Anyone else not thrilled with the new Multitasking/4.0?

[cgrier]

Really all they gave us with 4.0 is a quick way to switch apps and save where you were in the app. They also included a few clever tricks like being able to finish tasks, have voice and music, and gps... but it's still not true multitasking.

I also can't believe they still havent changed the home screen. I mean sure we have folders now which i guess is nice... but there is still no central place on either the home screen or locked screen for alerts, events from the cal, local news, weather, and time and date. I really wish they did something like this that can be customized. Instead we're still staring at a bunch of icons with red dots and numbers on them. I like simple, but it's way too simple... i really feel like apple still hasnt stepped up to the competition.

FTW i am excited about spell check...

 

[illicium]

You don't know whether you like the new multitasking in 4.0 or not. Even if you have the beta, none of your apps have been modified to take advantage of it, so you don't actually know truly how it functions or how devs will be able to take advantage of it.

 

[FilipH]

Personally, i'm surprised the new OS won't include widgets (with helicopter view/ Expose) like HTC Sense.

 

[cgrier]

Personally, i'm surprised the new OS won't include widgets (with helicopter view/ Expose) like HTC Sense.

Yeah that is one of my MAIN gripes about it.

And to the other poster... yeah you are right... but if you read into it and learn about it's capabilities it's not impressive. Plus apps are going to take FOREVER to implement it into their apps.

 

[jav6454]

I just wanted a clean up of the entire OS and make it a Snow Leopard type update.

 

[iphone1105]

Yeah that is one of my MAIN gripes about it.

And to the other poster... yeah you are right... but if you read into it and learn about it's capabilities it's not impressive. Plus apps are going to take FOREVER to implement it into their apps.

Forever is a long time, I'd say the major will have there's out once new iphone drop....remember the devs do want downloads, its their revenue they'll have'em out on new iPhone launch day....if you think otherwise it's silly

 

[jtara]

Personally, i'm surprised the new OS won't include widgets (with helicopter view/ Expose) like HTC Sense.

I'd have been surprised if it HAD included widgets. Widgets are battery-eaters. Steve isn't going to tolerate battery-eaters. The iPhone battery life is already poor enough without widgets.

 

[jtara]

They also included a few clever tricks like being able to finish tasks, have voice and music, and gps... but it's still not true multitasking.

They really aren't clever tricks. It's true multi-tasking. They've just limited the class of apps that are allowed to use it. And they've added some APIs that make it more convenient for these apps to operate in background. But it's the real thing. The restrictions are a policy decision, not technical.

As pointed out above, unless you are a developer and have modified your own app, there aren't any apps you can download that take advantage of it and that can operate in background. I don't know how you can be disappointed with something you haven't even tried.

 

[Applejuiced]

They really aren't clever tricks. It's true multi-tasking. They've just limited the class of apps that are allowed to use it. And they've added some APIs that make it more convenient for these apps to operate in background. But it's the real thing. The restrictions are a policy decision, not technical.

As pointed out above, unless you are a developer and have modified your own app, there aren't any apps you can download that take advantage of it and that can operate in background. I don't know how you can be disappointed with something you haven't even tried.

I know, people dont even know what multitasking is and they're already complaining about it
They would rather accomplish the same thing but have the app eat up more battery and system resources for nothing.

 

[gr8whtd0pe]

They really aren't clever tricks. It's true multi-tasking. They've just limited the class of apps that are allowed to use it. And they've added some APIs that make it more convenient for these apps to operate in background. But it's the real thing. The restrictions are a policy decision, not technical.

As pointed out above, unless you are a developer and have modified your own app, there aren't any apps you can download that take advantage of it and that can operate in background. I don't know how you can be disappointed with something you haven't even tried.

Because it doesn't look like a droid/win7 phone...

 

[jaw04005]

Really all they gave us with 4.0 is a quick way to switch apps and save where you were in the app. They also included a few clever tricks like being able to finish tasks, have voice and music, and gps... but it's still not true multitasking.

I don’t know why people get bothered by whether or not it’s “true” multi-tasking. Is there something 4.0’s mult-tasking feature doesn’t do that you want?

I just wanted a clean up of the entire OS and make it a Snow Leopard type update.

You keep saying this, but I’ve never understood what you actually mean. Unlike Mac OS X, which suffered from years of additional features that were added, changed and removed, iPhone OS is relatively new.

I take it you would like the OS to use less storage space, CPU and RAM?

