Android is just getting started. The iPhone is 3 years of the same stuff and the iPad (given the demo) so is the iPad (such a bad name).
Android today from an OS point of view is supieri or in almost every category.
I read a great posting today. The iPhone is like the pre-teen kids phone. Easy to use but can't do enough to hurt them. Android is for the mature smartphone user. Elegant, Intuitive and a work horse that you can still have fun with.
Skype. It's an integral part of my daily workflows and communications at work, and I also use it home.
Spotify. We don't have pandora here, but we do have spotify
(actually, any audio or radio app that isn't the ipod application)
Also, many applications would work better. Take IM - if you are doing something else today, you'll get a notification. Good. But seeing it and replying requires you to quit your current application (and lose state...), start the IM app (slow) and then start the original application again.
The iphones today are more powerful than a computer just a couple of years back, so they certainly can handle multitasking paradigms that have been in use on lesser hardware for decades. The biggest concerns would be battery life and security - that something can't run in the background "below the radar".
But how are you going to truly run Skype at the same time as another app. You only have room on your screen for one thing at a time.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for more features. I just don't know if "true" multi-tasking is a necessity.
I use my iPhone a lot, probably more than my laptop. I just don't think it's a big deal.
I see Apple trying to take care of the Pandora/Spotify issue by offering their own version of it. Honestly, I don't care who offers it, but I agree, those stations music services are great and should be standard on a device.
This is as silly as the days of the iphone lacking copy and paste. Despite C&P being one of the most essential established features of computing, there were hordes defending its exclusion prior to OS3. (On a related note they also defended Apple's lack of a netbook by pointing out how full featured the iPhone was). Now it's in and it seems like a no brainer in hindsight. You may not need it all the time but when you do, it's lifesaver.
No multitasking on iPhone is bad enough but on the iPad it's a joke. Maybe you're writing a paper in iWork and you need to look something up in Safari. Simply save your work, close iWork, flip over a few screens to Safari, open it, wait for the page to load, close Safari, scroll back to the screen with iWork, reopen it, and load your document again. What could be simpler!
I also find it amusing that this is a tech forum where the majority of the members are very computer savvy, yet rabidly defend glaring omissions on the account that it's justified because it would be too confusing for suburban soccer moms.
Most of us weren't defending the idea that the iPhone lacked C/paste, though some did. What most of us were defending was that most people don't use C/paste, and so it didn't lose sales to any great extent, and Apple said that it was coming. Some people think that everything is easy, while many things are not. Technical writers were saying that to do C/paste properly, systemwide, was difficult. When Apple did come out with it, it was admired as being the best solution available. Then they allowed all earlier phones to get it as well. That's something!
The same is true for multitasking. While some older phones may not get this it's possible that the3GS will. We'll just have to wait and see.
As far as your soccer mom reference goes, it's not really fair. If you think you're a superior human being because you know a little computerize, that's great for you! But most of the world doesn't care for it, or your claiming that superiority. If you really want a geek phone, buy the Droid. It's made for boys like you, with the flaming meteoroids, and other manly references and all. The iPhone is very popular because people can use it without having to go to geeks like you think you are, and asking how to use it.
Aren't all iPhone apps supposed to save state upon exit, if that's even remotely beneficial? I might be mistaken, but wasn't that one of the initial requirements?
But how are you going to truly run Skype at the same time as another app. You only have room on your screen for one thing at a time.
Implementation of multitasking usually doesn't involve sharing screen space - rather it's usually done like the way Safari handles multiple webpage tabs.
Skype. It's an integral part of my daily workflows and communications at work, and I also use it home.
Spotify. We don't have pandora here, but we do have spotify
(actually, any audio or radio app that isn't the ipod application)
Also, many applications would work better. Take IM - if you are doing something else today, you'll get a notification. Good. But seeing it and replying requires you to quit your current application (and lose state...), start the IM app (slow) and then start the original application again.
The iphones today are more powerful than a computer just a couple of years back, so they certainly can handle multitasking paradigms that have been in use on lesser hardware for decades. The biggest concerns would be battery life and security - that something can't run in the background "below the radar".
iPhones are certainly NOT more powerful than computers "... a couple of years back." More powerful than a medium speed dual G4, but that's about it. Maybe the next one will equal a fast G4.
