I for one prefer multi apps because theiPod touch could use it as well whereas the Touch has no camera (yet)- so no video. I don't like to constantly relaunch the remote APP and have to search for my AppleTV with the remote AP. It kind of ruins its benefits. This applies to others Apps as well.
Actually, I would want both. See, I'm not above that either.
But, from what I do hear about battery life from other phone users, multitasking really does eat the battery life.
Some guys here seem to think that Apple is deliberately preventing this because they don't want third party apps to have it. I think that's crazy!
Maybe battery will be affected too much from Apple's perspective just like they say. You know, there are people here, and you might be one of them, who would complain if Apple offered multitasking, warned that battery life would be poorer with it turned on, and you found it to be so.
I think they figure that most people would rather have the battery life. After all, it's not as though some people don't already criticize Apple over that.
Like other things, once Apple thinks they can do it well, they will. I don't see this as a big deal.
Actually, I would want both. See, I'm not above that either.
But, from what I do hear about battery life from other phone users, multitasking really does eat the battery life.
Some guys here seem to think that Apple is deliberately preventing this because they don't want third party apps to have it. I think that's crazy!
Maybe battery will be affected too much from Apple's perspective just like they say. You know, there are people here, and you might be one of them, who would complain if Apple offered multitasking, warned that battery life would be poorer with it turned on, and you found it to be so.
I think they figure that most people would rather have the battery life. After all, it's not as though some people don't already criticize Apple over that.
Like other things, once Apple thinks they can do it well, they will. I don't see this as a big deal.
Even if it is a battery eater, I would go for it. I would have thought that it (Multi App) would be the next progression for the OS. The tablet will definitely need it. Will the tablet then get another OS (a third version)- greater than iPhone but less then full OSX?
regarding the whole "rebate as a means to make more profit" -
everybody is overestimating the effect of non-redemptions. Yes, clearly, the point of the rebate is that a certain percentage of peolpe will not redeem, thus $100 more in Palm's pocket. But think rationally about it.
Let's say, GENEROUSLY, they sell 150,000 units off the bat. That's $15mm in rebates (150,000 x 100). If, maybe, 20% do not redeem, that's only $3mm in extra income. Hardly something to bank on, if I'm Palm.
That's assuming generous initial sales, plus a generous non-redemption rate. I think more than 80% of people will take 5 minutes of their time to get their 100 bucks back. They would need to sell MILLIONS of units to make a big enough additional income. Interest earned on the $100 bucks during the rebate waiting period is nominal at best.
Even if it is a battery eater, I would go for it. I would have thought that it (Multi App) would be the next progression for the OS. The tablet will definitely need it. Will the tablet then get another OS- greater than iPhone but less then full OSX?
Would you say that you wouldn't complain about that then? Would you castigate others when they did complain about it?
As for the OS for that, it's a good question. I've been wondering about that myself.
I'd like to see OS X as in the computer line. We read about 10.5 being used on netbooks all the time. It's not ideal, but it works where Vista doesn't, and it's far more modern that XP. We don't know too much about Win 7 yet, and apparently, almost no one wants Linux, as most of those get returned quickly.
Perhaps Apple could use the simpler version of the GUI as standard on those machines.
I guess there are a lot of questions. One would be whether they use the chip they're working on, or use the Atom, as it's now much better and uses less power. That would make OS X programs compatible out of the box. that would be a good thing, as long as people don't expect to do Photoshop work, or video editing.
Their own chip could be reserved for handheld, or slightly larger devices.
regarding the whole "rebate as a means to make more profit" -
everybody is overestimating the effect of non-redemptions. Yes, clearly, the point of the rebate is that a certain percentage of peolpe will not redeem, thus $100 more in Palm's pocket. But think rationally about it.
Let's say, GENEROUSLY, they sell 150,000 units off the bat. That's $15mm in rebates (150,000 x 100). If, maybe, 20% do not redeem, that's only $3mm in extra income. Hardly something to bank on, if I'm Palm.
That's assuming generous initial sales, plus a generous non-redemption rate. I think more than 80% of people will take 5 minutes of their time to get their 100 bucks back. They would need to sell MILLIONS of units to make a big enough additional income. Interest earned on the $100 bucks during the rebate waiting period is nominal at best.
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
Dude, it's even easier to not deal with rebates in the first place!
Why should I have to pay higher sakes taxes and let a company float on my money for a month or more?
