Question on the new "multitasking"

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I realize how the multitasking in 4.0 works with allowing developers access to those 7 APIs... but does this mean that you have to re-open your app (with load time) every time? Do you follow?

Example. I'm using my TomTom app and am interrupted by a phone call. Yes I know the GPS API keeps running in the background and I will continue to recieve turn by turn directions... But then I hang up and re-open TomTom (either from my homescreen or the multitasking launcher, which I believe serve identical functions), do I have to wait the 20 seconds for the app to load?

Or I'm playing Angry Birds, and I recieve a text message. I respond and reopen angry birds. Do I have to wait the 10 second launch time?

These wait times may seem miniscule at first glance, but I feel like this defeats (part of) the purpose of multitasking.

OR if there is no load time then does that mean that after I open any app once then I will never have to wait for it to load again until I restart my iphone? I can open 200 apps and switch back and forth between all of them "preloaded". That sounds to me like an awfully large memory hog...

Remember we have no task manager, because that would be a failure...

I know Apple is smart so they have probably thought of this... but you never know. hopefully they implemented some sort of a system that keeps the apps preloaded till X number of apps are open or X amount of RAM is being used and then they quietly start killing off apps starting with the "oldest" one.

 

[gloss]

Apps use freeze states to pop back into action exactly where you last left them. I assume they'll quickly update to take into account any changes in location, etc.

 

[Applejuiced]

There is no load time if it has already been preloaded into memory.
You will not be able to open 200 apps and have them open instant.
I think its up to a certain amount like 7-12 or something but not 100%

 

[Small White Car]

There is no load time if it has already been preloaded into memory.
You will not be able to open 200 apps and have them open instant.
I think its up to a certain amount like 7-12 or something but not 100%

Yeah, something like this.

It'll dependa on the app. You'll be able to keep a lot of Twitter or Banking apps open, but only a few games. It'll depend on how much memory the app takes up.

The other thing to remember is that the processor will surely be better than in previous phones. Apps that take 5 seconds to open on my 3G take only 3 seconds to open on my wife's 3GS. Is it likely that the same app will open in 1 second on the new iPhone? I'm betting that's likely.

So I get you'll worry about this a lot less than you think you will.

 

[STEVESKI07]

It will be up to the developers to implement this correct. Applejuiced is right in that there will be a limit to the amount of apps that will retain in memory. My guess is that it will be dependent upon memory available and not a set number of apps since some apps will require more memory then others.

I think as long as the developers are able to and do implement this right then it will be just as good as true multitasking from a usage point of view and it will be much better then true multitasking from a system resources point of view. The problem is I think that all the developers will need to update their current apps to build in this functionality, which may not happen for some of the older apps.

 

[VulchR]

How does this work in comparison to standard OS's? Some of this sounds suspiciously like the Multifinder and 'cooperative' multitasking that was so crash-prone in earlier versions of MacOS...

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

There is no load time if it has already been preloaded into memory.
You will not be able to open 200 apps and have them open instant.
I think its up to a certain amount like 7-12 or something but not 100%

So then after I open say, 13 apps, and the last 2 of them were quietly closed to save RAM. Will those 2 still pop up on that multitasking quick-launcher or do they magically disappear?

 

[bina12834]

what about with loading webpages?

say i have macrumors loading on safari, i receive a text message and i open the text message to respond. will the webpage continue to load in the background while im responding to the text message, or will it just stop loading and pick up where it left off once i re-enter the safari app from the multitasking dock or from my homescreen like it currently does?

 

[STEVESKI07]

what about with loading webpages?

say i have macrumors loading on safari, i receive a text message and i open the text message to respond. will the webpage continue to load in the background while im responding to the text message, or will it just stop loading and pick up where it left off once i re-enter the safari app from the multitasking dock or from my homescreen like it currently does?

Yes it will continue to load. They said that one of the multitasking features was that it will allow downloads and tasks to finish in the background before turning them off.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

And speaking of safari I guess the individual tabs' states will finally be retained as well? So we don't need to reload anytime we open an old tab?

And with text messages, I thought I saw an "In-app SMS" in the background of the 4.0 logo. What exactly does this mean? If I can actually respond to text messages inside of that pop-up without ever having to leave the app and enter the SMS app, that would be awesome!

 

[grafx]

Are you able to turn off multi-tasking?

 

[BaldiMac]

So then after I open say, 13 apps, and the last 2 of them were quietly closed to save RAM. Will those 2 still pop up on that multitasking quick-launcher or do they magically disappear?

The "multitasking quick-launcher" is really just a recently used apps list. Closed apps will still show up.

what about with loading webpages?

say i have macrumors loading on safari, i receive a text message and i open the text message to respond. will the webpage continue to load in the background while im responding to the text message, or will it just stop loading and pick up where it left off once i re-enter the safari app from the multitasking dock or from my homescreen like it currently does?

Webpages keep loading in Safari with the current OS (3.x). I think that even happened with 1.x.

 

[BaldiMac]

Are you able to turn off multi-tasking?

No, but there is no need to turn it off. If you don't use it, it shouldn't affect you.

 

[bina12834]

Webpages keep loading in Safari with the current OS (3.x). I think that even happened with 1.x.

i have whatever the latest 3.x software is and when im in safari opening up a webpage, and i leave the app to open up a text message, the webpage doesnt continue to load. when i go back into safari after im done with the text messsage the webpage picks back up where it left off when i closed safari to get to the text message.

**edit**

i just tried opening up a webpage and closing out of safari to answer a text and going back into safari and the webpage actually did finish loading.....how did i never notice this??!?!?1?