But these are phones as well, and as such have a number of tasks to do that regular "computers" don't have to bother with. In addition, Apple was using video cards to share the workloads back when the G4 was out. The gpu in their phones still don't reach those levels. They also don't have the fast busses and other structure that computers have. It's oversimplification to compare them to regular computers at all. Maybe in a few years, but not yet.
If you talk badly about Apple, you're a PAID viral marketer.
It's not likely he gets paid. It's likely that he's just one of those few that come here to be a problem for people, and enjoys getting people annoyed. Otherwise, he and those others would inhabit the Android forums instead, lapping up the joy over there.
Aren't all iPhone apps supposed to save state upon exit, if that's even remotely beneficial? I might be mistaken, but wasn't that one of the initial requirements?
I've got abut 100 apps. Most of the ones that would benefit from tha,t do it.
I've been using a Windows Mobile phone for the past 7 years. To me, I've never found much use for multi-tasking on a small screen, low resolution, low-powered PDA device. It's rather annoying actually b/c your device will slow down if you forget to quit your programs. I've used an iPhone for 2 years and haven't really had the need for complicated multi-tasking either. However I do see a need for multi-tasking for background process for 3rd party apps. For example, don't you hate it when you're playing a game or typing up an email, when suddenly someone calls, and you lose all your data? That's probably the only complaint I have about about it.
Remember the uproar about Cut and Paste not being on the iPhone? So many people claimed the device was sub-par without it, practically unusable. Now that Apple has updated the OS to include Copy and Paste, no one seems to care that it's there or even to be using it much. In fact, I now routinely hear complaints from users that the pop up is annoying and gets in their way.
I highly suspect the negativity about Flash and Multi-tasking will prove to be every bit as "important" in the near future.
Some people just like to complain. Some people just like to complain about Apple. Most of us just want devices that are simple to navigate and work reliably. Thankfully Apple provides just that with the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Luckily, if someone doesn't like those choices there are plenty of other devices for them to choose form. I suggest they go get one, have fun and try to stop complaining.
The implication is that Apple chose the standards that allow for simultaneous voice and data.
Assuming that the rumors about Verizon weren't true, or were intended to get AT&T to give them a better deal.
But now, it's possible for CDMA operators to do this too, from a new standard for it that was put out late last year. The question is whether the CDMA operators will want to spend the money to upgrade their networks for it.
Can you list any practical examples that would require multitasking rather than Apple allowing certain services to be called upon?
I'll give you four, but there are plenty.
1. Use a 3rd party alarm app to set an alarm. If the app is not the last thing running on the iPhone before you go to bed, the alarm won't sound.
2. I was checking out the well reviewed NPR app and started listening to the Car Talk podcast. As I was listening, I clicked on the button to send the link to a friend. The Mail app started and stopped the podcast. I have to go to the restart the app again, find the podcast again and start playing - from the start.
3. On the Android, I have an adblocker app that downloads a large hosts file and replaces the phone's hosts file (The fact that I can do this, in itself, is one of the reason I switched to an Android). All this happens in a background thread.
4. I don't have to scroll through pages to find the icon to start the app while switching between them. And when they start, the state is maintained and I start where I left off.
Quite simply, unless the next version of the iPhone adds multitasking, widgets and a better notification system, the iPhone will continue to slide further and further behind the Android.
Can anyone point me to any Windows Mobile or Android virus or I can talk about another FUD, erroneous and bashing article of our beloved Daniel Eran Dilger?
I find Apple's mobile OS to be little more than an app/widget launcher rather than (what many have come to know as) an actual operating system, so multi-tasking on such a 'modal' platform really isn't all that compelling given the associated limitations as dictated by its core mission, which is to run one app/widget at a time.[/CENTER]
Somebody wanted a list of practicle examples of backgrounded apps on iphone, heres my list:
Software running in background ### software in foreground
-file uploader/downloader ### Use any app in the meantime while loading some files to the server eg photos, documents
etc. eg "air sharing" / readdledocs / dropcopy
-Sporify or any internet radio streaming app. ### phone, calendar or any other app.
-navigation software (voice use) ### Phone, you can go back to nav app now after you have answered so its not that big of a deal
-skype ### recieve calls while doing something else
-GPS tracking software (to record trail) ### any other app
-Some other datacollecting software ### any other app
-safari ### do something else while your gprs connection downloads webpages (for several minutes)....