Because they know a certain percentage of people won't follow through on the rebate, that's why! They aren't doing it as a favor to you.
Dude!
So why you are here pitching it as if it's some positive, fun activity is beyond me. Rebates suck, and are basically a gimmick. Palm/Sprint can't hang and they are having to resort to a sales gimmick - one that will rightly turn off a great many people.
Let's talk battery life once you start recording video on your iPhone.
Which would you rather have to drain that battery -video or multi Apps?
A while back I linked to a discussion at Ars wherein an iPhone developer (of the very well received "Now Playing" app) discusses why he, as a developer, wouldn't want Apple to allow third party multi-tasking at current hardware levels, and how that very issue has proven to be a pain in the ass when developing for Android.
His argument boils down to this: a phone is a hideously constrained development environment, where memory and CPU cycles are at an intense premium. If "background apps" can steal cycles/ram, it means his app, when open, is going to take a performance hit, and he doesn't have any control over that. But the user only knows that the app is dog slow, or decides that there's something wrong with the phone.
He describes his experience with developing for Android, where this very thing happens.
So when it comes to "multitasking", a hardware manufacturer has several choices: they can open it up so that anyone who want to write an app that runs in the background can do so, and leave it up to the user to figure out what's gone wrong when an app misbehaves-- as indicated by terrible battery life, shitty performance, or both.
Or, they can allow "some" multitasking, by either severely vetting candidate apps, or limiting how many apps can run in the background or both. Apple will likely take this route at some point.
Or you can do what Palm has done, which is to use a lightweight OS that puts fewer demands on the processor/battery/ram, but at the expense of limiting the depth of apps that can be run.
Even then, we don't know yet what the battery life for the Pre will be like, or what mechanisms are in place to insure that a misbehaving app doesn't completely kill performance/battery life, or how a user would go about identifying/killing such an app.
A lot of the "multitasking" discussion is rolling forward from the state of things a few years ago, when it was considered perfectly acceptable to subject the user to a "task manager" and expect him/her to figure out were the trouble lay and kill off processes accordingly.
That kind of thing is why, until the iPhone, "smartphones" lived in their little geek ghetto.
Plenty of enthusiasts posting on the internet think it would be great to have granular control over their phones processes, and don't see it a drawback if they are in fact obliged to utilize such control, or have their phone not work very well.
But in the iPhone era this is no longer good enough. The average user (and yes, I mean average, not stupid or trendy or sheep like or toy loving, just normal folks) want their phone to work for them, not the other way around, no matter how much that offends the Gizmodo commentariat.
So to answer the "what about video, huh" thing: I get to choose when I record video, and I can make a pretty reliable calculation as to how that is going to effect battery life. With background processes, unless I spend a lot of time monitoring my phone's innards and manually managing tasks, things can happen without my permission or knowledge that are simply going to seem to me as if the app/phone is broken.
Would you say that you wouldn't complain about that then? Would you castigate others when they did complain about it?
As for the OS for that, it's a good question. I've been wondering about that myself.
I'd like to see OS X as in the computer line. We read about 10.5 being used on netbooks all the time. It's not ideal, but it works where Vista doesn't, and it's far more modern that XP. We don't know too much about Win 7 yet, and apparently, almost no one wants Linux, as most of those get returned quickly.
Perhaps Apple could use the simpler version of the GUI as standard on those machines.
I guess there are a lot of questions. One would be whether they use the chip they're working on, or use the Atom, as it's now much better and uses less power. That would make OS X programs compatible out of the box. that would be a good thing, as long as people don't expect to do Photoshop work, or video editing.
Their own chip could be reserved for handheld, or slightly larger devices.
No complaints for anything that makes things easier. I would pay for it too.
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
As high as 60% as low as 2%. How's that for broad?
Bottom line, companies only do things that make them money. The only reason they mess with rebates is enough people don't follow through to make it worth their while. Which makes the rebate a sucker sales gimmick, or if you are OCD about obtaining your rebates a financial windfall missed by others.
I guess it comes down to perspective. Either way they still are a PITA
My spare iPhone battery is around the same size as a normal phone battery, as I pointed out earlier I don't have to turn my phone off or hang up on a call to use it.
What sort of store is JandR, is it like an electrical store with numerous things on display with iPhone/iPod docks where I could grab a bit of a charge while talking to you about phone batteries?
