Enjoying Single Tasking

[bchreng]

I completely agree. I cannot imagine actually doing anything productive on the ipad, but for for consuming content, which is what I do 75% of the time when I am on the computer at home, the iPad is just a much better experience. It keeps consuming and producing separate, making the consumption part more focused.

I'd much rather prefer to be able to produce content on my iPad. I can see it now... Sometime later down the road - maybe the 3rd or 4th revision - it'll include some form of iLife that'll allow us to perform quick edits on music and video while we're on the go.

 

[herbiehancock00]

Bottom line: doing two or more things at once results in less effective learning, comprehension, and retention, than doing those two things sequentially instead.

I think David Koh might be too busy reading something else to comprehend what you're saying.

 

[IronLogik]

You can deal with just one application at a time in OS X.

Option+Command + Click an Icon in the dock.

Hides all other windows except the one you just clicked on. Sort of a "focus" view if you want.

 

[maroontigre]

I would take a proper file system over multitasking any day. MT is not a big deal for me, especially with how it works on the ipad.

Me too!!

 

[supermanx]

Multitasking is a waste of time on the iPhone or iPad. People who are complaining about it, would complain about other people not complaining. Only multitasking missing from the iPad is the native alarm clock. Everything else is just bunk.

Ipad works great for attending gotomeetings, and webex... Except most webinars are an hour long, so I now need an additional device to stay connected during those times.

Apple's solutions to have pseudo multitasking is a good idea. I would think the iPad is perfect if I could run 1 main app, but be able to pull up mail/internet/im without exiting the first app.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

I bet your productivity goes down, and now I mean the total things you can learn/accomplish in a days time. People have the brain capabilities to take in more then just one thing at a time.

More things on the screen doesn't mean productivity. We live in an age of ADD. It's easy to focus on something else instead of the main task.

It's an old wives tale that multi-tasking = greater productivity.

 

[Davidkoh]

Most <> all.

There are countless studies done on cognitive processes that show unequivocally that while our brains can switch extremely rapidly between multiple focuses, we are only engaged in one process at a time. There are also countless practical studies that reflect this finding by testing recall and understanding while controlling for 'how many things you're doing at a time'.

Bottom line: doing two or more things at once results in less effective learning, comprehension, and retention, than doing those two things sequentially instead.

Please don't misunderstand me: I'm happy for the choice to have multi-tasking (such as it is...) in OS4. But you simply cannot do two things at once as effectively as you can do two things individually but sequentially.

The big question is, does doing two things at the same time throughout 8 hours result in a total loss? I have a hard time believing you perform each task less then half as good as you would with only performing that one task.

Then another question, who did they test? It is quite proven by now that you can easily train yourself to perform more then one task at once. I know people who even have a hard time holding a conversation while typing on a computer, and that is just a basic task. Yet I know others who have no problem doing this.

Just personality difference. I don't think you see the value of film the way I do. To me, I see it as a discredit to a good film to give it anything else other than your undivided attention.

I've yet to encounter a movie that stimulates my brain enough not to grow restless when watching it. Mostly I occupy my brain with solving math equations at such times...

More things on the screen doesn't mean productivity. We live in an age of ADD. It's easy to focus on something else instead of the main task.

It's an old wives tale that multi-tasking = greater productivity.

If you have trouble focusing I would go to a doctor and see if you can get some ADD medicin .

 

[GamecockMac]

I've yet to encounter a movie that stimulates my brain enough not to grow restless when watching it. Mostly I occupy my brain with solving math equations at such times...

If you have trouble focusing I would go to a doctor and see if you can get some ADD medicin .

Sounds like you are the one who might be in need of a prescription for some anti-ADHD drugs. If you can't sit still and focus on a single thing for 1.5 to 2 hours without "growing restless" that might indicate a real problem.

 

[Davidkoh]

Sounds like you are the one who might be in need of a prescription for some anti-ADHD drugs. If you can't sit still and focus on a single thing for 1.5 to 2 hours without "growing restless" that might indicate a real problem.

Of course I can focus on things that require my undivided attention, some math problems I solve for school requires me to turn off the TV so I can concentrate 100% on that, but most are easy enough so I can watch TV while solving them. But why waste "computing time" when you are faced with a task that is not really intense?

 

[4DThinker]

On a single-tasking device it is great that you can enjoy single-tasking. You don't really have a choice.

On any multi-tasking device you get to choose. Go ahead and do one task only. Feeling more productive? Open another app, then another, then another. Let your email app collect new email while your CD ripper backs up your CDs while you browse the web while listening to a podcast.

So go ahead and bask in the glory of one-task simplicity. You have to.

