Though it's relented on MMS and copy / paste, Apple has stubbornly, steadfastly continued to
hold the line on the multitasking issue throughout the iPhone's two and a half-year career. Though it has a point about traditional multitasking burning through power, competing smartphone platforms -- scratch that,
every competing platform -- has proven that it's still plenty possible to get a full days' life out of a battery while running a full host of apps in the background. Of course, the jailbroken iPhone community knows this full well, which is why there are a number of utilities available for backgrounding apps, but maybe none quite as slick as the just-released multifl0w. Taking a cue from the Pre, multifl0w adds backgrounded apps to a horizontally-scrollable gallery of cards; the only thing it's missing is a swipe gesture for quitting, but it's a minor point. Apple, we know you're seeing how good this is -- is there a defensible reason for why we still have to h4x0r our handsets to get this?
[Thanks, Jai]
posted November 30th 2009 12:03AM
Interesting, though the way it works seems a bit clunky (coming from a palm pre at least). It will be interesting to see if apple's multitasking implementation (if they do that, which is a big if) will look anything like this. Either way, some good work looks to have been done by the programmers who've worked on this.
It is a bit clunky right now and mostly works. But Multifl0w isn't what is allowing multi tasking, an app called Backgrounder is. Multifl0w is just an interface that allows it to kind of look like the Pre when it comes to what is currently running. Backgrounder has been around for awhile now.
I would like to add that some apps do drain the battery very quickly. It depends on the app and the programmers could make apps for efficient to not so so much of the battery. But some apps also don't seem to drain the battery so quickly.
I think if Apple does (...) implement a multitasking feature, it will be like expose or something.. Just what I think.
C'mon Apple, just integrate the 'multitask' into the OS... We'll learn if we like/dislike the effects on the battery, and adjust accordingly.
I'd like to see an official solution like this one ASAP, but I know it won't hit until OS 4. At least. They're not gonna rush. Apple just knows they can walk down the hill and "multitask" all the cows, ifyouknowhatI'msayin'.
The reason "why" is the same reason why Apple even disqualify guidebooks from the app store when they strangely use the word "iPhone" inside it (http://mobile.engadget.com/2009/11/03/apple-rejects-macworld-iphone-superguide-from-app-store-for-u/):
BECAUSE THEY CAN...
Apple is worried that users will keep too many apps open, effectively slowing down the entire OS, taking away one of it's major selling points. Nobody can complain about how slow the phone is if you prevent consumers from multitasking.
Why is anybody surprised by this? If you allow users to multi-task, there is that chance (more like eventual likelihood) that there will come a time because the OS has to do some memory management when the screen... lags {{gasp}} and then people will realize that it is not Jobsian magic that keeps the iPhone from not having that occasional sputter like other "mere mortal" phones (you know... the ones that CAN do something else at the same time).
Multifl0w bears a striking resemblance to the winmo app TaskFacade.
Kirikae is a cleaner interface and is free, checked these out over the weekend. Luckily I don't have to mod my droid at all to get satisfactory multi-tasking & smart IM/Gtalk realtime notifications!
it's not teaching apple anything it's copying palm