Who has the best multitasking implementation?

[wineandcarbs]

Yes.

Thanks. I haven't had a chance to try out their OS.

 

[MassiveAttack]

The majority go with Web OS as the best Multi tasking implementation.

 

[alee]

Thanks. I haven't had a chance to try out their OS.

Here's a quick peek at it for those that haven't seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ABayDe89s

It doesn't show this, but when you want to close a task, just flick the card off the row.

 

[qpid360]

I love Apple, but to actually say Apple's multitasking bests Android or even WebOS is a joke.

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.2; en-gb; Nexus One Build/FRF91) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

I haven't had the pleasure of using webOS yet so I wont vote until I've tried it.

I'm going to have to pick up a pre one day, so much good things said about webOS to ignore!

 

[wineandcarbs]

Here's a quick peek at it for those that haven't seen it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8ABayDe89s

It doesn't show this, but when you want to close a task, just flick the card off the row.

Thanks for this. Wow, looks pretty good!

 

[alee]

Thanks for this. Wow, looks pretty good!

The WebOS notification system is also very slick. It doesn't throw up obnoxious pop-ups onto the screen, but instead slides notifications at the bottom of the screen so that you can keep working without having to dismiss a pop-up.

It's worth noting that some of the key elements of Palm's WebOS were developed by former Apple engineers. In recent months Apple has hired back the guy that designed the Palm notification system.

I have to believe the future of iOS is going to inherit a lot of stuff from WebOS. Android could stand to learn a few things from Palm as well. The user interface in WebOS is very smart. Too bad the hardware was garbage or I'd be carrying a Pre right now.

 

[Full of Win]

1. If you can't tell if something is running in the background, it isn't.

I don't how this is correct. Say your iPhone has GPS Drive running, you then press the home button, but GPS Drive is still running and collection GPS data continually. There is no indication that it is running in the background, but it is running nevertheless.

2. You don't have to (you aren't turning them off anyways).

Really, then why is it when a background process is running, like Pandora, I can hear it and see it as a process using the app Process, but then I turn it off from the system tray, the music stops and the Pandora process goes away.

3. You don't have to worry about it, it's automatic.

I would like control of what it does as an automatic process. I don't have a problem with an app running in the background, but I would like to regulate this behavior from an in-app setting. FOr example, a simple slider that says "allow app to run in background" would be sufficient.

You seem to be stuck in the classic model of multitasking, where you consciously manage apps. You explicitly chose which apps to close and which to run in the background in the "system tray" (aka the Multitasking bar). This isn't the system Apple uses, so it's obvious why you hate it.

In Apple's system, you don't manage apps. The OS terminates apps and handles background tasks so you don't need to think about it. You don't need to track what is running in the background. You don't need the multitasking bar to only keep track of open apps so you know which to close. You don't need to tell an app to close or run as a background process.

Try it, it's liberating.

The Apple model takes it too far. To take even the option of allowing an app to run in the background, as a default action, is too far. One mans liberating is another mans crippling.

 

[rhonin]

Are You Serious?

I love Apple, but to actually say Apple's multitasking bests Android or even WebOS is a joke.

The so-called multi-tasking on iOS isn't.
At best you could call it a quick launch bar - kind of like an MS hidden toolbar app. Maybe they can get it htere, but with the constraints devs have, not real likely.

Before you answer, do abit of research and find out what multi-tasking really is.

iOS - at best a wanna-be mt.

 

[gloss]

I don't how this is correct. Say your iPhone has GPS Drive running, you then press the home button, but GPS Drive is still running and collection GPS data continually. There is no indication that it is running in the background, but it is running nevertheless.

Here's how you can tell:

If an audio app is playing, you'll be hearing audio.

If a GPS app is using location services, you'll see a Compass Arrow icon pop up next to your battery.

If an app is using task completion, they will typically show a badge in the multitasking view that shows how many tasks they have pending.

Otherwise, apps are not active.

 

[Daveoc64]

1. If you can't tell if something is running in the background, it isn't.

That's not correct.

Some Apps are using the "Background completion" functionality to keep themselves running in the background (e.g to maintain a connection to a server).

It's not possible to actually tell when this is happening.

(Although an App can only use it for 10 minutes after you close the App).

 

[Eso]

I don't how this is correct. Say your iPhone has GPS Drive running, you then press the home button, but GPS Drive is still running and collection GPS data continually. There is no indication that it is running in the background, but it is running nevertheless.

There will be an arrow next to the battery indicator showing that location services is being used. Also, you'll continue to get voice guidance, which is the point of GPS navigation, right?

Really, then why is it when a background process is running, like Pandora, I can hear it and see it as a process using the app Process, but then I turn it off from the system tray, the music stops and the Pandora process goes away.

Yes, but all apps are shown on the multitasking bar whether or not they are doing anything. If they aren't using one of the background APIs, then the apps processes isn't allocated any resources from the CPU. If that is the case, they are essentially closed, although they *may* still be loaded in RAM (if the system hasn't already cleared it from memory).