Quote:
Originally Posted by teckstud
Yes and yes. It's not about carrying one around- where did you get that from? It's about you walking into a store and you replacing it, when and if you need it. And swapping batteries is common place for cameras- we do have them in NYC and sell batteries at JandR. Many of us buy them. Why buy a brick to hook on your iPhone when you could simply travel with a battery?
Have you ever been outside of an Apple store or Teckserve?
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
Numbers released by industry publications give those numbers. I've even seen numbers up to 70% unredeemed. The numbers vary so much because it depends on what company is involved, which products, how easy it is, whether it's an "instant" redemption as opposed to a mail-in, or an online one etc.
Please read the entire article, because a lot of numbers are buried further down, but they are there. Read the one about the $100 Tivo rebates. Nearly half didn't bother to send them in at all. How many who did send them in got the rebate, they don't say.
As high as 60% as low as 2%. How's that for broad?
Bottom line, companies only do things that make them money. The only reason they mess with rebates is enough people don't follow through to make it worth their while. Which makes the rebate a sucker sales gimmick, or if you are OCD about obtaining your rebates a financial windfall missed by others.
I guess it comes down to perspective. Either way they still are a PITA
Ah, I posted before seeing your post. We're not alone!
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
DoctorNo42 beat me to it but that is where I got my figures too. The Tivo example is instructive - $100, 50% redemption. I have missed several $100 and $200 rebates - for various reasons - usually because I let them expire in either sending in or cashing the check.
Your estimates seem to based on what you think your hit rate might be, not what the great American public actually does - always stupider than you think.
A while back I linked to a discussion at Ars wherein an iPhone developer (of the very well received "Now Playing" app) discusses why he, as a developer, wouldn't want Apple to allow third party multi-tasking at current hardware levels, and how that very issue has proven to be a pain in the ass when developing for Android.
His argument boils down to this: a phone is a hideously constrained development environment, where memory and CPU cycles are at an intense premium. If "background apps" can steal cycles/ram, it means his app, when open, is going to take a performance hit, and he doesn't have any control over that. But the user only knows that the app is dog slow, or decides that there's something wrong with the phone.
He describes his experience with developing for Android, where this very thing happens.
So when it comes to "multitasking", a hardware manufacturer has several choices: they can open it up so that anyone who want to write an app that runs in the background can do so, and leave it up to the user to figure out what's gone wrong when an app misbehaves-- as indicated by terrible battery life, shitty performance, or both.
Or, they can allow "some" multitasking, by either severely vetting candidate apps, or limiting how many apps can run in the background or both. Apple will likely take this route at some point.
Or you can do what Palm has done, which is to use a lightweight OS that puts fewer demands on the processor/battery/ram, but at the expense of limiting the depth of apps that can be run.
Even then, we don't know yet what the battery life for the Pre will be like, or what mechanisms are in place to insure that a misbehaving app doesn't completely kill performance/battery life, or how a user would go about identifying/killing such an app.
A lot of the "multitasking" discussion is rolling forward from the state of things a few years ago, when it was considered perfectly acceptable to subject the user to a "task manager" and expect him/her to figure out were the trouble lay and kill off processes accordingly.
That kind of thing is why, until the iPhone, "smartphones" lived in their little geek ghetto.
Plenty of enthusiasts posting on the internet think it would be great to have granular control over their phones processes, and don't see it a drawback if they are in fact obliged to utilize such control, or have their phone not work very well.
But in the iPhone era this is no longer good enough. The average user (and yes, I mean average, not stupid or trendy or sheep like or toy loving, just normal folks) want their phone to work for them, not the other way around, not matter how much that offends the Gizmodo commentariat.
So to answer the "what about video, huh" thing: I get to chose when I record video, and I can make a pretty reliable calculation as to how that is going to effect battery life. With background processes, unless I spend a lot of time monitoring my phone's innards and manually managing tasks, things can happen without my permission or knowledge that are simply going to seem to me as if the app/phone is broken.
Comments
Which, btw, can you watch live TV with your iPhone? :-) I can with my Pre.
I'm sorry - you have a Pre already? ****
EDIT
Language
I for one prefer multi apps because theiPod touch could use it as well whereas the Touch has no camera (yet)- so no video. I don't like to constantly relaunch the remote APP and have to search for my AppleTV with the remote AP. It kind of ruins its benefits. This applies to others Apps as well.