-mail ### download some attachments on slow network and do some use in the meantime...
-cisco webex meeting ### use mail. eg. while on meeting
Dont tell me that these wouldnt be usefull. THESE WOULD BE KICKASS!!!!
I would only need to use ONE third party app in the background at a time and I would be 300% happier!!!! . The third party app would be user definable easily. Maybe ask when exiting if you want to change this app to the backgrounded app. And this wouldnt be possible to leave app backgrounded if its of no real use like games, video, etc.
Because Apple may ban you now from your iTunes log in if you do. Do some research.
If you can't beat them ban them.
Argh, argh. Stop the stupidity. It hurts.
Apple have banned app developers from the App Store if they are known to also assist in the development of tools to jailbreak the iPhone.
Seems a little pointless (surely they'll just set up a new account a plunk down another 100 bucks); but not unreasonable. What Apple are not doing is banning people who have simply jailbroken their phone.
Remember the uproar about Cut and Paste not being on the iPhone? So many people claimed the device was sub-par without it, practically unusable. Now that Apple has updated the OS to include Copy and Paste, no one seems to care that it's there or even to be using it much. In fact, I now routinely hear complaints from users that the pop up is annoying and gets in their way.
I highly suspect the negativity about Flash and Multi-tasking will prove to be every bit as "important" in the near future.
Some people just like to complain. Some people just like to complain about Apple. Most of us just want devices that are simple to navigate and work reliably. Thankfully Apple provides just that with the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Luckily, if someone doesn't like those choices there are plenty of other devices for them to choose form. I suggest they go get one, have fun and try to stop complaining.
ARGH!!!
You wont hear me complaining about copy-paste as a corporate user I think its compulsory and I use it all the time... Just because some ipod user doesnt use it doesnt mean it shouldnt be implemented. We can discuss on how its implemented as its not what I had anticipated it do be. But I have learned how to use it (it wasnt that obvious at first)
And if there were a platform that i could sync my music library with (something decent) then i probably would switch eg android. But the competiton isnt quite there but almost....
Androids media software stinks from anything I have read. If apple doesnt do something about backgrounding in 4.0, then My next phone might not be apple. But if I get some kind of backgrounding (no, not intrested in jailbreaking because of the update hastle) then my 3G would get new life again...
The ability to suspend tasks would be nice (independently of whether they are allowed to run or not in the background). It is quite tedious having to quit and restart apps.
Agree. Apple could implement this invisibly and it would offer the main benefit of multitasking without the problems associated with offering background execution.
Comments
Android is just getting started. The iPhone is 3 years of the same stuff and the iPad (given the demo) so is the iPad (such a bad name).
Android today from an OS point of view is supieri or in almost every category.
I read a great posting today. The iPhone is like the pre-teen kids phone. Easy to use but can't do enough to hurt them. Android is for the mature smartphone user. Elegant, Intuitive and a work horse that you can still have fun with.
Just getting started? The difference is 1 year.
I've got a couple:
- Skype. It's an integral part of my daily workflows and communications at work, and I also use it home.
- Spotify. We don't have pandora here, but we do have spotify
- (actually, any audio or radio app that isn't the ipod application)
Also, many applications would work better. Take IM - if you are doing something else today, you'll get a notification. Good. But seeing it and replying requires you to quit your current application (and lose state...), start the IM app (slow) and then start the original application again.The iphones today are more powerful than a computer just a couple of years back, so they certainly can handle multitasking paradigms that have been in use on lesser hardware for decades. The biggest concerns would be battery life and security - that something can't run in the background "below the radar".
But how are you going to truly run Skype at the same time as another app. You only have room on your screen for one thing at a time.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for more features. I just don't know if "true" multi-tasking is a necessity.
I use my iPhone a lot, probably more than my laptop. I just don't think it's a big deal.
I see Apple trying to take care of the Pandora/Spotify issue by offering their own version of it. Honestly, I don't care who offers it, but I agree, those stations music services are great and should be standard on a device.
