this is a very smart marketing strategy. everyone is talking iPad. stocks are on the rise. monday, Steve Jobs can go up on stage and say, "no need for android, OS 4 can multitask now". and stock will continue to rise.
For those wondering about the timing, note that this is an OS preview. It's not necessarily an OS release.
There is nothing yet to suggest that the software is ready for deployment.
That's their usual way to do (or has been so far) so I'd say it's pretty obvious, but I'm ready to crave for it, as long as I know there's anything to wait for
I hope OS 4 will have a new version of the YouTube app that will allow downloading of YT videos to iPhone/iPad. This together with multi-tasking would kill my reasons for jailbreaking.
OT: Could we please have both read & write/drag & drop for the iDisk app. It IS a native Apple application after all.
So are the rumors saying the UI will be new looking, or will the changes just effect things going on "behind the scenes"?
Rumors say little. But I’m prepared for a bit of a jarring change. I’m really comfortable with the iPhone UI as is, but shaking things up to improve things like icon management would be welcome.
I think the basic first-glance impression of the home screen will likely stay similar, and all the multitouch controls (switched, pinch zoom, tab-bars of icons) that we’re used to in apps will remain. Ditto for the basic color scheme (grays and blues or blacks). But around that I expect some nice advancements!
Background audio (in AND out) is the only kind of multitasking I want that the iPhone doesn’t already have.
So, this is a preview release with official launch in Summer, as usual.
Apple usually doesn't schedule this sort of thing so close to another major event, like the iPad launch, so they really must have been planning for the end of March, giving about two weeks between events.
This is welcome, but not unexpected. The last two OS previews were held on March 6th and 17th respectively, so Apple is running behind schedule, but it's no mystery as to why. But it's a good sign this is happening so quickly. If the new iPhone hardware comes out in it's usual timeframe, developers have 4 months instead of 5 to recode and rebuild for the new OS.
I wonder if Apple will release iPhone OS 4.0 for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch at the same time? It seems that it would make sense to align the releases from here on out.
I believe they will as the iPad uses iPhone OS. It's not a special iPad OS.
So, I assume that having put up with incredibly dull discussions about why iPhone is crap because it doesn't have multi-tasking, we'll now no doubt have incredibly dull discussions about why they implemented it incorrectly. Or it hurts the battery life. Or it still fails to get you a girlfriend whilst you bang on about multi-tasking!
Sad, but you're probably absolutely right. Unless Apple sticks to its guns and gives us no MultiTasking then we'll stay right where we are until OS 5 ... \
Hopefully OS 4.0 is based on a fast chip like the IPAD
Talk is out that IPHONE 4.0 will be out before WWDC. Could make sense, since this year WWDC is already 2 weeks late and if APPLE wants to see new IPHONE sales in it's second quarter earnings it would have to be available in store by mid june. Keep in mind that IPHONE sales drop considerably in anticipation of the new model.
So, I assume that having put up with incredibly dull discussions about why iPhone is crap because it doesn't have multi-tasking, we'll now no doubt have incredibly dull discussions about why they implemented it incorrectly. Or it hurts the battery life. Or it still fails to get you a girlfriend whilst you bang on about multi-tasking!
I agree with this, but there is a secret out there that nobody talks about.
1. There is currently no REAL multi-tasking smart phones (ask someone who has an android to load two good apps and you will probably see the memory crash.
2. There is currently no REAL flash on smart phones. (ask someone with android to go to hulu and they will tell you it does not yet work.
Comments
For those wondering about the timing, note that this is an OS preview. It's not necessarily an OS release.
There is nothing yet to suggest that the software is ready for deployment.
That's their usual way to do (or has been so far) so I'd say it's pretty obvious, but I'm ready to crave for it, as long as I know there's anything to wait for
OT: Could we please have both read & write/drag & drop for the iDisk app. It IS a native Apple application after all.