Actually, I would want both. See, I'm not above that either.
But, from what I do hear about battery life from other phone users, multitasking really does eat the battery life.
Some guys here seem to think that Apple is deliberately preventing this because they don't want third party apps to have it. I think that's crazy!
Maybe battery will be affected too much from Apple's perspective just like they say. You know, there are people here, and you might be one of them, who would complain if Apple offered multitasking, warned that battery life would be poorer with it turned on, and you found it to be so.
I think they figure that most people would rather have the battery life. After all, it's not as though some people don't already criticize Apple over that.
Like other things, once Apple thinks they can do it well, they will. I don't see this as a big deal.
Actually, I would want both. See, I'm not above that either.
But, from what I do hear about battery life from other phone users, multitasking really does eat the battery life.
Some guys here seem to think that Apple is deliberately preventing this because they don't want third party apps to have it. I think that's crazy!
Maybe battery will be affected too much from Apple's perspective just like they say. You know, there are people here, and you might be one of them, who would complain if Apple offered multitasking, warned that battery life would be poorer with it turned on, and you found it to be so.
I think they figure that most people would rather have the battery life. After all, it's not as though some people don't already criticize Apple over that.
Like other things, once Apple thinks they can do it well, they will. I don't see this as a big deal.
Even if it is a battery eater, I would go for it. I would have thought that it (Multi App) would be the next progression for the OS. The tablet will definitely need it. Will the tablet then get another OS (a third version)- greater than iPhone but less then full OSX?
everybody is overestimating the effect of non-redemptions. Yes, clearly, the point of the rebate is that a certain percentage of peolpe will not redeem, thus $100 more in Palm's pocket. But think rationally about it.
Let's say, GENEROUSLY, they sell 150,000 units off the bat. That's $15mm in rebates (150,000 x 100). If, maybe, 20% do not redeem, that's only $3mm in extra income. Hardly something to bank on, if I'm Palm.
That's assuming generous initial sales, plus a generous non-redemption rate. I think more than 80% of people will take 5 minutes of their time to get their 100 bucks back. They would need to sell MILLIONS of units to make a big enough additional income. Interest earned on the $100 bucks during the rebate waiting period is nominal at best.
Even if it is a battery eater, I would go for it. I would have thought that it (Multi App) would be the next progression for the OS. The tablet will definitely need it. Will the tablet then get another OS- greater than iPhone but less then full OSX?
Would you say that you wouldn't complain about that then? Would you castigate others when they did complain about it?
As for the OS for that, it's a good question. I've been wondering about that myself.
I'd like to see OS X as in the computer line. We read about 10.5 being used on netbooks all the time. It's not ideal, but it works where Vista doesn't, and it's far more modern that XP. We don't know too much about Win 7 yet, and apparently, almost no one wants Linux, as most of those get returned quickly.
Perhaps Apple could use the simpler version of the GUI as standard on those machines.
I guess there are a lot of questions. One would be whether they use the chip they're working on, or use the Atom, as it's now much better and uses less power. That would make OS X programs compatible out of the box. that would be a good thing, as long as people don't expect to do Photoshop work, or video editing.
Their own chip could be reserved for handheld, or slightly larger devices.
regarding the whole "rebate as a means to make more profit" -
everybody is overestimating the effect of non-redemptions. Yes, clearly, the point of the rebate is that a certain percentage of peolpe will not redeem, thus $100 more in Palm's pocket. But think rationally about it.
Let's say, GENEROUSLY, they sell 150,000 units off the bat. That's $15mm in rebates (150,000 x 100). If, maybe, 20% do not redeem, that's only $3mm in extra income. Hardly something to bank on, if I'm Palm.
That's assuming generous initial sales, plus a generous non-redemption rate. I think more than 80% of people will take 5 minutes of their time to get their 100 bucks back. They would need to sell MILLIONS of units to make a big enough additional income. Interest earned on the $100 bucks during the rebate waiting period is nominal at best.
It's more like 30 to 60% that don't redeem.
It's more like 30 to 60% that don't redeem.
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
It's more like 30 to 60% that don't redeem.
I don?t think I?ve ever redeemed one. I don?t even own envelops or stamps to mail it off in.
All phones and rechargers get hot. I don't see why this would get any hotter.
Maybe because air is a worse conductor then copper?
Just a guess...
