I don't think the 6 programs are even necessarily running, they are just the last 6 programs you used. When I used a task manager, if I closed out all tasks, then held the home button, I would still see the last 6 programs I had open, even though they were closed.
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The EVO Multitasks???
- Thread starter sdezrilov
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- htc evo 4g
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D
Deleted User
Guest
I say, they aren't performing the same function, they are just sending you to the same place this time.
Home always takes you... home. Back always takes you... back. If back happens to equal home this time, then home is where back will take you.
In a web browser, for instance, back takes you back pages until you get to the first/home page, then back takes you to where you were before you started the browser, typically your home screen.
Another way to show this.. load an app that's not on your main home screen (ie, where the clock is by default), and hit back. You'll be back on the screen you started the app from. Go back in to it and hit home, this time you'll be on the main home screen. The 2 buttons are doing something different, you just won't see the difference if you start an app from the main home screen.
I agree... I don't like the inconsistency that android allows here. Flexibility is good, UI inconsistency is not IMO.
Correct. That's why I'd love to find an app to replace this that maybe shows the last 10 apps (instead of only 6) but shows which ones are resident (were running and are now sitting in the background, idle, taking up memory) and easily allows me to remove them from memory with a simple gesture.
Ah - my mistake.
Well, I guess the latest iOS will change that. Or not.
Apple is very good at doing business - you gotta hand that to them.
As a hardware company, they knew to contract with AT&T correctly.
When Apple's ready to push an update to protect its interests, it pushes the update.
When Google has an Android update, next come porting and validation on various devices. So far so good in principle. But then it goes through the phone maker, and then again the carrier.
You either root and get an early port or get the update when mom says it's ready.
There are very, very few cell phone radio schemes. There really is not a whole lot to validate there, compared to what Google has done already.
But - add in iron maker's add-ons, special hardware feature, then yes, the iron makers have a bit more to validate and change as necessary.
Now add on the iron maker's bloatware - or features, if you like them.
Now the carriers.
Let's face it - Sprint's validation isn't going to be as much about 2.2 for Evo working with their towers nearly as much as is it ensuring their strategy to protect Sprint apps.
When I got my Moment, there were four different Android revs out there and a lot of baloney for excuses. As a normal sheeple, I went from 1.5 to 2.1 in one jump.
I couldn't have my interests protected with updates unless I voided the warranty and rooted.
Like it or not, that's a form of fragmentation that the iPhone doesn't suffer.
The iPhone fragmentation comes from hardware obsolescence - and people are accustomed to that with their PCs, so it doesn't bear the stigma nor the name that comes with arbitrary, carrier-controlled fracturing of the user experience.
In my opinion.
I see, I misunderstood. I like System Panel. I just have the free version, but it lets you close out all tasks, just cached tasks, backgroud apps, etc. It won't allow you to switch between apps holding the home button does though.
I understand that point, but it's still a difference without a distinction for many users, in my opinion.
Start an app from the drawer (whatever it's called) - when you go back, you're not in the drawer.
Saving a desktop context for return may simply seem less important for some users.
These little annoyances as well as the exit confusion does not add up to the friendly polish that we all enjoy when it's there.
Again, in my opinion.
PS - Totally off-topic but another piece lacking this polish - in my opinion - that the screens aren't circular. If you left swipe on the last one, you don't go around to the first - you bounce; same for a right swipe on the first screen.
Whether you use a 7 screen Sense or a 3 screen Android - count the unnecessary number of user hand movements compared to if this were implemented to get to any particular screen. It's always at least one.
Off-topic, sorry but that's always bugged me.
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
But at that time, we didn't know any better. =P
Yep - many people didn't know better.
That was a matter of market acceptance, not technological capability.
The truth was out there, people just didn't want to hear it.
I recall showing a number of people OS/2 Warp Blue in '94. To the last man jack of them, they'd tell me how they were waiting for multitasking. I'd show simultaneous tasks running. I'd hear, but I have to run my old Windows programs and I need Windows to do that. I'd open a window and run a Windows 3.1 program - without any Windows installed. I'd hear that when Windows 95 came along, I'd eat crow because when Windows came along, that would teach me a lesson.
One day I asked a Win95 user why his music was stuttering. I got a long answer. I dragged him over, started playing music, pulled up a little movie clip, the web browser, gopher, and opened the document he was working on.