This is as silly as the days of the iphone lacking copy and paste. Despite C&P being one of the most essential established features of computing, there were hordes defending its exclusion prior to OS3. (On a related note they also defended Apple's lack of a netbook by pointing out how full featured the iPhone was). Now it's in and it seems like a no brainer in hindsight. You may not need it all the time but when you do, it's lifesaver.
No multitasking on iPhone is bad enough but on the iPad it's a joke. Maybe you're writing a paper in iWork and you need to look something up in Safari. Simply save your work, close iWork, flip over a few screens to Safari, open it, wait for the page to load, close Safari, scroll back to the screen with iWork, reopen it, and load your document again. What could be simpler!
I also find it amusing that this is a tech forum where the majority of the members are very computer savvy, yet rabidly defend glaring omissions on the account that it's justified because it would be too confusing for suburban soccer moms.
Most of us weren't defending the idea that the iPhone lacked C/paste, though some did. What most of us were defending was that most people don't use C/paste, and so it didn't lose sales to any great extent, and Apple said that it was coming. Some people think that everything is easy, while many things are not. Technical writers were saying that to do C/paste properly, systemwide, was difficult. When Apple did come out with it, it was admired as being the best solution available. Then they allowed all earlier phones to get it as well. That's something!
The same is true for multitasking. While some older phones may not get this it's possible that the3GS will. We'll just have to wait and see.
As far as your soccer mom reference goes, it's not really fair. If you think you're a superior human being because you know a little computerize, that's great for you! But most of the world doesn't care for it, or your claiming that superiority. If you really want a geek phone, buy the Droid. It's made for boys like you, with the flaming meteoroids, and other manly references and all. The iPhone is very popular because people can use it without having to go to geeks like you think you are, and asking how to use it.
Netbooks have nothing to do with this argument.
But how are you going to truly run Skype at the same time as another app. You only have room on your screen for one thing at a time.
Implementation of multitasking usually doesn't involve sharing screen space - rather it's usually done like the way Safari handles multiple webpage tabs.
I've got a couple:
- Skype. It's an integral part of my daily workflows and communications at work, and I also use it home.
- Spotify. We don't have pandora here, but we do have spotify
- (actually, any audio or radio app that isn't the ipod application)
Also, many applications would work better. Take IM - if you are doing something else today, you'll get a notification. Good. But seeing it and replying requires you to quit your current application (and lose state...), start the IM app (slow) and then start the original application again.The iphones today are more powerful than a computer just a couple of years back, so they certainly can handle multitasking paradigms that have been in use on lesser hardware for decades. The biggest concerns would be battery life and security - that something can't run in the background "below the radar".
iPhones are certainly NOT more powerful than computers "... a couple of years back." More powerful than a medium speed dual G4, but that's about it. Maybe the next one will equal a fast G4.
But these are phones as well, and as such have a number of tasks to do that regular "computers" don't have to bother with. In addition, Apple was using video cards to share the workloads back when the G4 was out. The gpu in their phones still don't reach those levels. They also don't have the fast busses and other structure that computers have. It's oversimplification to compare them to regular computers at all. Maybe in a few years, but not yet.
Everyone knows that. It's not news.
The implication is that Apple chose the standards that allow for simultaneous voice and data.
If you don't like Apple, you're a viral marketer.
If you talk badly about Apple, you're a PAID viral marketer.
It's not likely he gets paid. It's likely that he's just one of those few that come here to be a problem for people, and enjoys getting people annoyed. Otherwise, he and those others would inhabit the Android forums instead, lapping up the joy over there.
Aren't all iPhone apps supposed to save state upon exit, if that's even remotely beneficial? I might be mistaken, but wasn't that one of the initial requirements?
I've got abut 100 apps. Most of the ones that would benefit from tha,t do it.
I highly suspect the negativity about Flash and Multi-tasking will prove to be every bit as "important" in the near future.
Some people just like to complain. Some people just like to complain about Apple. Most of us just want devices that are simple to navigate and work reliably. Thankfully Apple provides just that with the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Luckily, if someone doesn't like those choices there are plenty of other devices for them to choose form. I suggest they go get one, have fun and try to stop complaining.
The implication is that Apple chose the standards that allow for simultaneous voice and data.
Assuming that the rumors about Verizon weren't true, or were intended to get AT&T to give them a better deal.
