Apple's iPhone 4.0 to support multitasking via Expose-like interface

1911131415

Comments

  • Reply 201 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    Now all of a sudden multi-tasking is cool, isn't it guys?



    The only reason the vast majority of people wanted multi-tasking was to use internet radio apps while doing other stuff, now they'll be able to do this.



    The reason to get excited here isn't multi-tasking, it's faster app switching. I don't use internet radio apps, so it's kind of a "that'll shut them up" addition for me.



    The main thing the next iPhone needs is a physically narrow size hardware shell. Like the way the 2G was narrower than both the 3G and the 3G S - even though the display itself isn't narrower. There's room to take it down to 59, even 57 mm wide without touching the display width. Case in point: The iPhone 2G is more comfortable and easier to hold.
  • Reply 202 of 293
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by xStatiCa View Post


    I fear this could turn out to cause problems for those with lots of apps. If all the current apps that use notifications were converted to needing to run in the background then I wouldn't be able to use all the apps that I currently do now with the current notification scheme. I have over 50 apps that receive notifications. There is zero chance there would be enough memory for all 50 to run in the background so I wouldn't be able to use them all if the converted over.



    I was always one to complain about lack of background apps but I wonder now if Apple didn't do the right thing from the beginning. Ideally only apps that really need backgrounding will use that feature and the rest will stick with notifications. I have a feeling backgrounding will be easier to implement though so even IM type apps will use backgrounding instead.



    Push notification isn't going anywhere. In a lot of instances it is better than multitasking, and that will remain true even if multitasking is implemented.
  • Reply 203 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I think I said it best the day Win mob 7 was announced:



    "Three years after the iPhone Microsoft demos a preview of what the iPhone shouldn't have been."



    LOL! Missed that one... glad you reposted! And, you're right (both times)!



    *
  • Reply 204 of 293
    svnippsvnipp Posts: 430member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    In the demo videos there is no mention of saving apps and no save command as far as I can see. It would make sense to be able to save locally. I suspect a lot of people will have the iPad as their only computer. The file system might be in the form of an app similar to the mobileMe app where the most recently used files are available locally. This idea could / ought to be extended to direct local storage without a requirement to have a iwork.com or mobileMe subscription.



    I totally agree with the need for saving locally... Even if a iWork.com account were included free of charge with every iPad sold, there are going to be times when you don't have access to upload the files(s) you are working on, especially for the WiFi version. There has got to be something here...



    One thing I find odd is everyone keeps jumping up and down about the "need for a filesystem". These things have filesystems, all of them, iPod, iPhone, and iPad. How else do you think they store videos, photos, music, etc. What people are talking about is visibility into the filesystem like Finder. Just been annoying me for some time now in following these threads.
  • Reply 204 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by noirdesir View Post


    There is great post on what different usage kinds of 'multitasking' actually could exist:

    # Notification:

    # Background State Updates:

    # Inter-application Communication:

    # Quick Task Switching with Saved State:

    # Simultaneous Execution, Background Apps:

    # Simultaneous Execution: Side-by-Side Apps (iPad only):

    see the post for details:

    http://db.tidbits.com/article/10989



    Internet radio apps while doing other stuff. Faster app-switching.
  • Reply 206 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Those reasons to take the piss out of the iPad are dwindling. I guess there's always Flash for the haters to comfort them.



    Well why Flash isn't a big issue for me there really isn't any reason why the Flash issue can't be worked out between Apple and Adobe. I guess that is the programmer in me that always looks for a fix rather then put in red bold letters "Help Kill Flash"....LOL



    Some say this is just Steve Jobs attempting to control content, I really don't know if that is the case or not. What I do know is with the use of GPU hardware acceleration available in Flash 10.1 this issue can certainly be resolved in OSX and can most likely be resolved on mobile devices also.



    So when I see something that can be resolved I figure why try to push it out simply work to resolve the issue. Not that I see that happening in this case.
  • Reply 207 of 293
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    Strangely enough, I'm not missing multitasking much on my 3Gs.



    I'm looking forward to see how's that going to be implemented, what real advantages will it offer (for me) and how will it influence battery life... but I'm hoping there will be a way to disable it completely and revert to current single 3rd party app.
  • Reply 208 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by chronster View Post


    Now all of a sudden multi-tasking is cool, isn't it guys?



    It's so funny how these things (like copy and paste) are looked at with great disdain up until Apple actually implements it.



    From here on out: Stop making excuses for why Apple has left something out. Start thinking for yourself. Artificial limitations require no excuse other than the fact that development hasn't reached that point yet.



    The next time someone bitches about the ipad or iphone missing something, don't try to come up with some bogus excuse for why it's not there. You're not fooling anyone.



    I know. It's embarrassing.



    The real reason they didn't added it was the OS wasn't mature enough, and they hadn't figured out a simple solution to the problem.



    Quote:

    How do we add multi-tasking without comprising simplicity?



    Furthermore Prince's posts on the iPhone OS and multi-tasking were cringe-worth. Clawing at straws for excuses as to why Apple didn't have what people wanted. And then trying to persuade us they did. The truth is his long-gray-beard post on the subject could have been summed up in as follows:



    The majority of people who say they want multi-taskng on the iPhone want the ability to run an app like "an internet radio app" while they use other apps on the device, like Safari. Until Apple adds this ability people will never stop asking Apple for multi-tasking.



    Apple noticing people kept asking the question and having found a simple solution are finally getting round to adding it,
  • Reply 209 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macslut View Post


    BUT this doesn't resolve one of the biggest desires for 3rd party multitasking, and that is to actually have apps running in the background. See Pandora.



    I am so sick of hearing about Pandora!
  • Reply 210 of 293
    ilogicilogic Posts: 298member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I called it already. Hitting the home button twice that is. You don't hit it though, you press it.



