Task Killer Apps vs Android OS Control

[gunny5821]

OK folks, there has been many threads and discussions about these two subjects, but not in a head to head match up. What I would like to know (As well as others I hope):

1. Is whether you are using a Task Killer App or the Android OS and why?
2. Also, what have been your RAM readings with your selection?
3. If you used a Task Killer app and switched to the Android OS, why did you do change and what changes have you found since?
4. Finally, did you stop using a Task Killer app, only to find out that your hopes for the Android OS solution failed you and you are using a Task Killer app once again.

I know this is asking a lot, but in order for us (the people) to learn from these two issues is for the folks who are in the trenches doing battle everyday to provide us the real deal info. So I hope I will get many participants, and if you start and cannot finish, that is alright, just come back and pickup where you left off.

I would like to Thank Everyone in advance! This should prove to be a very informative thread......

Gunny

 

[rosered]

Hey Gunnie

I started using a Task Killer when I was on the original firmware and believe that that gave me better usage on the battery. I carried on with it after the updates out of habit until I started reading about other peoples experience of them being unnecessary.

I had a couple of trial periods of not killing and didn't see much difference. So decided to give it a miss.

I still have Advance Task Killer on there and if the phone starts to feel a bit laggy I will use it.

My RAM readings go as low as the 50's, when I kill they can go just over the 100 but tbh I have never given them much heed. I don't know what they represent in real terms.

 

[lavinius]

i don't use the task killers as i believe android does a better job at managing power management and it's not task killer aware meaning a task will loop and chew more battery

the biggest battery killer i found apart from the screen and normal use is PUSH, if i setup moxier to pull my email/calendar every say 15min i get 2 days and a half out of the phone, if i use PUSH i get just over a day

if you use a task killer to kill moxier apps then the firmware will start them again and you task killer kills them and firmware will start them and you get a loop happening chewing cpu cycles = battery drain

i found android is quite good at managing tasks so i let it do it's job and i have no issues

 

[AcidSentance]

2 and a half days! Jesus I'm barely lucky to get anymore than 1!

 

[lavinius]

i was surprised as well for a week until i decided to turn on exchange sync with moxier then back to just over a day! that was with about 30 sms's and 3g and probably an hour to two of talking and some facebook and other crap like google maps etc.

i'm on x26 generic firmware

 

[wooks63]

I'm the same a rosered in that I used to use a task killer but in the last week or 2 stopped using it (along with Juice Defender), and I'm still getting about 2

 

[Merolas]

I used to work with Advanced task killer, and like Rosered when i read it was useless i stopped using it. Didnt see any changes. i still use the app if i want to kill a particular app. if i have any slowdowns i either fc all may apps or simply restart the handset. my ram range as low as 25mb to 190mb depend what i run. For the battery life i did the test and it last me about 32 hours straight with normal use (gps, wifi, BT on) navigation, games, text, call and browsing. if i didnt play that much games it would make it pass the 3 days mark with ease.

 

[the-dude]

OK folks, there has been many threads and discussions about these two subjects, but not in a head to head match up. What I would like to know (As well as others I hope):

1. Is whether you are using a Task Killer App or the Android OS and why?

Yes. Because I don't want a lot of apps running on background, eating up my resources (battery, memory and cpu)

2. Also, what have been your RAM readings with your selection?

I don't have it automatically kill anything. I've seen the phone range from around 150Mb to around 30Mb of free RAM without any task killing. Usually, after killing some tasks, it goes up to 170~190Mb.

3. If you used a Task Killer app and switched to the Android OS, why did you do change and what changes have you found since?

Vanilla Android for me would slow down considerably after opening many apps. Also, I did notice quite a difference in stability depending on the Task Killer I used.

I used to have Advanced Task Killer, but nowadays, I use an app that is called Task Manager, and seems far more stable.

4. Finally, did you stop using a Task Killer app, only to find out that your hopes for the Android OS solution failed you and you are using a Task Killer app once again.

Yes.

EDIT: As some have said, there's the downside that some apps will get fired up again, once you use a task killer.

There are two simple solutions for that which allow you to still reap the benefits of using a task killer:

1) Kill everything, and then reopen your task killer. Add the apps that were restarted to the ignore list. Next time, your task killer won't kill them, and you won't have to deal with apps reopening and consuming resources (battery, for instance.)

2) Don't use it all the time. I use my task killer app about once or twice a day only.

 

[candiluver]

I used to work with Advanced task killer, and like Rosered when i read it was useless i stopped using it. Didnt see any changes. i still use the app if i want to kill a particular app. if i have any slowdowns i either fc all may apps or simply restart the handset. my ram range as low as 25mb to 190mb depend what i run. For the battery life i did the test and it last me about 32 hours straight with normal use (gps, wifi, BT on) navigation, games, text, call and browsing. if i didnt play that much games it would make it pass the 3 days mark with ease.

Wow..THREE DAYS? I just got my x10 a few days ago..and I've got the Advanced Task Killer on it because I read in other places that it'll make things run smoother. But even after killing all the unncessary apps (I usually just have the SMS, EMAIL and ADVANCED TASK KILLER on ignore list), I don't think I've seen it have over 120mb of free ram before. Is there something wrong with my phone??