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

The "multitasking quick-launcher" is really just a recently used apps list. Closed apps will still show up.

Right. But then hypothetically you can have over 200 apps in that quick launch bar to scroll through? I could see that being quite a pain. I know that no one is FORCING you to scroll through that to find your app, but I just feel like that is unapple like to allow you to have hundreds of apps in an area that is meant for a quick-launching, multitasking effect.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was changed.

No, but there is no need to turn it off. If you don't use it, it shouldn't affect you.

No need? How can you not use it? Isn't it automatic? How can I close my TomTom app without keeping the GPS API going? Do I really need to stop pandora before I close it to stop it from playing?

How can you actually CLOSE an app instead of pause it and let the APIs continue to run?

 

[STEVESKI07]

Right. But then hypothetically you can have over 200 apps in that quick launch bar to scroll through? I could see that being quite a pain. I know that no one is FORCING you to scroll through that to find your app, but I just feel like that is unapple like to allow you to have hundreds of apps in an area that is meant for a quick-launching, multitasking effect.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was changed.

It's more of a recently used list. You wouldn't scroll all the way through it to find an app that you haven't used in over a month, you'd find that app the same way you currently do now.

No need? How can you not use it? Isn't it automatic? How can I close my TomTom app without keeping the GPS API going? Do I really need to stop pandora before I close it to stop it from playing?

How can you actually CLOSE an app instead of pause it and let the APIs continue to run?

You can remove(close) apps in the launch bar the same way as you would delete an app from your home screen.

 

[Vandam500]

Right. But then hypothetically you can have over 200 apps in that quick launch bar to scroll through? I could see that being quite a pain. I know that no one is FORCING you to scroll through that to find your app, but I just feel like that is unapple like to allow you to have hundreds of apps in an area that is meant for a quick-launching, multitasking effect.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was changed.




No need? How can you not use it? Isn't it automatic? How can I close my TomTom app without keeping the GPS API going? Do I really need to stop pandora before I close it to stop it from playing?

How can you actually CLOSE an app instead of pause it and let the APIs continue to run?

Well remember it has a little "task manager" so you can close all the apps you see when you bring up the multi-tasking dock.

 

[synagence]

Assuming that apps have to be updated to make them background aware through the new API's and non-updated apps will just close like they currently do?

Can any devs offer comment on how much effort is required (assuming update is required)

If an app doesn't need background services, like a game, does that need modification to make it fast-app switch compatible?

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

You can remove(close) apps in the launch bar the same way as you would delete an app from your home screen.

Well remember it has a little "task manager" so you can close all the apps you see when you bring up the multi-tasking dock.

so are you telling me that everytime I want to quit my TomTom app (and not let the GPS API continue to run, which is a battery drain), I need to quit the app, open the quick launcher, hold down on the app, and then click on the little minus on the TomTom app???

There is no way that can be true.

Now for some apps, like pandora, you can stop the music and then exit. (although I feel that will be at least slightly annoying, at least initially, because we are used to closing apps to stop them), but my TomTom never really "stops". Even after I reach my destination, if I keep driving it automatically redirects me to that location if I keep the app open. There is a way to clear the route (which is actually a hassle), but it still keeps that GPS lock on you.

 

[Saberon]

I have also been wondering the same thing, very good question. The way it is now, when you "home button", tomtom just shuts down and there is no issues. But when you click home button will it keep doing the GPS API thing and waste battery? I'm sure Apple has thought of this and I'm fairly confident we will not have to force it shut

I imagine something like, hit home button, popup comes up "Do you want Tomtom to keep tracking your position?"

Just a rough theory...lol

 

[Small White Car]

so are you telling me that everytime I want to quit my TomTom app (and not let the GPS API continue to run, which is a battery drain), I need to quit the app, open the quick launcher, hold down on the app, and then click on the little minus on the TomTom app???

There is no way that can be true.

That'll be up to how Tom Tom designs their app. Yes, if it does actually work that way then the Tom Tom people are idiots.

I don't know them, but I suspect they're not idiots.

I imagine something like, hit home button, popup comes up "Do you want Tomtom to keep tracking your position?"

Just a rough theory...lol

That's a good guess.

Another theory: Home button closes everything and shuts it down. Or you can decide to press a big red button on the program that returns you to the home screen but keeps the GPS running.

There are dozens of ways they could do it. The point is, it's the app developer's job to make the app work in the way you expect it to work. If it's running a GPS in the background without you choosing that, well then that's a poorly designed app.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Are you able to turn off multi-tasking?

No, but there is no need to turn it off. If you don't use it, it shouldn't affect you.

Do you see how multitasking can begin to affect people who don't even want to use it? So maybe there will be a way to turn it off(and even specify which apps can use it), like push notifications.

Hopefully the devs will make this work-around work well. I think it has a lot of potential if it will be tapped correctly.

And with text messages, I thought I saw an "In-app SMS" in the background of the 4.0 logo. What exactly does this mean? If I can actually respond to text messages inside of that pop-up without ever having to leave the app and enter the SMS app, that would be awesome!

This was never answered...

 

[profets]

Right. But then hypothetically you can have over 200 apps in that quick launch bar to scroll through? I could see that being quite a pain. I know that no one is FORCING you to scroll through that to find your app, but I just feel like that is unapple like to allow you to have hundreds of apps in an area that is meant for a quick-launching, multitasking effect.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the recent use list was limited to 12 apps

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the recent use list was limited to 12 apps

apparently not. Anyone here running 4.0 beta?

 

[frunkis54]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the recent use list was limited to 12 apps

well not sure if it will be different with the final release but i just opened up 19 and have all 19 in the multitask bar.