It's far easier to fill out than you think dude.
Dude, it's even easier to not deal with rebates in the first place!
Why should I have to pay higher sakes taxes and let a company float on my money for a month or more?
Because they know a certain percentage of people won't follow through on the rebate, that's why! They aren't doing it as a favor to you.
Dude!
So why you are here pitching it as if it's some positive, fun activity is beyond me. Rebates suck, and are basically a gimmick. Palm/Sprint can't hang and they are having to resort to a sales gimmick - one that will rightly turn off a great many people.
Let's talk battery life once you start recording video on your iPhone.
Which would you rather have to drain that battery -video or multi Apps?
A while back I linked to a discussion at Ars wherein an iPhone developer (of the very well received "Now Playing" app) discusses why he, as a developer, wouldn't want Apple to allow third party multi-tasking at current hardware levels, and how that very issue has proven to be a pain in the ass when developing for Android.
His argument boils down to this: a phone is a hideously constrained development environment, where memory and CPU cycles are at an intense premium. If "background apps" can steal cycles/ram, it means his app, when open, is going to take a performance hit, and he doesn't have any control over that. But the user only knows that the app is dog slow, or decides that there's something wrong with the phone.
He describes his experience with developing for Android, where this very thing happens.
So when it comes to "multitasking", a hardware manufacturer has several choices: they can open it up so that anyone who want to write an app that runs in the background can do so, and leave it up to the user to figure out what's gone wrong when an app misbehaves-- as indicated by terrible battery life, shitty performance, or both.
Or, they can allow "some" multitasking, by either severely vetting candidate apps, or limiting how many apps can run in the background or both. Apple will likely take this route at some point.
Or you can do what Palm has done, which is to use a lightweight OS that puts fewer demands on the processor/battery/ram, but at the expense of limiting the depth of apps that can be run.
Even then, we don't know yet what the battery life for the Pre will be like, or what mechanisms are in place to insure that a misbehaving app doesn't completely kill performance/battery life, or how a user would go about identifying/killing such an app.
A lot of the "multitasking" discussion is rolling forward from the state of things a few years ago, when it was considered perfectly acceptable to subject the user to a "task manager" and expect him/her to figure out were the trouble lay and kill off processes accordingly.
That kind of thing is why, until the iPhone, "smartphones" lived in their little geek ghetto.
Plenty of enthusiasts posting on the internet think it would be great to have granular control over their phones processes, and don't see it a drawback if they are in fact obliged to utilize such control, or have their phone not work very well.
But in the iPhone era this is no longer good enough. The average user (and yes, I mean average, not stupid or trendy or sheep like or toy loving, just normal folks) want their phone to work for them, not the other way around, no matter how much that offends the Gizmodo commentariat.
So to answer the "what about video, huh" thing: I get to choose when I record video, and I can make a pretty reliable calculation as to how that is going to effect battery life. With background processes, unless I spend a lot of time monitoring my phone's innards and manually managing tasks, things can happen without my permission or knowledge that are simply going to seem to me as if the app/phone is broken.
Apple will never allow that to happen.
Would you say that you wouldn't complain about that then? Would you castigate others when they did complain about it?
As for the OS for that, it's a good question. I've been wondering about that myself.
I'd like to see OS X as in the computer line. We read about 10.5 being used on netbooks all the time. It's not ideal, but it works where Vista doesn't, and it's far more modern that XP. We don't know too much about Win 7 yet, and apparently, almost no one wants Linux, as most of those get returned quickly.
Perhaps Apple could use the simpler version of the GUI as standard on those machines.
I guess there are a lot of questions. One would be whether they use the chip they're working on, or use the Atom, as it's now much better and uses less power. That would make OS X programs compatible out of the box. that would be a good thing, as long as people don't expect to do Photoshop work, or video editing.
Their own chip could be reserved for handheld, or slightly larger devices.
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebate_(marketing)
As high as 60% as low as 2%. How's that for broad?
Bottom line, companies only do things that make them money. The only reason they mess with rebates is enough people don't follow through to make it worth their while. Which makes the rebate a sucker sales gimmick, or if you are OCD about obtaining your rebates a financial windfall missed by others.
I guess it comes down to perspective. Either way they still are a PITA
What sort of store is JandR, is it like an electrical store with numerous things on display with iPhone/iPod docks where I could grab a bit of a charge while talking to you about phone batteries?