He told me that while his stuttered, my multitasking was all hosed up because you could hear the movie sound and the music at the exact same time. (Neither stuttering.)
I asked him why he thought his stuff was stuttering then - and he told me that Microsoft had just invented multitasking, despite what other weenies wanted to claim, and that these sort of things take time to work out.
He was telling me this while I had launched an X windows session from an adjacent DR-DOS machine and I was networked to several unix minis, performing various text and graphics work as the screens updated (albeit slow at times).
Not an isolated exchange by any stretch - but it was like they were all reading from a script.
The multitasking mindshare marketing games for cell phones have begun.
Expect to hear a lot of nonsense in the coming year about what you don't get because iOS is now REALLY multitasking. Expect to hear the same dialogs I did, over and over.
Welcome to my world, my friend, welcome to my world.
(To be sure - I wanted nothing to do with OS/2 until Warp Blue hit. But then, many people wanted nothing more to do with Windows until 95 hit. The big circle just turns and turns and turns.)
D
Deleted User
Guest
FWIW, this is exactly how iPhone OS 3 handles it (as per my iPhone 3G). You get to the end and then 'bump', there's no wrapping. If this is how Apple thinks it should be done, then it must be right, and the very idea that you would ever want to wrap screens is simply preposterous...
I do like the pinch to zoom out feature (I believe this is an HTC Sense thing?) that gives you all 7 screens at once. Rather than flipping left 6 times, try pinching and selecting the other screen directly. It's a very fast way to get around once you get used to it. Pressing Home when you're on the home (clock) screen gets you to the same place. I suppose double-pressing Home gets you there from anywhere, giving you one end to the other travel in 3 touches, no matter how many screens you have or which one you start from.
Dude - You're my new hero.
I wouldn't have thought to pinch to get the spaces display in million years - I've always been doing that home-twice thing - and, man it's been getting OLD.
Anywhere to anywhere with a pinch-tap. A standard motion sequence - I'll never swipe again.
As I've done for years on various desktop OSes, I devote each one to a task area. I've seemed to have settled on one for references, one for scheduling, one for h/w mgmt, communications, media, system tools, and distractions.
It's my big reason to not move away from the HTC rom - 7 screens instead of 3.
Now - I'll set about forgetting which is adjacent to which - I don't care if I should be smart enough to remember what's to the left or right of where I am - I think I'd rather be smart enough to not use my brain that way anymore.
I've always made distinctive patterns of the widget layouts, specifically to associate each area at a glance, without having to know the widgets themselves - this was a favorite thing to do in KDE for me. (I digress - just sharing in case anyone else wants to try that strategy.)
BTW - is there a name for the desktops/spaces/screens in the Android world?
So - that I may sound less ignorant - what are these things called in the Android world? Or failing that - in the smartphone world?
PS - Oh, man, is that FAST! Many thank yous!
Tap home twice, also standard but - move hand down, a double-tap off the screen area, move up to select screen.
mnwt's method - fingers close on screen, select screen as fingers open. It's nearly one cyclic motion.
Boom!
I wouldn't have thought to pinch to get the spaces display in million years - I've always been doing that home-twice thing - and, man it's been getting OLD.
Anywhere to anywhere with a pinch-tap. A standard motion sequence - I'll never swipe again.
As I've done for years on various desktop OSes, I devote each one to a task area. I've seemed to have settled on one for references, one for scheduling, one for h/w mgmt, communications, media, system tools, and distractions.
It's my big reason to not move away from the HTC rom - 7 screens instead of 3.
Now - I'll set about forgetting which is adjacent to which - I don't care if I should be smart enough to remember what's to the left or right of where I am - I think I'd rather be smart enough to not use my brain that way anymore.
I've always made distinctive patterns of the widget layouts, specifically to associate each area at a glance, without having to know the widgets themselves - this was a favorite thing to do in KDE for me. (I digress - just sharing in case anyone else wants to try that strategy.)
BTW - is there a name for the desktops/spaces/screens in the Android world?
So - that I may sound less ignorant - what are these things called in the Android world? Or failing that - in the smartphone world?
PS - Oh, man, is that FAST! Many thank yous!
Tap home twice, also standard but - move hand down, a double-tap off the screen area, move up to select screen.
mnwt's method - fingers close on screen, select screen as fingers open. It's nearly one cyclic motion.
