White iPhone video may show scrapped Exposé interface for iOS multitasking - Page 4

Originally Posted by ameldrum1

From Apple: "a suspended app remain in memory”.

- if the system starts to run out of memory some backgrounded apps will be closed down

Originally Posted by ameldrum1

I think you are supporting my point of view which is that Apple has done a poor job of differentiating between the different things that the Background Bar does.

I'll reiterate it:

I think where people seem to get confused by the Background Bar is that it does several different things, whilst failing to really differentiate between them. It combines: "system apps" (which traditionally would always be open, and shouldn't really need to ever be closed eg phone, messages, iPod, Safari etc), PLUS a list of backgrounded recently opened apps which are in a suspended state, PLUS apps that are running background processes. I guess the reason they don't differentiate between these three different groups is to keep things as simple as possible for the user, but the downside is that for some people (Solip?) it actually seems to lead to confusion. Personally I would like to see some sort of visual differentiation between apps that are actually running background processes and those that aren't (with perhaps even the ability to see how much memory each app is using... however this is obviously extremely un-iOS-ey)

Your english is starting to become a little unclear though so I can't be entirely certain (perhaps reread your 2nd sentence in your last post?)

Your focusing on one thing that Bacground Bar does - ie list all recently opened (then suspended) apps. Do you agree that all suspended apps are listed in the Background Bar?

If what you are saying was true though, ie that the Background Bar is ONLY a list of recently opened apps, then opening an App, then going to the Background Bar and physically closing that App down (jiggle/press) shouldn't remove it from the list should it? Because by definition it would still be a recently opened app... The reason Apple allows you to physically close it down is to free up the (likely small) amount of memory it is occupying in its suspended/backgrounded state.

I hope this is clear.

Originally Posted by ameldrum1

And of course you can access bacgrounded apps from anywhere? Clicking the app icon on your home screen will access the backgrounded app just the same as accessing it from the background bar would.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Why would they need to call it a backgrounded bar if you can access backgrounded apps from the home screen?

Originally Posted by solipsism

I can’t help but think Apple needs to make some changes because these people don’t understand what FAS is.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Why would they need to call it a backgrounded bar if you can access backgrounded apps from the home screen?

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Why would they need to call it a backgrounded bar if you can access backgrounded apps from the home screen?

Originally Posted by ameldrum1

Sorry, just to be clear - Apple don't call it the "Background Bar", I made that name up in the same way Solip appears to have made up "Fast App Switcher.

I just said that it should be called something like that because it would probably more clearly express what it is.

As mstone points out, Apple actually call it the "Multitasking User Interface", which is a little clunky but does the job. Solip probably wouldn't like this name either though because he doesn't seem to buy into backgrounded apps having anything to do with multitasking... His name - "FAS" suits his worldview better.

Tenobell - when you say "But I agree its not really that much faster." You've kind of hit the nail on the head here. If the MUI/FAS/BB was designed simply for switching between apps, then it is anything BUT fast. Double-clicking is clunky, and then if you have 50 "recently opened" apps in your MUI, you might need to scroll through 12 pages worth to find the right one! Obviously much faster to just push the home button once and find your app by scrolling thru home pages at 16 icons per page rather than 4!

Are we clear yet? :-)

Originally Posted by solipsism

Im done. Its one thing to educate people who are slow but you are purposely being obtuse. Why troll, seriously? (rhetorical)

Originally Posted by solipsism

Apple called it Fast App Swtiching. That what is being expressed when I state FAS.


As you’ve been schooled ad nauseum it is not a list of all apps running in the background.

If you don’t even know what Apple called it I can’t expect you to know what it is or do a modicum of research to understand it.


They say "The multitasking user interface allows you to quickly switch between apps. Just double-click the Home button to reveal your recently used apps.”

BTW (By the way), It’s a multitasking user interface, but so is the Home Screen as it’s a UI and apps do run in the background in iOS like they have since iPhone OS 1.0.

Note that none of the words are capitalized because it’s not a title. This is basic English you and mstone should have learned as children. Also not the last 5 words, "eveal your recently used apps.” not apps that are all still running in the background. They could be running in the background, but FAS doesn’t show that.


That’s why FAS is needed, it’s your recent app list in the order you last used them. Can you guess which apps they place first in FAS and which apps they place last. Hint: It has to do with the order you last accessed them.


It’s doubtful you’ve actually understand anything when you don’t even understand what FAS is, think it’s a list of apps running in the background and now think Apple titled it the Multitasking User Interface.

I’m done. It’s one thing to educate people who are slow but you are purposely being obtuse. Why troll, seriously? (rhetorical)

Originally Posted by mstone

According to Apple, the official name of the double home button revealing at the bottom of the screen place where you scroll sideways viewing app icons and the music controls also the icons can be jiggled to enable the deletion of those apps from that place, is the Multitasking User Interface.

Originally Posted by mstone

Rule #1: if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Dude, I will be the first to confirm that your posts are 99.9999% correct but you need to give up and acknowledge your errors when when it is obvious that you misstated something. People will commend you for that. It is not a failure to be informed by someone else. I'm not infallible either. No one is.

Originally Posted by ameldrum1

Tenobell - when you say "But I agree its not really that much faster." You've kind of hit the nail on the head here. If the MUI/FAS/BB was designed simply for switching between apps, then it is anything BUT fast. Double-clicking is clunky, and then if you have 50 "recently opened" apps in your MUI, you might need to scroll through 12 pages worth to find the right one! Obviously much faster to just push the home button once and find your app by scrolling thru home pages at 16 icons per page rather than 4!

Are we clear yet? :-)

Originally Posted by TenoBell

They did not use that as a title of the bar. That was a description of the system. The multitasking API's are set from the apps preferences. You never have to use the FAS bar to do anything with multitasking.



All you are using is Apple's marketing terms to support your belief that the FAS bar is used for multitasking. Where is there evidence in the functionality of any app that a user must access the FAS bar to access multitasking?

Unless you can show that, I don't see where anything Sol has said is wrong.

Originally Posted by mstone

Two things:

Show anywhere that Apple uses FAS as a feature or name and two what part of apps remain in memory do you not understand?

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Fast app switching - All developers should take advantage of fast app switching, which allows users to leave your app and come right back to where they were when they left - no more having to reload the app.

What's New in iOS 4

The second thing I don't understand at all.

Originally Posted by lundy

Solipsism is right, and everyone who thinks the Recently Used Apps bar has anything to do with multitasking are wrong.

Here's how the user instructions could be stated for the device:

1. To run an app, tap its icon.
2. To run another app, tap the Home button and then tap another icon.
3. If you want to see a list of the apps that you have most recently used, so as to be able to quickly find a recently-used app, double-tap the Home button.

Originally Posted by mstone

It appears that you are correct. Although I have found Apple references to calling it the multitasking user interface in earlier documents, in the most recent documentation for iPad 2, they call it the 'recents list'.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/...user_guide.pdf

page 36

I do believe there is still some controversy and conflicting information based on various Apple documents posted over time and it does seem strange that if it is only a list of previously used apps why does the current app in use remove itself while active?

Shouldn't it just go directly to the first position? Could it be that it is no longer in the background so it is not in the list? And if it is only a list, why do you have to remove an app from the list in order to stop its background process, such as Internet radio or iPod or turn by turn?

And if it is just a list, why are music controls and the aspect lock in there? It may be called the recents list but by double tapping the home button you reveal considerably more functionality than just a list.