Multitasking - necessary? + other questions before taking plunge

[itags.org]

Hello.

As the title says, I'm really inclined to buy the 3GS. It just seems like the best smartphone out right now. But the things stopping me are the lack of multitasking and Apples generally closed ecosystem and app store, which don't sit well with me at all.

Background:

- I'm coming from a Nokia S60 device, so I've tasted multitasking, and it is sweet.
- I live in Finland so AT&T isn't an issue.
- There's currently no Android device on sale in Finland, and neither is the Pre, so I'm afraid I can't go that route. This could probably change in the near future though. That means my only other alternatives are other Nokia phones, as I don't want to go Samsung or LG etc. The N97 seems fantastic, but the puny processor and RAM are keeping me away.

And now for a few questions, hope you can answer them:

- As an iPhone user, do you find yourself in situations where multitasking could be useful?
- What are the disadvantages of jailbreaking? I've heard that push notifications get mixed up, but is that only with unlocks? If I buy the 3GS, I will probably jailbreak it.
- Do you think it would be worth it to wait until the next model? I'm leaning towards yes...
- Is there any feature you miss, any feature not even acquirable by jailbreak?
- Is there anything you really hate about the iPhone?

Thanks in advance!!

 

[Eso]

- As an iPhone user, do you find yourself in situations where multitasking could be useful?

All the time, but as you've said, you have multi-tasking on a mobile already so I am sure you know what you'd be missing. It isn't a deal breaker without it, at least for now. Earliest the iPhone will have multi-tasking is next summer.

- What are the disadvantages of jailbreaking? I've heard that push notifications get mixed up, but is that only with unlocks? If I buy the 3GS, I will probably jailbreak it.

Having to wait until the jailbreak team cracks the latest firmwares is really the only drawback.

- Do you think it would be worth it to wait until the next model? I'm leaning towards yes...

Not at all! If you buy, buy now as a new model was just released and it'll most likely be 11 months before another one is released. The iPhone has a high resell value, so if a better phones comes along you can simply make your money back.

- Is there any feature you miss, any feature not even acquirable by jailbreak?

It'd be helpful to know which features of other phones YOU like most to be helpful on this point. The lack of a user-accessible file system and sandboxed apps are the big ones for me. You can't save files on the iPhone. You can't save attachments from an email and attach them to other emails. You can't transfer files over bluetooth.

Now, there are file storage apps, but that runs into the problem of sandboxed apps. Files you save into one file storage app can't be accessed from another. Even then, the process isn't user-friendly as you must launch the app on the iPhone, transfer files via FTP, a special network connection, or with a desktop companion program for the app. You just can't connect up the USB and drag-and-drop files as you wish.

The iPhone is a seriously poor performer in this department. Don't expect it to change anytime soon either.

- Is there anything you really hate about the iPhone?

Apple. Most of the features they restrict on the iPhone are to "protect users from themselves". It's why there is no multi-tasking, no user file system, the default apps (which you can't remove, by the way!) are so simple (read as: featureless). According to Apple, you are too stupid to use your iPhone.

 

[maflynn]

- As an iPhone user, do you find yourself in situations where multitasking could be useful?

Only one for my circumstances - listening to pandora (internet radio) That will not run while using other apps. I can listen to my music while doing other stuff, but that music is via the ipod app on the phone.

- What are the disadvantages of jailbreaking? I've heard that push notifications get mixed up, but is that only with unlocks? If I buy the 3GS, I will probably jailbreak it.

I'm not overly qualified to answer this because I didn't jailbreak mine, but I believe people do it to access programs or functionality they cannot otherwise access. Plus people use jailbreaking to then unlock the phone and use it on another carrier.

- Do you think it would be worth it to wait until the next model? I'm leaning towards yes...

Why, they just released the 3GS and there's no guarantee what features will be in there. If the iPhone fits your needs now, and you need a phone now. Get it now. There will always be a better product coming around the corner.

- Is there any feature you miss, any feature not even acquirable by jailbreak?

Other then the aforemention listening to Pandora in the background no.

- Is there anything you really hate about the iPhone?

Absolutely not. I'm sounding like a fanboy but I generally am The phone is a high quality well design, great looking device. I'm very happy with what it does and how it does it. I generally have no complaints. Its a great phone that's equal to none. So far all the other smarthphones are striving to reach what the iPhone has already achieved. Why get another smartphone when there's already something better (the iPhone)

 

[kdarling]

- As an iPhone user, do you find yourself in situations where multitasking could be useful?

It's not the lack of multitasking, as much as lack of context when one app calls another. That is, the device doesn't remember what you were doing.

It can be frustrating when one app calls another (most often, calling Maps or Safari) and the calling app must exit.

For example, I use an app that does a real estate search, and I click on the Map button. Boom I'm off in the Maps application. Now I want to go back and look at the next house result. On multitasking phones, I just click a button and I'm back at my previous results. Easy and natural.

On the iPhone, I have to manually do what the OS does on other devices: I click the Home button to kill the Maps app and see my app menu pages again. Now find my app again and restart it. If I'm lucky, the app has saved most or all of its previous state. It's slow, ridiculous from a UI standpoint, and after a while I stop using that app so much.

Another example: my daughter is playing her favorite game on it. I take a call that comes in, so the game exits. Alas, it's one of those that does not save state. So she gets upset because she has to start over again.

Moreover, the phone uses extra battery to do all this unnecessary saving and restarting.

Is it frustrating enough to stop using the iPhone? Not for the casual user, perhaps. But it sure makes other phones seem more natural and powerful. I'll take a little less glitz in return for far more usability.

 

[leodavinci0]

To clarify, and as others said, multitasking is possible

On non-JBed phones it is possible for the mail app to check mail, while surfing the net, while getting an AIM push notification, while listening to music. It just can't multitask third party apps.

 

[lemonademaker]

it bites not having multitasking.
BUT I LOVE THE PHONE!! until the unlock multitasking the apps are a huge huge plus for me and of course the UI (although it might be getting datted?).... i'd say pull the trigger and buy one!!

SISU

 

[aprofetto]

On non-JBed phones it is possible for the mail app to check mail, while surfing the net, while getting an AIM push notification, while listening to music. It just can't multitask third party apps.

I don't understand? The iPhone can in no-way multitask, and especially not on non-JBed phones.

Mail being pushed to your phone while you're searching the web is not multitasking.

And to clarify, the closest you can get to multitasking with a jailbroken phone is to have some sort of app backgrounder installed, which lets apps run in the background. In my opinion, this is only a baby step towards multitasking. True multitasking is the ability to be able to go from one app to another in an easy motion without having to close other apps, as mentioned above.

And to the OP - if I were you, I'd wait. The new iPhone will be here in June/July, if you upgrade now, you're going to screw yourself come next summer.

Hopefully the new iPhone will have new 4.0 OS (hopefully) which allows multitasking, categorization, better notification system among many other things. Not to mention, hopefully a new external design.