Yes and yes. It's not about carrying one around- where did you get that from? It's about you walking into a store and you replacing it, when and if you need it. And swapping batteries is common place for cameras- we do have them in NYC and sell batteries at JandR. Many of us buy them. Why buy a brick to hook on your iPhone when you could simply travel with a battery?
Have you ever been outside of an Apple store or Teckserve?
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
Numbers released by industry publications give those numbers. I've even seen numbers up to 70% unredeemed. The numbers vary so much because it depends on what company is involved, which products, how easy it is, whether it's an "instant" redemption as opposed to a mail-in, or an online one etc.
Please read the entire article, because a lot of numbers are buried further down, but they are there. Read the one about the $100 Tivo rebates. Nearly half didn't bother to send them in at all. How many who did send them in got the rebate, they don't say.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebate_(marketing)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebate_(marketing)
As high as 60% as low as 2%. How's that for broad?
Bottom line, companies only do things that make them money. The only reason they mess with rebates is enough people don't follow through to make it worth their while. Which makes the rebate a sucker sales gimmick, or if you are OCD about obtaining your rebates a financial windfall missed by others.
I guess it comes down to perspective. Either way they still are a PITA
Ah, I posted before seeing your post. We're not alone!
Maybe because air is a worse conductor then copper?
Just a guess...
Air has nothing to do with it. This works by electromagnetic induction. It would work in a vacuum.
based on what? I'm sure the non-redemption rate goes up for a smaller rebate amount, but $100 is no joke. Where are you getting a 30-60% rate? Which, by the way is a rather broad figure.
DoctorNo42 beat me to it but that is where I got my figures too. The Tivo example is instructive - $100, 50% redemption. I have missed several $100 and $200 rebates - for various reasons - usually because I let them expire in either sending in or cashing the check.
Your estimates seem to based on what you think your hit rate might be, not what the great American public actually does - always stupider than you think.
A while back I linked to a discussion at Ars wherein an iPhone developer (of the very well received "Now Playing" app) discusses why he, as a developer, wouldn't want Apple to allow third party multi-tasking at current hardware levels, and how that very issue has proven to be a pain in the ass when developing for Android.
His argument boils down to this: a phone is a hideously constrained development environment, where memory and CPU cycles are at an intense premium. If "background apps" can steal cycles/ram, it means his app, when open, is going to take a performance hit, and he doesn't have any control over that. But the user only knows that the app is dog slow, or decides that there's something wrong with the phone.
He describes his experience with developing for Android, where this very thing happens.
So when it comes to "multitasking", a hardware manufacturer has several choices: they can open it up so that anyone who want to write an app that runs in the background can do so, and leave it up to the user to figure out what's gone wrong when an app misbehaves-- as indicated by terrible battery life, shitty performance, or both.
Or, they can allow "some" multitasking, by either severely vetting candidate apps, or limiting how many apps can run in the background or both. Apple will likely take this route at some point.
Or you can do what Palm has done, which is to use a lightweight OS that puts fewer demands on the processor/battery/ram, but at the expense of limiting the depth of apps that can be run.
Even then, we don't know yet what the battery life for the Pre will be like, or what mechanisms are in place to insure that a misbehaving app doesn't completely kill performance/battery life, or how a user would go about identifying/killing such an app.
A lot of the "multitasking" discussion is rolling forward from the state of things a few years ago, when it was considered perfectly acceptable to subject the user to a "task manager" and expect him/her to figure out were the trouble lay and kill off processes accordingly.
That kind of thing is why, until the iPhone, "smartphones" lived in their little geek ghetto.
Plenty of enthusiasts posting on the internet think it would be great to have granular control over their phones processes, and don't see it a drawback if they are in fact obliged to utilize such control, or have their phone not work very well.
But in the iPhone era this is no longer good enough. The average user (and yes, I mean average, not stupid or trendy or sheep like or toy loving, just normal folks) want their phone to work for them, not the other way around, not matter how much that offends the Gizmodo commentariat.
So to answer the "what about video, huh" thing: I get to chose when I record video, and I can make a pretty reliable calculation as to how that is going to effect battery life. With background processes, unless I spend a lot of time monitoring my phone's innards and manually managing tasks, things can happen without my permission or knowledge that are simply going to seem to me as if the app/phone is broken.
Apple will never allow that to happen.
Right!