So now that it's been announced that iPhone OS 4 will include multitasking...

[slick_old]

...does that change how you view the iPhone in comparison to the Droid or Android in general?

Personally, I still prefer Android OS over iPhone OS because of open development and customizeability (sp?). Even though some people say the iPhone UI is super-smooth, I honestly don't see much of a difference between my phone's resposiveness and my friend's iPhone (but, maybe that's just my Droid). And looking at page after page after page of icons is just super lame to me. And the ONE advantage that iPhone has over Android (apps and games) won't be an advantage for long because:

A) Android is RAPIDLY catching up to iPhone in terms of sheer number of apps.

B) Android has more free apps (by far) than any other mobile OS (something like 58% I believe)

C) Android allows apps from "unknown sources", which is huge in my opinion.

With all of that in mind, I can't think of anything major that the iPhone has over Android. Granted, the iPhone is an awesome device and was a very innovative product but it's definitely not for me. Some would argue that the iPhone is better because it has iTunes and iPod integrated seamlessly but is that really a big deal? Just as long as Android is MP3 capable and has awesome 3rd party apps like "3" or bTunes (I think that's the name of it), who cares about having a fully integrated iPod?

Apple iPhone to soon get long-sought multitasking - Yahoo! News

 

[QrafTee]

Hm... that definitely may have me reconsidering. I've had to wait for the HTC Incredible already and waiting a little longer won't kill me. And the iPhone is very strong in the gaming department compared to Android... Decisions, decisions.

 

[cred05]

Even now that it can do a lot of the things android can, it still feels like it was made for 5 year olds, very simple and basic. It still doesnt have a launcher, its just one big app drawer.

 

[riffdex]

Definitely glad the Droid's competition is making the iPhone a better phone. Maybe verizon will have to put out an OTA to make internet+phone call possible to compete? Either way, I can't imagine ditching my physical keyboard anytime soon.

 

[jfe]

They are also going to have folders now


Wow

If they could throw in a widget in there, it would be upto par to android 1.5

 

[jackburnt]

I didn't post on the OS as it's a Droid forum, but I will comment.

It seems that EVERYTHING came from the Droid, in idea and presentation. The only new aspects are iAds and Game Center.

Ads? OMG!

 

[Gunner]

Nope. Never wanted an iPhone. Still don't want one. Like cred05 said, it's still a simplistic, locked-down, app drawer of a phone. No thanks.

 

[slick_old]

They are also going to have folders now


Wow

If they could throw in a widget in there, it would be upto par to android 1.5

LOL!

I've never even seen a jailbroken iPhone that holds a candle to a stock Droid in terms of customizeability...and a rooted droid...fuggedaboutit

Also, I should note that only the iPhone 3GS will be capable of multitasking and regular iphones won't be able to. So their users have a bit of fragmentation to deal with as well.

 

[Dro1d]

Definitely glad the Droid's competition is making the iPhone a better phone. Maybe verizon will have to put out an OTA to make internet+phone call possible to compete? Either way, I can't imagine ditching my physical keyboard anytime soon.

Still won't be able to do internet and phone call at same time due to CDMA limitations. I think it will be possible with the 4G upgrade, though can't swear to it. Even so, unless Verizon iPhone has both radios, iPhone won't be able to do it at all, even after 4G upgrade.

 

[sooper_droid12]

It's not "true" multi-tasking. Actually, iPhone 4's multi-tasking is strangely familiar... why, it's identical to the Microsoft execution of multi-tasking on the WinPho7. Way to rip off tech Apple. I found the entire event to be hilarious because Steve Jobs is just caving into the end user. He took such a hard stance on the OS. Evidence? There are now FOLDERS in iPhone OS. FOLDERS, people. You know how Steve Jobs said, "If you see a stylus or a task manager, they've blown it." I think he said something like that about folders when introducing the iPhone OS's simplicity and un-Windows like nature. When asked in the Q&A about widgets, he didn't deny it in the coming week of introductions.

Incidentally, regarding multi-tasking, when asked: "How do you close multi-tasked apps?"

Answer: You don't. Don't think about it. The user should never, ever, ever, ever have to think about that.

Makes sense. The apps were never truly running anyway.

 

[Legacystar]

It's not "true" multi-tasking. Actually, iPhone 4's multi-tasking is strangely familiar... why, it's identical to the Microsoft execution of multi-tasking on the WinPho7. Way to rip off tech Apple. I found the entire event to be hilarious because Steve Jobs is just caving into the end user. He took such a hard stance on the OS. Evidence? There are now FOLDERS in iPhone OS. FOLDERS, people. You know how Steve Jobs said, "If you see a stylus or a task manager, they've blown it." I think he said something like that about folders when introducing the iPhone OS's simplicity and un-Windows like nature. When asked in the Q&A about widgets, he didn't deny it in the coming week of introductions.

Incidentally, regarding multi-tasking, when asked: "How do you close multi-tasked apps?"

Answer: You don't. Don't think about it. The user should never, ever, ever, ever have to think about that.

Makes sense. The apps were never truly running anyway.

Amen. it's not true multitasking, it's pause/play, which is nice for iphone users, i just hate now the apple fanboys think it's not a better multitask when it was never really multitasking to begin with.

 

[sergey]

None of these features interest me. The one biggest feature they forgot to announce was Verizon.

 

[xmr405o]

I want to see how it'll perform with all those new capabilities. I'm sure the Iphone will be okay but that's a significant change to what the phone is used to doing. If I would be interested in an Iphone, it would be the next generation not the old generation Iphones with an updated OS.