But now, it's possible for CDMA operators to do this too, from a new standard for it that was put out late last year. The question is whether the CDMA operators will want to spend the money to upgrade their networks for it.
Can you list any practical examples that would require multitasking rather than Apple allowing certain services to be called upon?
I'll give you four, but there are plenty.
1. Use a 3rd party alarm app to set an alarm. If the app is not the last thing running on the iPhone before you go to bed, the alarm won't sound.
2. I was checking out the well reviewed NPR app and started listening to the Car Talk podcast. As I was listening, I clicked on the button to send the link to a friend. The Mail app started and stopped the podcast. I have to go to the restart the app again, find the podcast again and start playing - from the start.
3. On the Android, I have an adblocker app that downloads a large hosts file and replaces the phone's hosts file (The fact that I can do this, in itself, is one of the reason I switched to an Android). All this happens in a background thread.
4. I don't have to scroll through pages to find the icon to start the app while switching between them. And when they start, the state is maintained and I start where I left off.
Quite simply, unless the next version of the iPhone adds multitasking, widgets and a better notification system, the iPhone will continue to slide further and further behind the Android.
I find Apple's mobile OS to be little more than an app/widget launcher rather than (what many have come to know as) an actual operating system, so multi-tasking on such a 'modal' platform really isn't all that compelling given the associated limitations as dictated by its core mission, which is to run one app/widget at a time.[/CENTER]
Software running in background ### software in foreground
-file uploader/downloader ### Use any app in the meantime while loading some files to the server eg photos, documents
etc. eg "air sharing" / readdledocs / dropcopy
-Sporify or any internet radio streaming app. ### phone, calendar or any other app.
-navigation software (voice use) ### Phone, you can go back to nav app now after you have answered so its not that big of a deal
-skype ### recieve calls while doing something else
-GPS tracking software (to record trail) ### any other app
-Some other datacollecting software ### any other app
-safari ### do something else while your gprs connection downloads webpages (for several minutes)....
-mail ### download some attachments on slow network and do some use in the meantime...
-cisco webex meeting ### use mail. eg. while on meeting
Dont tell me that these wouldnt be usefull. THESE WOULD BE KICKASS!!!!
I would only need to use ONE third party app in the background at a time and I would be 300% happier!!!!
Because Apple may ban you now from your iTunes log in if you do. Do some research.
If you can't beat them ban them.
Argh, argh. Stop the stupidity. It hurts.
Apple have banned app developers from the App Store if they are known to also assist in the development of tools to jailbreak the iPhone.
Seems a little pointless (surely they'll just set up a new account a plunk down another 100 bucks); but not unreasonable. What Apple are not doing is banning people who have simply jailbroken their phone.
Do some research: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02...phone_hackers/
Remember the uproar about Cut and Paste not being on the iPhone? So many people claimed the device was sub-par without it, practically unusable. Now that Apple has updated the OS to include Copy and Paste, no one seems to care that it's there or even to be using it much. In fact, I now routinely hear complaints from users that the pop up is annoying and gets in their way.
I highly suspect the negativity about Flash and Multi-tasking will prove to be every bit as "important" in the near future.
Some people just like to complain. Some people just like to complain about Apple. Most of us just want devices that are simple to navigate and work reliably. Thankfully Apple provides just that with the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Luckily, if someone doesn't like those choices there are plenty of other devices for them to choose form. I suggest they go get one, have fun and try to stop complaining.
ARGH!!!
You wont hear me complaining about copy-paste as a corporate user I think its compulsory and I use it all the time... Just because some ipod user doesnt use it doesnt mean it shouldnt be implemented. We can discuss on how its implemented as its not what I had anticipated it do be. But I have learned how to use it (it wasnt that obvious at first)
And if there were a platform that i could sync my music library with (something decent) then i probably would switch eg android. But the competiton isnt quite there but almost....
Androids media software stinks from anything I have read. If apple doesnt do something about backgrounding in 4.0, then My next phone might not be apple. But if I get some kind of backgrounding (no, not intrested in jailbreaking because of the update hastle) then my 3G would get new life again...
The ability to suspend tasks would be nice (independently of whether they are allowed to run or not in the background). It is quite tedious having to quit and restart apps.
Agree. Apple could implement this invisibly and it would offer the main benefit of multitasking without the problems associated with offering background execution.
C.