OP, really you're explaining yourself just fine, it's just a silly complaint.

If you've used 8 apps in between using one that you want to launch, launch it from the Springboard or by using Spotlight. Either option would both be simpler (meaning quicker) than swiping through the "tray" four times. If it's an app that you use fairly often, it should be in the first page or two anyway, since you clearly don't like to swipe.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

You don't have to clear them. It's not affecting my battery life

I don't get what the issue is. You are looking for SMS but it was the 16th used item. 16th!!!!!! Might as well press the home button and press SMS. Also android OS only displays 6 current used. Which means for the 7th app, you have hit home and then find the app.

Same crap.

 

[Ntombi]

You don't have to clear them. It's not affecting my battery life

I don't get what the issue is. You are looking for SMS but it was the 16th used item. 16th!!!!!! Might as well press the home button and press SMS. Also android OS only displays 6 current used. Which means for the 7th app, you have hit home and then find the app.

Same crap.

I agree with your post, but really I just wanted to say that I lol'd at your username.

Signed,
A Red Sox Fan

 

[err404]

No, this is a TomTom app issue. The app should realize that you've clearly made it to the destination and then stop telling you directions.

Actually TomTom does a good job of this, but sometimes you just never reach the original destination. If you leave routing on and exit the app but aren't moving for an extended period of time, it will pop up a notification asking if you would like to stop TomTom. Not all apps are so nice...
Overall multitasking is very well implemented on the phone, but sometimes background processes are not obvious. I frequently see the GPS indicator flash, but it can be hard to tell which app caused it. Apple may want to add badges to apps to tray icons that are utilizing intensive resources like the GPS. Possibly add a second bar at the top of the switcher screen that lists apps by average resource utilization (composite of CPU, GPS and network).
But at the end of the day, it's simply too soon to demand any real changes to the multitasking panel. It will take a few months for developers and users to adopt to the new workflow. At that time, if apps are still confusing users, Apple will have the use history needed to make effective changes.