    This makes so much sense on the iPad, because it does not have a camera! On the iPhone my double home opens my camera, please do not tell me I will have to choose multitasking or the camera? Is something amiss?
  • Reply 211 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Planet Blue View Post


    Second, I have a Nexus One



    If you have a Nexus One, you should not be posting here.
  • Reply 212 of 293
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    Yes I see what you mean by first having the user consciously decide to turn on some global multi-tasking setting. But then by doing this, you would still be changing the established convention of single press quitting.



    We already have a setting that allows us to assign different actions to double pressing the Home button (Search, Phone Favorites, Camera, iPod). They could add another that says Quit App or something like that (if the multi-tasking setting is turned on).



    Single-tapping the Home button has never been for QUITTING an app as Mail, Safari, Pod, Clock, still run in the background. On top of that, the autosave design makes leaving an app and going back for something like Notes is indistinguishable from being in a saved state to running in the background. The Home button has always been for switching apps.



    Also, Apple hasn't had an "Us v. Them" policy with 3rd-party developers for backgrounding, as none of Apple's App Store apps can do backgrounding.



    The method I propose keeps that single-tap of the Home button to switch apps but allow for certain apps to maintain ther presence in the background. The double-tap just allows the user to quickly see those apps, close an app by the press and hold option of the icon to get the option to close them, and to choose a running app if they so desire.



    I have to assume that pressing the Home button once and then the icon on the Home screen of the app running in the background (providing it's on the 1st page)is faster and therefore more likely used. Because of this, I'd also expect a special badge on the apps that are background activated with a different colour when they are actually running in the background as you flip through the Home screens.
  • Reply 213 of 293
    cimcim Posts: 197member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by extremeskater View Post


    Well why Flash isn't a big issue for me there really isn't any reason why the Flash issue can't be worked out between Apple and Adobe. I guess that is the programmer in me that always looks for a fix rather then put in red bold letters "Help Kill Flash"....LOL



    Some say this is just Steve Jobs attempting to control content, I really don't know if that is the case or not. What I do know is with the use of GPU hardware acceleration available in Flash 10.1 this issue can certainly be resolved in OSX and can most likely be resolved on mobile devices also.



    So when I see something that can be resolved I figure why try to push it out simply work to resolve the issue. Not that I see that happening in this case.



    Apple usually stops supporting dying technology before it is dead.
  • Reply 214 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    ... Once they are running double-tapping the Home button to bring up Exposé sounds reasonable. To then kill a backgrounding app just hold the icon for a moment ike you would on the Homescreen to get the squiggly icons with the black 'x' in a circle to kill it.



    The only problem I have with the "double-tap the home button" idea that I haven't seen mentioned on the thread yet is that this exact feature has already been used for other things and lots of people will be a bit ticked off at it being removed.



    Double-tapping the Home button was first added (1.1.1. I think), as a way of getting to the music controls. Then it was changed to something you could set in preferences to do pretty much anything, but the main reason was due to complaints form users about how many swipes and pokes it took to start the camera. Apple's advice was to add the camera app to the double-click, as a means of getting away from numerous people who wanted them to add a physical "camera" button to the iPhone.



    Since it's been user assigned for so long now, lots and lots of people use the double-tap for the camera, or for another favourite program. Assigning it to multitasking is smart, but there is a down-side for people like me who've gotten used to being able to take a quick snap that way. There will be complaints certainly.
  • Reply 215 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I disagree. I think if the user had to turn on backgrounding from Settings and then decide which apps would work in the background based on the allowable apps in their list, and an icon in the Menu Bar to see backgrounding is on they would be well aware of them running.



    Once they are running double-tapping the Home button to bring up Exposé sounds reasonable. To then kill a backgrounding app just hold the icon for a moment ike you would on the Homescreen to get the squiggly icons with the black 'x' in a circle to kill it.



    That would work!



    There is already a setting:



    Settings--->General--->Home



    that allows you to define the meaning of Home Button double click.



    A slightly easier Home Button variation for the techies (who want user multitasking)



    --Home Button, single click-- brings up the Exposé screen (which works as you defined)

    --Home Button, double click-- defined by user

    --Home Button, click hold-- kills running FG app



    *
  • Reply 216 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    I don't think that is good method because we are used to hitting it once and if we aren't fast enough with our taps it would register as one. Both of which would be frustrating if you didn't want to exit an app completely for whatever reason.



    I'm confident it would work if Apple spread out the double tap period to account for slower pressers. Don't worry.
  • Reply 217 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


    I'm glad Apple waited until they had a proper copy/paste solution, and I frankly don't care about 'multi-tasking'.



    I'm glad too. If Apple had waited even longer, I'd be even happier.
  • Reply 218 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ilogic View Post


    This makes so much sense on the iPad, because it does not have a camera! On the iPhone my double home opens my camera, please do not tell me I will have to choose multitasking or the camera? Is something amiss?



    You're amiss.



    iKid
  • Reply 219 of 293
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleRulez View Post


    If you have a Nexus One, you should not be posting here.



    Someone ban this idiot.
  • Reply 220 of 293
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by svnipp View Post


    I haven't watched all the tutorial videos, including the ones for Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Maybe there is something in one of these videos that shows what a user is going to do with a document created there? Seems kind of silly to just create a document and say "oh well, that was fun", close the app and be able to do nothing else with it other than possibly e-mail it to someone else...



    you can exchange docs created with iWork phone apps with their Mac equivalents and MS Office equivalents. I assume Apple will provide some interface for Windows.



    I'll find a link and post it!



    http://www.apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/



    In the Pages tour at 1:13 it discusses the iPad Document Manager and exchanging files.



    AIR, there similar references in the Numbers and Keynote tours



    *
Sign In or Register to comment.