 

[gunny5821]

I have noticed a trend so far. Seems the folks using 20 or 26 are letting Android handle things, but us with 16, maybe a different story. So far, we don't have anyone with 16 other than me, I do believe and please correct me if I'm wrong. I have not been using any Task Killers and my RAM runs from 40% to a low of 8% and I really don't have anything on the phone and am only using 3 screens. Today it almost got launched into the basket. It was just unbelieve in how slow it was going and really not able to do anything productive!

Question, has anyone tried to edit a Contact on the phone? I use the notes field and on some contacts have a good deal of info in that field. The contact program on this phone is simply Horrible! Cannot scroll in the field, you have to try and jump the cursor to the next line in an effort to move text and you constantly keep getting the "Do you want to copy etc..." popup. I got so annoyed I just turned the phone off with nothing accomplished after 20 minutes! Is anyone else having problems editing large text fields in the contacts program? Is there maybe a better one in the market?

I am trrying to keep the faith and deal with things as they appear, but the problems are starting to become real problems. I don't think it is the phones fault, I do believe it is Android 1.6's fault. 2.1 cannot come fast enough!

 

[rosered]

Heavy burden of responsibility descends.... are we still friends???

It's a fair point on the firmware because yes I did use ATK and Juice Defender extensively when I was on 016 but the need decreased with the new firmware.

I think in the next couple of weeks some questions may be answered, but have the feeling that the forum is going to be a hotbed as a whole host of other issues rise to the surface with the new update. I guess it will keep us on our toes.

 

[cwepruk]

On 016 I used it a ton, but i don't thin kit helped anyways - my life was dismal. 020 fixed all the battery life issues and IMO, gave this phone the best life of any top notch phone. I use nothing know and with light use, 3 days is common.

 

[Merolas]

Wow..THREE DAYS? I just got my x10 a few days ago..and I've got the Advanced Task Killer on it because I read in other places that it'll make things run smoother. But even after killing all the unncessary apps (I usually just have the SMS, EMAIL and ADVANCED TASK KILLER on ignore list), I don't think I've seen it have over 120mb of free ram before. Is there something wrong with my phone??

yeah...

http://androidforums.com/sony-ericsson-xperia-x10/151625-battery-test.html

the test i did

 

[gunny5821]

Heavy burden of responsibility descends.... are we still friends???

It's a fair point on the firmware because yes I did use ATK and Juice Defender extensively when I was on 016 but the need decreased with the new firmware.

I think in the next couple of weeks some questions may be answered, but have the feeling that the forum is going to be a hotbed as a whole host of other issues rise to the surface with the new update. I guess it will keep us on our toes.

Of course we are, heck we both have access to the swimming hole, so how could we be anything else? Yeah, Friends we are

Side note, we the masses that are using X10a, are stuck with R2CA016 and we are going to be waiting longer for 2.1 than the X10i's

So I have decided to run the phone on default with only a couple of market addons. The one I must have is, Thickbuttons Keyboard (Would love to get the HTC board, but alas no side loading, Thanks AT&T) and maybe 1-2 others. I will not add in the yahoo mail apps and will just check those through my PC once or twice a week as I really don't use those any longer, well, not since I got the X10 that is. So I will use Gmail and MobileMe as my email providers, which work right into Timescape and the default email apps. Depending on how this stage proceeds, will determine if I will add more apps.

Quick question; does anyone know if there is a better CONTACTS app in the market? The default one is just horrible, so much so that if I want to add anything or change anything I will do so through my PC instead of the phone. Phone can handle the little stuff, but is absolutely unreliable when it comes to changing anything with more than 2 lines in the large text boxes within the Contacts. I can only hope 2.1 will fix this, but since it seems we here in the US, won't be seeing 2.1 until the end of the year, if lucky............... So, Contact Apps, any bidy know of any?

Thanks!

 

[rosered]

Of course we are, heck we both have access to the swimming hole, so how could we be anything else? Yeah, Friends we are

Side note, we the masses that are using X10a, are stuck with R2CA016 and we are going to be waiting longer for 2.1 than the X10i's

Glad we are still buddies! (See I was thinking a bit Magnum PI but now I'm thinking maybe a rugged Hannibal/ATeam type - private joke)

Thanks for the side note. I have been doing a little thinking along with the other guides and moderators for support about handling the forum when the update starts to roll out as its going to get a little hectic! I will include the X10a info somewhere in there because people will be wondering why they haven't got theirs.

 

[Merolas]

Well My x10a is Rolling on 020

 

[rosered]

Well My x10a is Rolling on 020

What carrier are you with Merolas? Just trying to get my facts all straight!!

 

[gunny5821]

What carrier are you with Merolas? Just trying to get my facts all straight!!

Hey Rosered, I believe he is with ROGERS, in Canada....

 

[rosered]

Hey Rosered, I believe he is with ROGERS, in Canada....

Slaps forehead... oh dear, read the blooming user details Rose! Ya eejit

 

[Merolas]

Slaps forehead... oh dear, read the blooming user details Rose! Ya eejit

*point at device on side bar*