What are the benifits of multitasking on a smartphone?

[alizee]

I don't want to sound snarky, I'm legitimately wondering: Why do I want or need multitasking on a smartphone?

I may be running some fruit-flavored phone and I'm wondering what I'm missing (because I haven't really missed it). The only circumstance I've really missed it is when trying to listen to internet audio (Pandora, Public Radio, Simplify Media, etc.) and I want to play a game or search something on the web. The other reason I would want multitasking seems to already be there, and that's the constant state of the application while "in the background" (or quit out of on my phone); the last webpage I looked at still loaded, the last email I looked at still up, my connect four game at the same spot, etc.

Thanks for the replies, but please try to keep them civil (I don't want this thread to turn into "My Newton is better than your Pilot!!!" or vice versa)

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

It's basically response. It is faster when a program is running in the background to pop up. That is the only real benefit of it. And yes your example for internet radio is basically the only example.

 

[alizee]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
It's basically response. It is faster when a program is running in the background to pop up.

Good call. I guess therein lies the crux; do you want better battery life or a faster device? Seems like a lot of that could be mitigated by faster hardware at the same power levels, eh? The 3GS seems a lot faster than my 3G, almost as if it were multitasking compared to the 3G.

 

[jaif]

Say you're using an ssh session into a server and need to switch to your password app to lookup the database password for a particular schema. With multitasking, you don't lose your session. Same thing, but you need to IM someone to give you a hand with something.

Two I came up with when I asked the same question (for probably very similar reasons that you did).

-Jeff

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: jaif
Say you're using an ssh session into a server and need to switch to your password app to lookup the database password for a particular schema. With multitasking, you don't lose your session. Same thing, but you need to IM someone to give you a hand with something.

Two I came up with when I asked the same question (for probably very similar reasons that you did).

-Jeff

Multitasking really is something great. On the business side, multitasking is be indispensible.

 

[randomlinh]

i want a gps logger for when I go out shooting. just an example.

mimicking multitasking w/ push notification the way iPhone 3.0 does it works too for a lot of people, but having the option of doing background stuff is nice to have.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

 

[ChAoTiCpInOy]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

That's the thing, since you have multiple apps open it takes a little longer to switch betwen them. If the apps can hold the information but still turn off the app and can push any new updates, while keeping the UI quick. Wouldn't that be better?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

That's the thing, since you have multiple apps open it takes a little longer to switch betwen them. If the apps can hold the information but still turn off the app and can push any new updates, while keeping the UI quick. Wouldn't that be better?

No it doesn't. Switches nice and fast. I'd much prefer that than some saved state app switching.

 

[bonkers325]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

That's the thing, since you have multiple apps open it takes a little longer to switch betwen them. If the apps can hold the information but still turn off the app and can push any new updates, while keeping the UI quick. Wouldn't that be better?

No it doesn't. Switches nice and fast. I'd much prefer that than some saved state app switching.

i would like BB to have push aim/gtalk functionality... especially for aim which craps out all the time on me.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: alizee

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy
It's basically response. It is faster when a program is running in the background to pop up.

Good call. I guess therein lies the crux; do you want better battery life or a faster device? Seems like a lot of that could be mitigated by faster hardware at the same power levels, eh? The 3GS seems a lot faster than my 3G, almost as if it were multitasking compared to the 3G.

Part of the reason why Apple doesn't throw in multitasking is because the 3G/3GS has a what... 1000 mAh battery? It's not much.

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

That's the thing, since you have multiple apps open it takes a little longer to switch betwen them. If the apps can hold the information but still turn off the app and can push any new updates, while keeping the UI quick. Wouldn't that be better?

Or just build a phone that can handle it? or design applications that don't gobble up all the power in the world? I can multitask on my N82. It's not great nor terrible but I'll admit its CPU is outdated. Still very useful.

I'll admit that Apple has crafted save state in RAM or save state on exit combined with push notifications that it's nearly a seamless process. However, true multitasking is needed one day.

 

[dinkumthinkum]

I use Putty SSH, Opera Mini, e-mail and IM simultaneously pretty much all the time. Especially with something like SSH -- active network connections are not generally something that is easily saved/restored from backing store (though I suppose it is possible). I run these all on the Nokia E71-2 which is the most responsive phone I've ever used, and it has stellar battery life too. If it wasn't for SSH I probably could get by with the push notification system in iPhone 3.0 software.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: bonkers325

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: ChAoTiCpInOy

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I can often be using twitter app, IM app, google maps, email, phone call, GPS logger and a game all at the same time on my Storm. Switching between apps as you need it is great. Listening to music while using other apps is also win. Copy & paste is great when you can multi task. I can't see the point if you can't task switch between apps.

That's the thing, since you have multiple apps open it takes a little longer to switch betwen them. If the apps can hold the information but still turn off the app and can push any new updates, while keeping the UI quick. Wouldn't that be better?

No it doesn't. Switches nice and fast. I'd much prefer that than some saved state app switching.

i would like BB to have push aim/gtalk functionality... especially for aim which craps out all the time on me.

Well it has both as native apps or you can use BeeJive, which is very good.

 

[bucwylde23]

I won't get an iPhone simply because I'm so used to multi tasking on my blackberries.
There's many times that i need to log into a site and i can just open up the password keeper app and get my pw while staying at the login screen on the page.
Having several apps open is great also. I usually chat on AIM using BeeJive while surfing web sites/using facebook app and variuos other things.
I've never had a problem with battery life since I charge my phone in the car/at home/at work.