Boom!
D
Deleted User
Guest
Glad to be of service!
Premonition
Well-Known Member
ive tested out a few games and when i press home to exit and hold home to return to the game it leaves where i left off, so i dont know whats going on with that statment.
doriansoto
Newbie
you guys should try downloading an app called QUICKDESK. it adds to the multitasking ability of the phone.
Now THAT seems just way too cool.
For those familiar with OS X Dashboard (or it's Windows equivalent - I haven't used it but I've heard it's there) - it's like that.
Double tap home from within a running app and get a custom set of widgets available to jump off and handle some other task or interruption in the mini-task list you create.
Anyway - check out the links.
I'm trying this out first chance I get - top reviews so far -
Quickdesk: A beta home “replacement” with a twist – Android and Me
App Review: QuickDesk Beta : AndroidSPIN | Your No.1 source for Everything Android.
QuickDesk BETA - Android app on AppBrain
Now you tell me!
I just installed Quickdesk - made time! - using a long search press - these sort of tools are better than sliced bread.
Anyone wanting to try that one - it doesn't have a little left-right window, it just gives the whole screen. (Mention that because I was looking for the wrong thing after those articles - thought others might make a similar mistake.)
Tip of the topper to doriansoto - now on beezy's suggestion....
This thread is REALLY nailing it for me for productivity - thanks, compadres!
njbianco
Android Enthusiast
androids had FULL multi-tasking before 2.1
dbpaddler
Android Expert
I haven't been that impressed with the multitasking as of late. I doesn't always go back to the same spot I left off in emails and texts which is really annoying. If I'm in the middle of writing a text, it doesn't always go back to it. Same with an email. Sometimes it doesn't even go back to the same account.
Anyone else see this?
Anyone else see this?
RoboMonkey
Android Expert
There is a ton of stuff like this in the user guide. Am I the only one that still reads product documentation.
From the user guide:
Page 7
6. [FONT=HPPGM A+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGM A+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]Home Key [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]takes you back to the Home screen. When in standby mode, press and hold to open the recently-used applications window. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]By the way here is a cool one from the UG:[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]Tip: [FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]To switch to a scientific calculator, turn your device sideways to your left. The scientific calculator lets you perform more complex calculations with square roots, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions.
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
From the user guide:
Page 7
6. [FONT=HPPGM A+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGM A+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]Home Key [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]takes you back to the Home screen. When in standby mode, press and hold to open the recently-used applications window. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]By the way here is a cool one from the UG:[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]Tip: [FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ][FONT=HPPGK O+ Berthold Standard BQ,Standard BQ]To switch to a scientific calculator, turn your device sideways to your left. The scientific calculator lets you perform more complex calculations with square roots, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions.
[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
Super Noob
Well-Known Member
If you like that, you might want to try Multitask Manager. Long-pressing the Home button only brings up the last 6 apps. With Multitask Manager, it brings up ALL running apps. I've had it show 11 running apps, and it also shows the recently closed apps too.
If you long-press the Search button, it bring up the vocal search. For example, you can say "pizza hut" and it will find the pizza huts around you. If you don't use that feature, you can make the long-press Search button bring up the Multi-task Manager instead. You just have to get used to using it instead of long-pressing the Home button.
MultiTask Manager - Android app on AppBrain
Super Noob
Well-Known Member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I understand, the iPhone can only multitask with the iphone apps that come pre-installed. In other words, you can't jump to a third-party app.
If this is true, then it is a limited multi-task and not a true multi-task. The iPhone 3G and below does not support multi-tasking.
Multitasking comes to iPhone OS 4.0 -- but not to the iPhone 3G -- Engadget
D
Deleted User
Guest
You're wrong. Any App on the iP4 can pseudo-multitask, but it has to be re-written to incorporate this, and that app then cannot run on the iP3G or 2G, so as a developer you'd have to give up those users or fork/develop 2 different versions of your code.
IOWA
Mr. Logic Pants
But the mulittask version of the app must pass Apple's approval process, so if Apple doesn't want you to multitask, your SOL.
dbpaddler
Android Expert
and if you download bad apps from google's market your battery drains, your personal info gets compromised, you get force closes all the time, yada yada yada....
does this need to become another useless apple vs android thread?
does this need to become another useless apple vs android thread?
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