Not really grasping the multitask dock concept.

[mcdj]

People wanted this and still fined. Ways to complain. Of course the app/game isn't going to pause. It iseft running. Pause it yourself and move on to something else to b*tch about.

Some great answers in this thread, besides this one. Thanks to those who contributed.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I think it's funny we haven't had app multitasking on an iPhone for three years, and when we finally do, it looks complicated to iPhone users.

I'm sure it will all work itself out as soon as you get one into your hands.

Remember, Apple made everything to be easy. I'm sure it's as simple as double-clicking the Home button, selecting an app, and switching to it. If we were going to get performance issues or ending tasks or some odd method of dealing with multiple apps, they would have steered clear from it.

 

[phpmaven]

They aren't "open", they are just paused. Not in volatile memory or using cpu unless they are accessing one of the 7 multitasking APIs.

In essence they aren't running at all. They are hibernating, like the way a computer hibernates. Its off but the ram (and thus any open applications) are saved to the hard drive. When you wake it back up, that information is sent from the hard drive back to the RAM and processes resume in the CPU.

This might help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernation_(computing)

Hard drive?

 

[dissdnt]

I love it! I'm zipping around on this phone like nobodies business.

I would like some indication that it's actually using the new background Api's. Maybe grey out normal icons. But I'm sure in the next few months everyone will update there app to take advantage.

 

[thelatinist]

Is it supposed to be some sort of shortcut bar? How/why am I supposed to interact with the subdock icons in a way that's any different or more meaningful than interacting with the icons on the home screen?

The multitasking bar allows you to switch immediately between your current app and your most recently used apps without closing the app, going to the home page, and scrolling through pages of Apps to find the one you want. It's great for going back to the last app you were using when you're interrupted, or for switching quickly between apps in your work-flow.

What's the point of being able to X out an app from the subdock if the app isn't running anyway? ... Am I supposed to be cleaning house in the subdock and X-ing off apps I'm no longer using?

The ability to remove recent apps from the multitasking bar was included only to placate those concerned that others might see what apps they've been using. You are not intended to do any housecleaning or X-ing out of apps in normal use. All it is is a fast task switcher which saves you going back to the home screen. It is not a task manager. Really.

 

[beamer8912]

The multitasking bar allows you to switch immediately between your current app and your most recently used apps without closing the app, going to the home page, and scrolling through pages of Apps to find the one you want. It's great for going back to the last app you were using when you're interrupted, or for switching quickly between apps in your work-flow.



The ability to remove recent apps from the multitasking bar was included only to placate those concerned that others might see what apps they've been using. You are not intended to do any housecleaning or X-ing out of apps in normal use. All it is is a fast task switcher which saves you going back to the home screen. It is not a task manager. Really.

It isn't? I can only imagine if you have so many apps running in the background you'll run out of memory. Cleaning out your multitasking bar would free up memory (i.e. task manager), would it not?

 

[thelatinist]

It isn't? I can only imagine if you have so many apps running in the background you'll run out of memory. Cleaning out your multitasking bar would free up memory (i.e. task manager), would it not?

These apps are not running in the background. They are completely closed, and only have information about their last state saved, presumably in some file in the NOR flash memory. They are not using any system resources at all, unless they have handed off some task like background audio streaming to one of the APIs...in which case you use the iPod controls to stop the streaming.