Do you really think Steve Jobs will allow multi-tasking on OS 4.0?

[maflynn]

I really don't expect full blown multi-tasking in 4.0. We may see some crippled form, that allays some of the complaints, like being able to listen to pandora in the background, but over-all I don't expect to see full multi-tasking.

Don't forget the UI is not designed for multitasking. You can only have one "window" up at any given time and there's no minimize. You need to close the window and open another, so its really not setup to be running a word processor and web browser at the same time.

The webos has a good approach and while people may criticize palm, over the phone, or other items about the OS, allowing people to run multiple apps and have a UI that elegantly handles it is a win.

 

[zemzabob]

Put me down for a yes, cause thats how I voted.

 

[bozzykid]

Don't forget the UI is not designed for multitasking. You can only have one "window" up at any given time and there's no minimize. You need to close the window and open another, so its really not setup to be running a word processor and web browser at the same time.

Most people expect holding the home button will be used as a way to bring up a multitask switcher in 4.0 similar to how the Pre does it.

 

[jclardy]

I think it won't have 'full' multitasking, but will have some sort of background processes. The app will register itself with your iPhone/iPad like with Push notifications then will run a small, low memory process in the background when you want it to.

This will allow apps like Pandora to run in the background all the time.

 

[dgree03]

Not even Chuck Norris can get multitasking on the Iphone/Ipad...

CHUCK NORRIS!

 

[mrgreen4242]

I voted yes, but I think it will be a limited form of multitasking. I'm thinking apps which are designed only for background running. Basically like the Music app works with a small window popping up with a limited interface.

Background apps could be required to meet certain criteria, both design and memory/CPU load requirements. I could also see Apple limiting the numbers of apps you can run in the background as well, and the number of apps being based on the device (one for devices older than the 3GS or 3rd gen touch, 2 for the 3GS/new touch, 3 for next gen iPhone/iPod, 4 for the iPad, etc).

A double home button tap could simply bring them all up, stacked up in a column, rather than just the centered music controls we have now. Settings could be managed through the system settings application, like many apps have already, and that could also be where you pick which app(s) you would want to have running in the background. Using the little circled i icon on the widgets that pop up to quick link into their settings page would make sense.

This solves some of the streaming/IM type issues and coupled with a more consistent approach to applications saving their state on quit and reloading it on next launch could satisfy MOST peoples multitasking requirements.

 

[BaldiMac]

This is what I want, I hope Apple will work something out. Streaming radio while browsing the web would be cool.

You can do that now.

 

[akm3]

The *only* times I ever multitask on my (jailbroken iPhone) are running Pandora, and if I want to keep Citrix Receiver open to do something else.

We don't really *need* multitasking.

 

[mrgreen4242]

The *only* times I ever multitask on my (jailbroken iPhone) are running Pandora, and if I want to keep Citrix Receiver open to do something else.

We don't really *need* multitasking.

Not on the iPhone/touch but on the iPad being able to quickly switch between Pages and Safari, for example, would be very helpful for students, etc who do research and write things.

There's a few other scenarios like that where the benefit would be very large to a large group of people.

 

[lord patton]

if it comes (and I voted yes) I doubt it would exclude the 3gs.

 

[lordhamster]

I'd be happy with no multi-tasking if they could at least make the phone answering process not terminate programs already running.

Every time I get a phone call my damn Navigon closes. Always happens as I approach an intersection.

 

[macduke]

Doubt it. Even having a few pages in Safari open on my 3GS can cause hangs.

If this is true, then there is something wrong with your 3GS. I commonly have complex sites such as Engadget and Gizmodo open on my 3GS and will often switch over to a 3d game and come back and everything is still loaded up fine. I usually have 8 tabs open most of the time and am constantly having to close them to open up a new page. Compared to the original iPhone which couldn't even keep pages open in tabs if you switched to turn on your iPod--and usually crashed about 1/2 the time even trying to load Engadget, I don't see a problem.

As for the multitasking, I've always thought Spaces would work perfect for multitasking. Basically each "app" is a whole screen, like a desktop. Configure a shortcut for the home button to make it fly out into spaces and tap on the window you want to jump into.

The more likely solution from Apple for the iPad: I believe there is a 90% chance that the iPad (probably in 4.0) will get background tasks in the form of a Dashboard. Think about it: the iPad shown at the event didn't have Weather, Stocks, Clock, Calculator, Voice Memos, or Compass (yes the iPad has a built-in digital compass).

Where are these apps? Surely most of these are useful on the iPad? You want to know where they exist? In the dashboard. I expect 4.0 will have the ability to support widgets that can be installed into the dashboard. Pandora, etc, would fit in perfectly here. Maybe even IM clients. The killer feature would be the ability to put some of these on the lock screen, though I doubt we will see that anytime soon.

So limited background widgets. Will that satisfy at least some of you? It works for me, though I prefer having spaces to switch between Safari and Pages. I really do like the idea of having internet radio as a widget. Perhaps even iPod.app will support streaming radio stations at some point in the next year.

 

[Cynicalone]

I have my doubts about it coming, so I voted "No". I would like to see it in the iPhone OS, but I think it would all but kill the battery.

On the 3GS, you are looking at 6 hours of video playback, or about 4 hours of heavy gameplay (Grand Theft Auto). Now imagine if you left an IM app (AOL), weather app (TWC), and had either a game or a video running at the same time. The battery life would be absolutely terrible.

I think we will see true multi-tasking the day the battery is up to the task.

 

[xIGmanIx]

what we want and what will happen i believe sadly so will be two different things. We know the hardware can support it since you can do this on a jailbroken phone. It should be there, but more than likely will be left out as apple explains to us again that what we want isn't really what we want

 

[1appleAday]

I think at least some sort of multitasking will be built-in in the future. The strongest use case I can think of is playing music through the iPod app while surfing the net with Safari. Not quite sure about full-blown multitasking capabilities.

 

[BaldiMac]

I think at least some sort of multitasking will be built-in in the future. The strongest use case I can think of is playing music through the iPod app while surfing the net with Safari. Not quite sure about full-blown multitasking capabilities.

Huh? You can do that now.

 

[macduke]

Another thing I forgot to mention: There is a pretty good chance this thing will be cracked eventually. If it doesn't have everything I want from square one, I will definitely jailbreak this thing once it is available. I'm the type of person who would never jailbreak my iPhone. It is too valuable when it comes to communication and is tied to a network that I pay a bill for. But this thing--this is like a non-critical addition to my work flow that simply allows me more convenience and portability. I'll load this thing up with all kinds of custom stuff if Apple restricts it. And you know that they will restrict a lot of it. I'd never jb my iPhone, but I'd jb my iPad in a heartbeat. I'm sure Apple realizes this too, and the custom Apple A4 processor probably has some advanced anti-jailbreaking tech that will make it really hard to do. But it will happen eventually, and probably quicker, than even Apple expects. Even if jailbreaking hoses the OS on the iPad, I'm willing to bet that the ability to mount the thing like a USB drive will still work, and I'd still be able to rescue my files off of it. Guess we'll see.