So are the rumors saying the UI will be new looking, or will the changes just effect things going on "behind the scenes"?
Rumors say little. But I’m prepared for a bit of a jarring change. I’m really comfortable with the iPhone UI as is, but shaking things up to improve things like icon management would be welcome.
I think the basic first-glance impression of the home screen will likely stay similar, and all the multitouch controls (switched, pinch zoom, tab-bars of icons) that we’re used to in apps will remain. Ditto for the basic color scheme (grays and blues or blacks). But around that I expect some nice advancements!
Background audio (in AND out) is the only kind of multitasking I want that the iPhone doesn’t already have.
Apple usually doesn't schedule this sort of thing so close to another major event, like the iPad launch, so they really must have been planning for the end of March, giving about two weeks between events.
Don't know why they didn't release it on same date as iPad???
Don't change everything at once!
The staggered release allowed multiple, independent development/use activities:
-- current iPhone iPod Touch user install base: iPhone OS 2.x and 3.1x
-- current iPhone iPod Touch Development: iPhone 3.1x
-- iPad Developer 3.2 Beta
-- iPad debut iPhone: OS 3.2
-- developer version of iPhone OS 4.0 Beta for all applicable existing devices
-- release version of iPhone OS 4.0 for all applicable existing devices (may be staggered)
This way Apple, the developers, and the end users can all "do their own thing(s)" without affecting the others
*
Don't know why they didn't release it on same date as iPad???
If like last year, OS won't be available until June.
Don't change everything at once!
The staggered release allowed multiple, independent development/use activities:
-- current iPhone iPod Touch user install base: iPhone OS 2.x and 3.1x
-- current iPhone iPod Touch Development: iPhone 3.1x
-- iPad Developer 3.2 Beta
-- iPad debut iPhone: OS 3.2
-- developer version of iPhone OS 4.0 Beta for all applicable existing devices
-- release version of iPhone OS 4.0 for all applicable existing devices (may be staggered)
This way Apple, the developers, and the end users can all "do their own thing(s)" without affecting the others
*
Agreed, this was confusing .. Good news as of yesterday is no beta and only 3.2 SDK.
We will need to also download 4.0 SDK probably sometime in June or July.
Too bad, I might miss the event as I'm flying to Japan on that day
Very exciting.
I wonder if Apple will release iPhone OS 4.0 for the iPad and iPhone/iPod touch at the same time? It seems that it would make sense to align the releases from here on out.
I believe they will as the iPad uses iPhone OS. It's not a special iPad OS.
Bad poster design, it looks like a cross tombstone
Yep.
Android's tombstone.
So, I assume that having put up with incredibly dull discussions about why iPhone is crap because it doesn't have multi-tasking, we'll now no doubt have incredibly dull discussions about why they implemented it incorrectly. Or it hurts the battery life. Or it still fails to get you a girlfriend whilst you bang on about multi-tasking!
Sad, but you're probably absolutely right. Unless Apple sticks to its guns and gives us no MultiTasking then we'll stay right where we are until OS 5 ...
Talk is out that IPHONE 4.0 will be out before WWDC. Could make sense, since this year WWDC is already 2 weeks late and if APPLE wants to see new IPHONE sales in it's second quarter earnings it would have to be available in store by mid june. Keep in mind that IPHONE sales drop considerably in anticipation of the new model.
So, I assume that having put up with incredibly dull discussions about why iPhone is crap because it doesn't have multi-tasking, we'll now no doubt have incredibly dull discussions about why they implemented it incorrectly. Or it hurts the battery life. Or it still fails to get you a girlfriend whilst you bang on about multi-tasking!
I agree with this, but there is a secret out there that nobody talks about.
1. There is currently no REAL multi-tasking smart phones (ask someone who has an android to load two good apps and you will probably see the memory crash.
2. There is currently no REAL flash on smart phones. (ask someone with android to go to hulu and they will tell you it does not yet work.