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Thread ID: 108733	2010-04-09 03:27:00	Multi-tasking for iPhone	jonathan (15437)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
874605	2010-04-09 15:00:00	So what you're saying is you can't wait for a second or two (the worst I have encountered is a couple of seconds) and would prefer the processor to run slower because it's busy running background apps?Just having an app sitting in ram doesn't use *any* CPU resources. The CPU is only used when the app actually has something it needs to do. You can keep an app running to allow quick-switching without having any impact on CPU use or battery drain at all. [Posted from my iPhone] *cough* Apple fanboy *cough* iPhone CAN multi-task.......but only for a few bundled apps that have been blessed by Apple. If you want to use those capabilities for anything else, you're SOL. I can listen to the iPod component while reading an eBook......but you can't listen to any other audio-producing program. I can browse via the (horrible) Safari browser, and read email while the pages are loading......but you can't do the same using anything with an embedded version of the browser, or using a third-party browser. Email arrives in the background, when you're doing just about anything else.......but only if you use Apple's bundled mail utility. Admittedly though, that's about it .... Exactly - iPhone OS does not allow proper multitasking. The capability is there, but it's been restricted so that it can't actually be used. But what more do you want?Everything on the list below, for starters. Methinks you're missing the point a bit - multitasking is about *far* more than quickly switching between single applications. Take the following examples - most of them can't be solved without allowing multitasking, and those that can require some rather complicated API trickery to delegate the multitask-requiring bits to Apple's software. Saving application state when switching between other apps. This can be implemented with a bit of deliberate API trickery (rather than true multitasking), but it's rather annoying to use. It also has the downside of thrashing the disk, especially if your app state is large (e.g. a photo editing app) - this can result in major slowdowns, as can anything with a state that's computationally intensive to restore (e.g. any non-trivial rendering or state calculations). Any application that uses persistent network connections. Without multitasking, this can't be done, as killing the app will also kill the network connection. If you get the OS to manage connections, then it may have to restart the app every few seconds to handle incoming data, send keepalives etc. Anything that constantly accepts input - for example, a sound recorder program. What happens if you're recording a lecture, and want to quickly check a fact using the browser? A GPS path logging utility and a timer are other basic examples. Anything that constantly waits for input - e.g. a file sharing utility, a level-activated recording app, a webserver. Anything that constantly provides output - e.g. a music player, a wifi keepalive app. Any application that actively interacts with another application (e.g. a graphical macro utility), or uses split-process architecture. Any application that co-depends on another application for some tasks - e.g. an email client that uses a third-party text editor or file browser, external handlers etc. With multitasking, everything I've mentioned above just happens - no hassle, and no having to worry about interacting with an API that only exists because multitasking wasn't enabled in the first place. Unfortunately, even iPhone OS 4.0 doesn't actually give you true multitasking - it just implements some of that API trickery I was talking about earlier that lets you delegate the multitask-needing things to Apple's own software. Sadly, that still doesn't allow you to do many things on the above list. Or any WM or Android or WebOS phone...I think his point was actually that WM7 *doesn't* allow multitasking. It's actually more restricted than iPhone OS!	Erayd (23)
874606	2010-04-09 21:19:00	Me, an Apple fanboy? I don't think so!!! I'm a Palm fanboy and would have jumped at the chance to own a Pre. But Palm are ignoring anywhere but North America and Europe, and the Nexus One is still not being sold in NZ. And as previously mentioned in numerous other threads, I wouldn't go near WinMob if you paid me. So there is not a lot of options left other than an HTC running and out of date version of Android or an iPhone. Although I am getting more comfortable with the iPhone, I still miss my Treo 650.... Interesting answers re the multi-tasking though Erayd - thanks for that.	johcar (6283)
874607	2010-04-09 21:33:00	...and the Nexus One is still not being sold in NZ.It's very easy to import - I clicked the 'purchase' button on a Thursday, and it was here by Tuesday the following week (so 3 business days to get it here). Process was extremely painless, although I did get stung with California GST. Have currently had it for a little over a month. Interesting answers re the multi-tasking though Erayd - thanks for that.No worries :D. I have to admit though, I was sort of hoping for a debate there - I'm overdue for one... :rolleyes:	Erayd (23)
874608	2010-04-09 21:52:00	When I was looking to replace my Treo earlier this year, the Nexus One was still unavailable here (unless I wanted to jump through umpteen different hoops and import one from the US - and I hadn't even seen one at that point!). So I had to settle for the iPhone. :dogeye: :) But if I could get hold of an unlocked Pre tomorrow, Trademe would be benefitting from the sale a slightly used iPhone 3GS... :banana Don't know whether I could add much to the debate here - my needs are pretty simple. Although I can see the benefit of multi-tasking on a device like a computer, I don't see much use for it on a phone. The input interface is too small to be doing lots of different concurrent things on a phone (IMO). Now if we had nifty roll-out flexible screens (like on that scifi TV series - which I can't remember the name of - a few years ago), maybe that would change the paradigm....	johcar (6283)
874609	2010-04-09 22:10:00	When I was looking to replace my Treo earlier this year, the Nexus One was still unavailable here (unless I wanted to jump through umpteen different hoops and import one from the US - and I hadn't even seen one at that point!) . So I had to settle for the iPhone . :dogeye: :) But if I could get hold of an unlocked Pre tomorrow, Trademe would be benefitting from the sale a slightly used iPhone 3GS . . . :banana Don't know whether I could add much to the debate here - my needs are pretty simple . Although I can see the benefit of multi-tasking on a device like a computer, I don't see much use for it on a phone . The input interface is too small to be doing lots of different concurrent things on a phone (IMO) . Now if we had nifty roll-out flexible screens (like on that scifi TV series - which I can't remember the name of - a few years ago), maybe that would change the paradigm . . . . I think Palm is on its last legs, the Pre was a flop in the states . Not so much that it wasn't any good, just it was a little to late . As for multitasking, I think Erayd has special needs . Even on my desktop I only have 6 apps open, 4 of them would never be used on a mobile device . I think we got too take these mobile devices for what their are .	plod (107)
874610	2010-04-10 00:58:00	As for multitasking, I think Erayd has special needs.Haha, possibly, but even if I didn't my comments would still apply. The only reason your average iPhone-using Joe doesn't care about multitasking is because they've never experienced it on a phone, and can't think what benefit it would give them. Present the same question to someone used to running Windows Mobile (except WM 7) or Android, and you'll get an entirely different response. Even on my desktop I only have 6 apps open, 4 of them would never be used on a mobile device.I'm willing to bet you have a lot more than 6 running. You may only have 6 *windows* open, but there will be many more programs than that. I think we got too take these mobile devices for what their are.Yep - which these days is a small computer. A phone is no longer just a phone - making calls is but one entry on a very long list of capabilities. I personally use mine instead of a laptop.	Erayd (23)
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