I'd have been surprised if it HAD included widgets. Widgets are battery-eaters. Steve isn't going to tolerate battery-eaters. The iPhone battery life is already poor enough without widgets.

I would disagree. I would be surprised if widgets don’t come with 4.2 (iPad’s version of 4.0) this fall. There’s too much screen real estate that’s going to waste.

Q: Why have you veered away from widgets on the iPad?
A: We just shipped it on Saturday. And then we rested on Sunday.
Q: So widgets are possible?
A: Everything is possible.

http://www.cultofmac.com/steve-jobs-we-rested-on-the-seventh-day/37167

I also can't believe they still havent changed the home screen. I mean sure we have folders now which i guess is nice... but there is still no central place on either the home screen or locked screen for alerts, events from the cal, local news, weather, and time and date.

The iPhone OS home screen has become the de-facto smartphone standard of an easy-to-use UI.

Jobs said at the iPad launch event something along the lines of: “Over 75 million people know how to use iPad because they already have used iPhones and iPod touches.”

Just like the Dock and Finder, Apple’s now stuck with it for some time even though there are probably better ideas than the grid layout.

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The biggest disappointment from 4.0 for me was the lack of a change to the notification system. The current system is broken. Notifications for text messages, push notifications (like the AP app) and battery life all look and sound the same (blue, square notification box). With local notifications, it’s just going to get worse.

I know Apple is aware of this.

It makes you wonder if the rumors of the next iPhone having a taller screen are true. Will it have a banner-like notification system (like the Palm Pre)?

 

[troop231]

Any form of multitasking is better than what we have now, so I'm not gonna complain.

 

[ajohnson253]

I understand apple likes to conserve battery and performance on this device. What company doesn't? Other companies battery life and performance really doesn't go that bad when multitasking and doing whatever else is done on it. I am somewhat dissapointed only because I don't like feeling trapped or locked into something unlike an open source. Open source is just a little choppy & sloppy to me though that I guess is the downside. I'd rather choose lock in if I have to get smooth, easy, fun experience like I do on the iPhone without the headaches or worrying or checking on what apps I've left open and running.

I truly don't feel let down yet until I actually try it once the update comes out. We will never know what it's really like until ww really use.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

I don't like it for a couple reasons. First, apple needs to come up with more activation methods than clicking the home button. I use the double click for favorites, and I use favorites WAY more than I will ever use multi tasking.

Seconds, the most used pop up window is kind of redundant anyways since I could just click the home button once and then launch the app like I do now. Since its not true multitasking and I am still launching the app, it doesnt save any time.

Third, since it is not true multi tasking it doesn't really serve me any good. The few times I use multi tasking now, its usually to keep to apps running and switch back and forth between them to compare info or something like that. For my uses, the "multi tasking" wont really do.

 

[jav6454]

You keep saying this, but I’ve never understood what you actually mean. Unlike Mac OS X, which suffered from years of additional features that were added, changed and removed, iPhone OS is relatively new.

I take it you would like the OS to use less storage space, CPU and RAM?

Exactly. I don't mind OS footprint because I believe it's not that large yet. But as it is, the OS consumes too much resources. Less OS resource hog is a huge plus.

 

[Torq]

I don’t know why people get bothered by whether or not it’s “true” multi-tasking. Is there something 4.0’s mult-tasking feature doesn’t do that you want?

This one puzzles me as well.

As a user, the focus should be on what can be achieved, and how resource-efficient it is in operation, not on the low level details of how it gets done (that's a developer concern).

So I'd ask the same thing ... what is it that you need/want to do that this approach doesn't offer?

I asked the same question in an Android discussion, and the responses were, from a consumer perspective, fairly ludicrous. Things like "run a mail server", or "run a folding client". Really? On your phone? You don't have a better way to do that?

Anyone can come up with contrived requirements that will defeat any set of capabilities. In real world terms I am at a loss to come up with any truly interesting/useful (as in enough people would care that it actually matters) use-case that these capabilities do not facilitate to the same degree that having apps constantly running full-bore (or at reduced priority) would also resolve.

 

[btcutter]

True Multi tasking is easy for Apple.

The difficult part is managing battery life and data stream.

The ultimate bottleneck has ALWAYS been bandwidth because the phone keeps trying to get data and in the process eats up battery. Once bandwidth issue is solved then Apple won't have to worry about battery life, I am sure you can multitask on your iPhone to your hearts content!

 

[Dead Panda]

You keep saying this, but I’ve never understood what you actually mean. Unlike Mac OS X, which suffered from years of additional features that were added, changed and removed, iPhone OS is relatively new.

