Jobs: If you see a stylus or a task manager, 'they blew it'
By Nilay Patel 
posted April 8th 2010 2:48PM
posted April 8th 2010 2:48PM
Yeah, that pretty much sums up the Apple Way, but hey -- tell us how you really feel, Steve.Q: How do you close applications when multitasking?
A: (Scott Forstall) You don't have to. The user just uses things and doesn't ever have to worry about it.
A: (Steve Jobs) It's like we said on the iPad, if you see a stylus, they blew it. In multitasking, if you see a task manager... they blew it. Users shouldn't ever have to think about it.
We're talking about the same Steve Jobs that said "people don't read anymore", right? http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/16/if-jobs-says-people-dont-read-anymore-does-this-headline-rea/
With the advent of iBooks and the fact that anything Jobs says is tainted by his purposeful market misleading/his stupidity in general, I'll take this with a grain of salt.
How is he defining what a task manager is? Because doesn't the iPhone OS 4.0 use a task manager? You double-click the Home button, and it brings up a dock where you can choose which app to close. Isn't that what a task manager does?
I'm sure someone in the 500+ comments has said this by now, but in case not...
The problem with this "my OS is so smart it can decide what should be shut down" argument is that it a) relies on all app developers to allow users to force-quit their app through an exit option (any none do today right?) so you can decide that you don't want the app running anymore, regardless of the resources issue. For example, on Android I have to use taskiller to kill last.fm b/c it lacks this functionality, and sometimes I just don't want it running in the background simply because I still have available resources. No OS can be smart enough to read my mind.
he's planing to put an i7 inside the next iphone :p!!
no seriously, he's either full of it, or simply high, because it will have a task manager whether he called it by the name or camouflaged it, besides its not real multi-tasking...
Me and my Windows Mobile HD2 will do all this since a smartphone existed...Apple patented the revolutionary "Cover Flow"...lets give them a standing ovation.
the multitasking IS the task manager
Honestly, im suprised apple hasnt patented a Task manager
If you haven't read this already, check out the firsthand account of one (of probably thousands) frustrated iPad user. I love his honesty! Ok. Bye, bye now. http://www.macworld.com/article/150474/2010/04/ipad_not_for_everyone.html
Hey Steve - no drawing on the ipad means you blew it. Can't believe they let this opportunity go.
That bar showing what tasks are running looks exactly like a taskbar. Taskbars are used to manage tasks. Apple can call it whatever it wants, but it still has a task manager. And I've seen a video where the reviewer of the new firmware, Kent German, had trouble hitting the "X" to end an app. So, it looks like not having a stylus also is blowing it, unless Apple plans to increase the size of the "X" so you can actually hit it without the use of a stylus. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure people can learn to hit the "X," I've learned to use WinMo without a stylus for years now, but that will be something people will have to work on.
I'm probably going out on a limb, but I'm going to say task managers on other mobile OS's will prove to be better seems how you can get to them relatively as easily, then hightlight and end the app you want closed. I can get in and out of Task Manager in WinMo in as little as 5 taps of the screen, which appears to be the same with iPhone OS. The problem with the iPhone is one of those taps you actually have to "hold" for a second and you will likely have to scroll through the list of applications that are open to find the one you have to close. It's almost a certainty that someone can close an app in Window Mobile faster.