The enormous difference is that anyone with a good knowledge of Javascript and DHTML should be able to write the background flight app for the Pre.
To duplicate that simple feat on the iPhone, an developer would have to:
<SNIP> (effectively do lots more things)
That's a lot of knowledge, coding, administration, communication, user interaction and money... all to duplicate a simple background app on any other phone.
To my first point, I said that a program that polls a server (or parses a website) periodically for data is not an impressive show of
multitasking prowess - it's a simple background app being given it's clock cycles. In fact, in this case repeated polling and parsing of unchanged information on the client side is a perfect example of Apple's claim of typical mobile background task inefficiency. On the other hand, if the application is not polling and parsing with javascript and DHTML then the developer already has the knowledge and resources you claim an iPhone developer would need.
As an example, say that I have to pick up a client this evening at 8PM and at the beginning of my work day I tell each device that I want flight change information sent to me:
The iPhone will receive updates only when and if it changes and assuming I already receive notifications for another application, there is no extra drain on the phone.
The Pre will check the information at set intervals via polls to a website (unless again the developer already has the server knowledge and resources required by iPhone developers) whether it's changed or not. There are repeated data connections and then parsing of that data throughout the day. The more timely the information, the more of a drain on the phone.
If I have other information I'm watching that day, say a limit notification on AAPL and PALM stock, the iPhone requires no extra processing. But again, the more timely the information (more important here), the more of a drain on the Pre.
Also, on the Pre I now have two extra cards to flip through when I'm changing tasks and if I accidentally close one - my updates are gone.
On the iPhone, I can leave those updates running indefinitely with no hit in performance. When the flight comes and goes with no delays, the developer's server will drop the task. And for the stocks, two months later when PALM bottoms out, I'll be alerted.
But, I never said it was easier for the developer. Although, for many applications that have random communications, the developer would have a server and the knowledge anyway - unless you plan on repeatedly polling for a player's move in a chess or backgammon game that might not occur for days. That is, if I haven't already closed the game's card.
In the end, there are 20 million users and a few thousand developers. I say put the burden on good developers, not the users and their device. If there is a need for the information, an application will be written. And given the extra knowledge needed it will
probably be well written and inherently more efficient on an iPhone.
Finally, I see a fairly lucrative business for a entrepreneur who can provide the needed servers for smaller application developers wanting to provide notification services for their applications.