I take it you would like the OS to use less storage space, CPU and RAM?

He wants it go to 64-bit.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

This one puzzles me as well.

As a user, the focus should be on what can be achieved, and how resource-efficient it is in operation, not on the low level details of how it gets done (that's a developer concern).

So I'd ask the same thing ... what is it that you need/want to do that this approach doesn't offer?

I asked the same question in an Android discussion, and the responses were, from a consumer perspective, fairly ludicrous. Things like "run a mail server", or "run a folding client". Really? On your phone? You don't have a better way to do that?

Anyone can come up with contrived requirements that will defeat any set of capabilities. In real world terms I am at a loss to come up with any truly interesting/useful (as in enough people would care that it actually matters) use-case that these capabilities do not facilitate to the same degree that having apps constantly running full-bore (or at reduced priority) would also resolve.

I completely understand that I am not the typical user, so Im not surprised the didn't include true multi-tasking. Which is why it wasn't my number one objection.

 

[maflynn]

Really all they gave us with 4.0 is a quick way to switch apps and save where you were in the app. They also included a few clever tricks like being able to finish tasks, have voice and music, and gps... but it's still not true multitasking.

I've been trying out a nexus one which does have "true" multitasking. One thing I can say about the N1 is that the battery life is awful. Reading reviews on the web, seem to confirm my experience. The same awful battery life seems to exist for the Palm Pre as well.

Bottom line is we don't need every program written to be consuming cpu cycles/battery while sitting in the background. While sounding like a fanboy, i do thing apple is on the right track to their approach. Some may argue that they did not expose enough APIs to execute in the background, and if true, its quite possible for them to refine this as they update the OS.

As for the home screen. I don't see apple changing this. It seems once they have a design, be it hardware or software, that they're happy with. They generally only tweak it.

Again after using the N1 and android 2.1, there are elements that Apple could use. I like how the home screens are setup, with a preset number of apps but then you can go to a screen (not sure what its called) to see all applications. Its a pretty slick implementation. Apple known for polish and slick design could take a page out of the android handbook and do something similar.

 

[thelatinist]

but it's still not true multitasking.

What would you like to do with "true multitasking" that you will not be able to do in 4.0?

 

[Darth.Titan]

I don’t know why people get bothered by whether or not it’s “true” multi-tasking. Is there something 4.0’s mult-tasking feature doesn’t do that you want?

This, sir, is the $10,000 question. I would really like to know from all those who decry Apple's solution as "not real multitasking," what exactly does this not do that "normal" multitasking allows you to do? (Besides use up your battery) I honestly am curious.

I don't like it for a couple reasons. First, apple needs to come up with more activation methods than clicking the home button. I use the double click for favorites, and I use favorites WAY more than I will ever use multi tasking.

I agree. I'm afraid Apple will have to break down and add a button or two eventually.

Third, since it is not true multi tasking it doesn't really serve me any good. The few times I use multi tasking now, its usually to keep to apps running and switch back and forth between them to compare info or something like that. For my uses, the "multi tasking" wont really do.

How won't it do? You say you need to switch between apps and Apple's implementation of multitasking allows you to do that. How is this different from what you stated?

On the iPhone and iPod Touch, obviously screen size is limiting how apple can implement multitasking since each app takes up the entire screen. I would however like the ability to run two iPhone-sized apps side-by-side on my iPad. Of course on second thought I can't really think of an occasion that that would actually be useful... gimme a minute...

 

[lionheartednyhc]

What would you like to do with "true multitasking" that you will not be able to do in 4.0?

Well, my main issue is that apps have to be re-written. Some of the apps I use, such as chess, I just like to have open and switch back and forth while I wait for someoen to move. I do not expect the developer to update it quickly if at all. Plus, that is not something (as far as I understand) that is covered under the 7 multi-tasking APIs.

That is just one example.

But again, I understand I am not a typical user and have no problem using backgrounder.

I just with they would come up with more activation methods.

 

[PhoneI]

Well, my main issue is that apps have to be re-written. Some of the apps I use, such as chess, I just like to have open and switch back and forth while I wait for someoen to move. I do not expect the developer to update it quickly if at all. Plus, that is not something (as far as I understand) that is covered under the 7 multi-tasking APIs.

That is just one example.

But again, I understand I am not a typical user and have no problem using backgrounder.

I just with they would come up with more activation methods.

Cant you do that now? I am confused.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

Cant you do that now? I am confused.

Not without relaunching and reloading the program..