According to sources close to Apple, the company will be introducing multitasking support to the iPhone in its 4.0 firmware release.
Whether Apple will allow for similar functionality on the iPad is unknown. The lack of multitasking in the device has been a major point of complaint among users of the iPhone, and of potential purchasers of the future iPad. Both gadgets only allow for one application to be used at a time, something that Microsoft has been poking fun at recently.
The only complaint that we have heard more times than the lack of multitasking, is the exclusion of Flash from Apple mobile devices. Apple will not move from that point, but on this front it will give that market what it has long been asking for.
Anyone and everyone who has jailbroken their iPhone has had multitasking for some time, as the iPhone can support it quite simply. Apple has merely been blocking a simple software fix. Why?
Explanations tend to center around battery life and phone performance. More applications running will lead to lower battery life, and already taxed mobile processors might not be able to handle the load. However, with the newer, more powerful iPhone 3GS only one of the issues remains problematic.
It is very late, but as they say, better late than never.
This is good to know. I finally upgrade from my Blackberry to the iPhone 3GS next week. Looking forward to seeing how the sync with my Mac will go, at the moment having to update the BB and Mac calendars separately drives me nuts! Glad to see it is firmware and there are no hints at an iPhone 2 or 4G.
This is good to know. I finally upgrade from my Blackberry to the iPhone 3GS next week. Looking forward to seeing how the sync with my Mac will go, at the moment having to update the BB and Mac calendars separately drives me nuts! Glad to see it is firmware and there are no hints at an iPhone 2 or 4G.
Wouldn't this undercut their entire selling point for the iPad? That the masses want a simple, “modal” device that will let them do one specific thing at a time?
I'm totally for multitasking, but this seems like it would require some backpedaling in their iPad / iPhone philosophy.
Wouldn't this undercut their entire selling point for the iPad? That the masses want a simple, “modal” device that will let them do one specific thing at a time?
I'm totally for multitasking, but this seems like it would require some backpedaling in their iPad / iPhone philosophy.
The new iPhone units will most probably have a 1GHz processor, I can't see a reason not to implement multitasking.
For sure, Apple needs to get off its ass on this one.
How do you find the email experience is between the two devoces?
Battery life?
Well on my BB I cannot use my @me.com address, or have not worked out how to anyway. So pretty poor. I have two other e-mail accounts which work fine on both, and Mail recognises if I have read it on my BB already. I hope that the iPhone, with MobileMe which I have already for iWeb, will be flawless.
Well on my BB I cannot use my @me.com address, or have not worked out how to anyway. So pretty poor. I have two other e-mail accounts which work fine on both, and Mail recognises if I have read it on my BB already. I hope that the iPhone, with MobileMe which I have already for iWeb, will be flawless.
Spotify will finally replace my itunes library.
IDK, if I need to keep an eye on my battery life I'll just run one app. I want the option!
Thanks!
I think Apple are right to be cautious, especially if Android is anything to go by. I have both devices and despite a handful of Android devs that I've spoken to in the past either flatly denying its an issue, or telling me that users should just take more care of their devices and that developers should just make better programs (oh so idealistic isn't it!?), it does have a HUGE impact on battery life. A fresh vanilla Android on my G1 and my battery can last a day or two in standby. Install a few apps and that have services that make background calls, and that starts decreasing exponentially (and now it lasts half a day).
I'd like to think that Apple have refrained simply to tackle the issue properly. Fingers crossed!
iTunes is ass
Or they only bent to our wishes after Android started to kick their ass.
Heh. Android is a LONG way from kicking Apple's ass. Good luck to them, seriously, I'm all for competition (it raises standards across the board, which is better for all of us), but they've got a loong way to go.
Of course, that's not to say that it's not partly down to user demand – I mean, that's what sells a product ultimately (giving customers what they want).
Battery life sucks already, so what if it sucks a little more? Most people have to take their chargers to work with them just to get through the day as it is, so getting an hour less won't make much of a difference in people's routines.
I imagine it would be no better than it is currently.
Actually, I think that in many cases the lack of multi tasking is for a good part compensated by the fact that start up time of most iPhone apps is about one second; much faster anyway than on any standard computer. Switching between apps is possible with only two clicks.
My question is what (huge?) advantages multi tasking would bring anyway?
Why? Can you write a post about it? I often hear people complain about iTunes and I never get it. I see some thing that could work better but I certainly don't 'hate' it. Some people do and I would love to understand why…
Why? Can you write a post about it? I often hear people complain about iTunes and I never get it. I see some thing that could work better but I certainly don't 'hate' it. Some people do and I would love to understand why…
Yes, The lack of multitasking in the device has been a major point of complaint among users of the iPhone, and of potential purchasers of the future iPad.