What I meant with the statement is that all recent apps are shown on the multitasking bar; if you remove them from the bar, it doesn't mean you are closing them because they could already be emptied from memory.

I would like control of what it does as an automatic process. I don't have a problem with an app running in the background, but I would like to regulate this behavior from an in-app setting. FOr example, a simple slider that says "allow app to run in background" would be sufficient.

You do have control. You don't want an app to navigate in the background? Stop navigation before you leave the app. Don't want an app to play music in the background? Stop the music before you leave the app. Don't want an app to complete a task in the background? Don't initiate the task before you leave the app.

Don't want an app to run in the background when it doesn't use one of the the multitasking APIs? Guess what - it's not.

Of course, if you prefer to be perturbed by managing tasks on the iPhone when it's completely unnecessary, who am I to stop you?

 

[r3voLoL]

Palm, Android and Blackberry are light years ahead of Apples app standby or faux multi tasking. No one here can honestly say that Apples its the best.

Yeah, crappy battery life and all full blown multitasking is a GREAT idea!

 

[Zaft]

Web OS is the best imo.
Androids and IOS is actually similar just a different way of displaying them.
Android has a box pop up while IOS puts the apps on the bottom.

 

[Full of Win]

There will be an arrow next to the battery indicator showing that location services is being used. Also, you'll continue to get voice guidance, which is the point of GPS navigation, right?

Wrong on the Voice Guidance. With GPS Drive in my example from before, you have to pay for voice guidance every month after the first trial period.

Second, the location services icon may indicate an operation in the background – as long as you are not using another application utilizing the service as well. Because many other apps use LS, such as the Camera, Google Maps , AP, Zillow, Wolfram, iMovie, ect… – using the icon in this way is a hack and not its intended function

Yes, but all apps are shown on the multitasking bar whether or not they are doing anything. If they aren't using one of the background APIs, then the apps processes isn't allocated any resources from the CPU. If that is the case, they are essentially closed, although they *may* still be loaded in RAM (if the system hasn't already cleared it from memory).

What I meant with the statement is that all recent apps are shown on the multitasking bar; if you remove them from the bar, it doesn't mean you are closing them because they could already be emptied from memory.

This is the issue I said in my first post. Yes, its there, but there is no way to tell if the process is actively running or not from the multitasking bar/system tray (for want of a better term). I said this in post 37

There is no way to tell what is running in the background. Using the app System, I can see what is running, but there is no way to differentiate this in the system tray. Some things are running in the background, while others are not. Perhaps they should have a glow around them.

This is why its flawed in my opinion, because when you close the icon, you may be getting rid of a shortcut to a non running process, a shortcut to a process that is asleep or an actively running process. The point was, there is NO WAY TO TELL WHICH IS WHICH. That is a problem.

Here is an example that shows why this is an issue. Lets say you are going to a theme park and you use GPS Drive to find the park, however, you only leave the application but forget it is a background process. You get out and use Google Maps to find the overhead aerial image, then Camera to take a pictures, and then iPod to listen to some music, and GoodReader to get the ticket in PDF form, and use safari to look at the news and an app from the theme park to guide you around the park. To kill some time, you play Sallys Spa for fun and then use the Calculator to figure out the tip. Pretty soon you notice your iPhone is warm, but you don't know which app is doing it. You evoke the multitask switcher to see what is on and not. You flick to the left and see an iPod Icon. You flick to the right and see GoodReader, Maps, Camera, iPod, Safari, Sallys Spa, Calculator, and then GPS Drive. All of these apps look the SAME, some are just shortcuts, others are running in sleep mode and only one is running in the background. However, there is NO VISUAL WAY TO TELL WHICH ONE. This is the issue. A glow, or a small glowing orb, like 10.6, to show what is running in the background is needed.

You do have control. You don't want an app to navigate in the background? Stop navigation before you leave the app. Don't want an app to play music in the background? Stop the music before you leave the app. Don't want an app to complete a task in the background? Don't initiate the task before you leave the app.

Don't want an app to run in the background when it doesn't use one of the the multitasking APIs? Guess what - it's not.

Of course, if you prefer to be perturbed by managing tasks on the iPhone when it's completely unnecessary, who am I to stop you?

Yes, there is some control. However, I'd like control over the default action as a setting. Currently, the default option, without user intervention, is to run in the background. I'd suggest making this a user controlled option. With Location Services, every app is configurable individually. So, why not follow the same method here. Apps that can run in the background go to their own area in Settings and there is a simple slider that says "allow app to run in background " Yes/No

To reiterate what I said before

The Apple model takes it too far. To take even the option of allowing an app to run in the background, as a default action, is too far. One mans liberating is another mans crippling.

I think taking away the users option to control the default action is taking it way too far.

 

[Mr Bigs]

Yeah, crappy battery life and all full blown multitasking is a GREAT idea!

When you can swap out a battery or upgrade to a higher capacity one crappy battery life isn't a real issue.