 

[GamecockMac]

Of course I can focus on things that require my undivided attention, some math problems I solve for school requires me to turn off the TV so I can concentrate 100% on that, but most are easy enough so I can watch TV while solving them. But why waste "computing time" when you are faced with a task that is not really intense?

Oh, gee...I don't know.

Maybe because we are not robots who need to constantly be worried about "wasting computing time". Believe it or not, some humans actually enjoy "wasting" time giving their undivided attention to entertaining diversions such as movies, television, novels, theater, etc. Try it sometime, Mr. Data...you might find you actually enjoy it.

 

[Mjmar]

The only thing that I want multitasking for is to listen to YouTube and pandora in the background... I can't really think of anything else that it's good for besides Skype and saving game positions.

 

[Davidkoh]

Oh, gee...I don't know.

Maybe because we are not robots who need to constantly be worried about "wasting computing time". Believe it or not, some humans actually enjoy "wasting" time giving their undivided attention to entertaining diversions such as movies, television, novels, theater, etc. Try it sometime, Mr. Data...you might find you actually enjoy it.

Sure, but I enjoy watching movies AND reading forums AND reading wikipedia, so why not do it all at once? Makes as little sense to me as people who read books for college more then once, why not learn it the first time?

EDIT: With efficient time spending you can do more with your life . Learn more, see more, do more

 

[GamecockMac]

Sure, but I enjoy watching movies AND reading forums AND reading wikipedia, so why not do it all at once? Makes as little sense to me as people who read books for college more then once, why not learn it the first time?

Because no matter what you think (or claim) you're not getting the full measure of at least one of those activities while you "multitask". I guarantee you that if you were quizzed on details of the movie or a Wikipedia article under the scenario you set forth, you'd score lower than someone who focused solely on the film or the reading. But hey, as long as you're enjoying yourself, who am I to judge? Just don't try to tell me that you're absorbing the material as fully as a "single-tasker".

 

[Davidkoh]

Because no matter what you think (or claim) you're not getting the full measure of at least one of those activities while you "multitask". I guarantee you that if you were quizzed on details of the movie or a Wikipedia article under the scenario you set forth, you'd score lower than someone who focused solely on the film or the reading. But hey, as long as you're enjoying yourself, who am I to judge? Just don't try to tell me that you're absorbing the material as fully as a "single-tasker".

Maybe we are all different? I remember pagenumbers for my math formulas in courses I had months ago, I could recite those pages from my memory if you'd like, and I looked at those pages once or twice. And I am not special in any way, I do not think of myself as some "ubermensch", so if I can do it other people can.

 

[GamecockMac]

Maybe we are all different? I remember pagenumbers for my math formulas in courses I had months ago, I could recite those pages from my memory if you'd like, and I looked at those pages once or twice. And I am not special in any way, I do not think of myself as some "ubermensch", so if I can do it other people can.

Sorry, but I'm now calling B.S. Have a nice day, Rain Man.

 

[Davidkoh]

Sorry, but I'm now calling B.S. Have a nice day, Rain Man.

BS how? Do you even study anything, or do you have no idea what you are talking about?

 

[GamecockMac]

BS how? Do you even study anything, or do you have no idea what you are talking about?

 

[Davidkoh]

I take that as a no? Meaning you would be some random tard?

 

[*LTD*]

I take that as a no? Meaning you would be some random tard?

Please step away from the keyboard and turn off the internet. Yo've had too much already.

 

[Davidkoh]

Please step away from the keyboard and turn off the internet. Yo've had too much already.

Naww, did I hit a nerve?

 

[*LTD*]

Naww, did I hit a nerve?

You hit *something*, clearly. LOL

 

[Davidkoh]

You hit *something*, clearly. LOL

What's the problem? People who have studied/are studying knows how to easily learn stuff with little effort. Like reading a book once and then being able to take an exam on everything in the book.

 

[GamecockMac]

You hit *something*, clearly. LOL

Now, now...don't make fun of John Nash, Jr.

He's clearly got so much more going on right now while coming up with witty interweb repartee like "tard". He's very likely working on plans to turn his microwave into a fusion reactor, while splicing shark genes into human stem cells to cure cancer, while memorizing all of Wikipedia in alphabetical order. It's tough being "not special in any way" and just like everyone else who memorizes pages of mathematic formulae at a glance, so let's cut the kid some slack.

 

[*LTD*]

What's the problem? People who have studied/are studying knows how to easily learn stuff with little effort. Like reading a book once and then being able to take an exam on everything in the book.

LOL, ah the internet can be so cruel.

He wasn't trying to out-degree you, McFly. He used a colloquialism with which you're unfamiliar. You won't find it in formal writing.

while splicing shark genes into human stem cells to cure cancer,

I'm already on that one. He'll have to pick something else. NO ONE is taking 1st prize in the science fair away from me THIS time!