 

[Timaphillips]

It's not "true" multi-tasking. Actually, iPhone 4's multi-tasking is strangely familiar... why, it's identical to the Microsoft execution of multi-tasking on the WinPho7. Way to rip off tech Apple. I found the entire event to be hilarious because Steve Jobs is just caving into the end user. He took such a hard stance on the OS. Evidence? There are now FOLDERS in iPhone OS. FOLDERS, people. You know how Steve Jobs said, "If you see a stylus or a task manager, they've blown it." I think he said something like that about folders when introducing the iPhone OS's simplicity and un-Windows like nature. When asked in the Q&A about widgets, he didn't deny it in the coming week of introductions.

Incidentally, regarding multi-tasking, when asked: "How do you close multi-tasked apps?"

Answer: You don't. Don't think about it. The user should never, ever, ever, ever have to think about that.

Makes sense. The apps were never truly running anyway.

ALSO. The apps have to be coded using apple's "multitasking" guidelines. Which means all not all apps will be multitaskable.

 

[baka]

I dont think that any mobile os has true multi-tasking. its all pause/suspend/play. there was an article in wired about this last month i think.

I love the little fact about OS4 regarding what phone it works on though... Only 3GS. LOL! Apple screws its stakeholders yet again. Guess it means they'll definitely have a new phone in the summer.

 

[aaron19953]

the phrase "polishing a turd" comes to mind.. cant wait to see the iphone come to a crawl trying to multitask.. not to mention that multitasking as a afterthought is going to screw alot of the existing apps.. can't wait to see the show.. <grins>

 

[aaron19953]

I dont think that any mobile os has true multi-tasking. its all pause/suspend/play. there was an article in wired about this last month i think.

i disagree.. in my car i listen to slacker, have gmail running, and using navigation all at the same time. i wouldn't call that pausing..

-=<> Aaron <>=-

 

[QrafTee]

I dont think that any mobile os has true multi-tasking. its all pause/suspend/play. there was an article in wired about this last month i think.

I love the little fact about OS4 regarding what phone it works on though... Only 3GS. LOL! Apple screws its stakeholders yet again. Guess it means they'll definitely have a new phone in the summer.

So if it "plays" in the BG... it's not true multitasking?

And for those original iPhone users... most of them already upgraded so it's not an issue. Android phones are more severely fractured in a fraction of the time it took for the iPhone 3GS to be released since the debut of the original iPhone.

 

[Legacystar]

ALSO. The apps have to be coded using apple's "multitasking" guidelines. Which means all not all apps will be multitaskable.

not true from what they said, there is some process that accually handles the apps so the app won't have to be recoded to be paused. but things that use the audio api will prolly need to be to play in the backround.

 

[slick_old]

So if it "plays" in the BG... it's not true multitasking?

And for those original iPhone users... most of them already upgraded so it's not an issue. Android phones are more severely fractured in a fraction of the time it took for the iPhone 3GS to be released since the debut of the original iPhone.

How do you know that must users have already upgraded. I'm not being a smart-ass...I really want to know because I was just on another message board and a lot of 3G owners are bitchin' right now.

 

[slick_old]

not true from what they said, there is some process that accually handles the apps so the app won't have to be recoded to be paused. but things that use the audio api will prolly need to be to play in the backround.

This is an excerpt from an article discussing iPhone's new multitask. I'm not sure of the source b/c I grabbed this from another message board and the person who posted it didn't cite a source.

The big one, though, is 'multitasking,' and yes, we have our snark fully on with the scare quotes. What Apple is doing instead of 'true' multitasking is offering seven different OS-level services that apps can take advantage of in lieu of actually running in the background: audio, VOIP, location, push notifications, local notifications, task finishing, and fast app switching. To switch to a recently opened app, you double-tap the home button and a dock of your recent apps pops up. When you think about it, it's actually a very elegant solution for maintaining the maximum amount of battery life and speed on a device - albeit by sacrificing certain things.

So why would a non-charitable person call this 'multitasking-lite?' Such a gadfly might point out that the UI here isn't as elegant as webOS; that it requires developers to revisit their apps to add multitasking support; that there's no 'closing' apps because in most cases technically they're not running in the background, they're just frozen and the OS is providing services for them; that there might be background services that developers would want that aren't in Apple's list of seven; that worst of all Apple is making developers spend more and more time on iPhone-only code instead of code that could potentially work cross-platform, thereby increasing lock-in.

Heck, that gadfly might even point out that there are multiple meanings to the word 'multitasking' and one meaning surely includes 'managing multiple tasks without crazy-annoying and interruptive pop-up notifications bothering you and then disappearing as a badge on an icon in some folder on page 7 of your iPhone springboard.'

Good thing we're not that mean. Instead we'll just say that we wish our iPhone-toting friends well and will continue to be jealous of the number of apps and battery life on the iPhone. We'll also wonder if there are background tasks that aren't covered in Apple's list of seven - can you think of any?

 

[QrafTee]

How do you know that must users have already upgraded. I'm not being a smart-ass...I really want to know because I was just on another message board and a lot of 3G owners are bitchin' right now.

The same reason iPhone 3GSes sell like hotcakes. However, those who have something to complain about usually speak louder than those who are satisfied.

 

[Knitewulf]

It doesn't make me want the Iphone at all for apple executives are among the scum of the earth. However I find it funny that the Iphone will have multitasking(which the droid and many other phones had first) so they stole it. Yet they are still sueing HTC over patents...

 

[cruud]

Yeah but you have to pay Apple for it. Gizmodo wrote a good post on the iAd deal. Apple Wants 1/8 Your iPhone Back, Don't give it to them!

edit: I should say I used the iphone os for a year before coming to android. My allegiances changed quickly.

 

[aaron19953]

i just cant wait to hear what the fanboys have to say. Their defense must change now, before it was "well, the iphone wasn't meant to multitask so that the full power of the phone is always available" or some other such nonsense..